ALUMNI PROFILE
Wiley, Now An NFL Starter, Stays In Touch
By Jonathan Lemire

	Marcellus Wiley '97, who has succeeded future Hall of Famer Bruce Smith in the Buffalo Bill's starting lineup, still finds time to keep an eye on the Columbia football program. PHOTO: TOM WOLF

Ann Arbor. South Bend. Tallahassee. Lincoln. Morningside Heights. In a discussion of the hotbeds of college football, the latter seems a bit out of place. However, thanks to Marcellus Wiley '97, who has succeeded the legendary Bruce Smith as a starting end on the defensive line of the Buffalo Bills, all of those locales can boast of at least one alumnus in the National Football League.

"One of the favorite jokes in the clubhouse is my teammates teasing me because I went to one of the smaller football programs," Wiley says with a laugh. "But that doesn't stop me from following Columbia all the time."

Indeed, when the Bills were in the New York area to play the Jets on September 17, Wiley snuck away the night before to take in some of the Columbia vs. Fordham game at Baker Field.

"It was good to see the team start off the season with a [43-26] win," he said, "and it was great to see that many people out there [thanks in part to Baker Blast] watching the game. It was exciting."

Wiley himself was a primary factor the last time excitement over the football team reached a fever pitch. As co-captain, he spearheaded Columbia's remarkable 8-2 season in 1996, which gave the Lions national attention as well as second place in the Ivy League. For leading the Light Blue to their best record since 1946, the defensive end was named a Third-Team All-American and was selected to the All-Ivy team for the second time. He also was named to the 24-member Columbia "Team of the Century" that was honored at halftime of the Homecoming game against Dartmouth on Oct. 21.

The greatest recognition he received, however, came in April 1997, just a month before graduation. He was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Bills, becoming the first Lion to be picked since John Witkowski was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1984.

With Smith firmly entrenched on the Bills' line, Wiley spent his first three seasons primarily as a situational pass rusher, recording nine sacks. But when Smith left for the Washington Redskins before the 2000-01 season, Wiley was thrust into the starting lineup with the challenging task of replacing a future Hall-of-Famer. Complicating matters, Wiley missed the 2000 preseason after undergoing surgery to repair a disc problem in his back.

He made a speedy recovery, however, and was in the Bills' lineup by opening day. During his New York visit he said he was pleased with the progress he has been making in his first season as a starter.

"I'm getting healthier every week," he said. "While I wish it wasn't the case, every Sunday I've got to play better and get better at the same time, and that's hard.

"There's been some progress, and some things to work on," he said. "It's hard to make an assessment, because you could be the star one game and then be the shadow the next. The end of the season is really the best time for an assessment, because you don't want to smell the roses too early. But I think that I'm doing positive things out there, and - most importantly - getting the respect of my teammates and [players on] other teams."

With the Bills' playoff chances in the very competitive AFC East hinging on their defense, many football fans in the Columbia community will be watching intently to see how their favorite son responds. They may be surprised to learn that despite the rigors of an NFL schedule, he is returning the gaze. While Wiley dryly notes that he is "busy on weekends," he does keep tabs on his alma mater's football program.

"It's a little different than it is for most of the team's alumni," he said, "because they have more of an opportunity to be a part of it while I'm still trying to continue my football career at the next level. I can't do as much as I want, but I always keep the team in my peripheral vision, and I always check the score."

Buoyed by his own experience at Columbia and by the growing interest he has seen in the football team, Wiley is optimistic that athletics will take a more visible role on the Heights.

"As good as Columbia is academically, it would be great to have that balance with sports," he noted. "It's great to see so many guys staying with the football team. We need to keep that up and get some more support from the alums for the program.

"If we do that, I think we can generate some real excitement on both the academic and athletic levels of the school."