Player Profile

PRO: James Whalen signed with the Cowboys in 2000 hoping to provide the team with a pass-catching tight end that would make defenses respect the middle of the field. Whalen - the NCAA's single season receptions, yardage and touchdowns leader for a tight end - spent a year on the Dallas practice squad and a year on injured reserve before getting his opportunity to display his talents. When given the chance, he showed coaches the ability to not only make plays catching the ball but also on special teams units, recording 15 special teams stops in 2002. This versatility will only benefit him as he battles with two other veterans and a draft pick for a spot on the Cowboys tight end depth chart.

2002: After missing the 2001 season with a strained right Achilles tendon, Whalen returned to the playing field during training camp and proceeded to appear in all 16 regular season games. He finished the season with 17 catches for 152 yards while ranking fourth on the team with 15 special teams tackles. After making his debut at Houston (9/8) in the season opener, Whalen recorded his first special teams stop at Philadelphia (9/22). He left the Eagles game in the fourth quarter, however, after suffering bruised ribs. He returned the following week at St. Louis (9/29) to record his first career catches, catching a team- and career-high five passes for 38 yards. Three of his grabs gave Dallas a first down, including one on the game-tying field goal drive in the fourth quarter. He caught a career-long 33-yard pass against the N.Y. Giants (10/6). Against Carolina (10/13), Whalen knocked the wind out of kick returner Steve Smith following the Cowboys' fourth quarter go-ahead touchdown, forcing the Panthers to use one of their two remaining timeouts with 0:56 on the clock. Whalen caught two passes for 17 yards at Detroit (11/3) before making his first career start at Indianapolis (11/17) in a two tight end set and catching two passes for 16 yards. He earned his second straight start (two tight ends) against Jacksonville (11/24) and recorded a special teams tackle as Dallas limited the Jaguars to a 17.0 average on four kickoff returns. He posted two special teams stops and forced a fumble against Washington (11/28), then tied for the team lead with three special teams tackles against San Francisco (12/8). He also added a seven-yard reception against the 49ers. He led the team at the N.Y. Giants (12/15) with three special teams tackles while also recovering an on-side kick late in the game and catching a four-yard pass. Against Philadelphia (12/21), he tied for the team lead with three catches for 24 yards and led the squad with two special teams stops. He closed out the season at Washington (12/29) by posting two special teams tackles and one reception for eight yards.

2001: Whalen spent the spring playing for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe, where he led the league with 66 catches for 691 yards (second-best in NFLE) and three touchdowns, while garnering All-NFLE honors. He was also fourth in the league with 691 total yards from scrimmage. After the spring, Whalen returned the Cowboys active roster but was a game-day deactivation against Tampa Bay (9/9). He suffered a strained right Achilles in practice Sept. 12 and was placed on injured reserve Sept. 22.

2000: Whalen was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round (157th overall) of the NFL Draft but was released Aug. 27. He signed to the Cowboys practice squad Aug. 30, where he remained until being moved to the active roster Dec. 5. He saw special teams action against Washington (12/10) and the N.Y. Giants (12/17). He saw his first offensive playing time at Tennessee (12/25) but did not record a reception.

COLLEGE: Whalen earned All-America and All-SEC honors after leading all collegiate tight ends with 90 receptions, 1,019 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. His 90 receptions established an NCAA record for tight ends and set a new school record at Kentucky. He earned Compaq's Best Hustle Play of the Week in College Football following a 57-yard catch-and-run play against Louisville. Whalen made the transition from wide receiver to tight end during spring drills prior to his junior year and finished the season with 23 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns. As a sophomore transfer, Whalen saw action in 11 games, recording seven catches for 66 yards. He was named the UK Walk-on of the Year as chosen by the Louisville chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He spent his freshman season at Shasta Junior College in Redding, Calif., as a wide receiver catching 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown.

PERSONAL: James Patrick Whalen, Jr. was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at LaSalle High School in Portland, Ore. He was named all-state and Tri-Valley League Player of the Year after catching 68 passes for 1,502 yards and 18 touchdowns to help lead his team to the league championship as a senior. He posted approximately 75 receptions for 1,300 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore and junior, combined, to earn all-league honors each season. He was also named league player of the year as a senior third baseman/pitcher on the LaSalle baseball team while earning second-team all-state honors as a forward on the basketball team. In 2003, Whalen served as a football coach for the team's annual Let Us Play! Sports Camp for 150 underprivileged girls. He and teammate Demetric Evans were the coaching duo for the group of girls that eventually won the mock Super Bowl at the conclusion of the camp. Whalen participates in an annual golf tournament to raise funds to support the children at Happy Hill Farm Academy and Home, a residency campus for 100 abused and neglected children, where he also spends free time visiting with the children. He participated in The Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program, providing holiday gifts for less fortunate children. Whalen was also part of a Cowboys contingent that helped raise funds to support victims of the 2002 floods in San Antonio, Texas. A communications major, Whalen continued work toward his degree this offseason.