List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
In 1934, the breakfast cereal Wheaties began the practice of including pictures of athletes on its packaging to coincide with its slogan, "The Breakfast of Champions." In its original form, athletes were depicted on the sides or back of the cereal box, though in 1958 Wheaties began placing the pictures on the front of the box. The tradition has included hundreds of athletes from many different sports, and also team depictions.
This article lists the athletes or teams depicted on Wheaties boxes, along with the year(s) of depiction and sport played. This list is not all-inclusive, and athletes may have been shown together with teams and groups, or on the sides, back, or front of the box. Most athletes appeared on the standard Wheaties box, while others appeared on the Honey Frosted Wheaties (HFW), Crispy Wheaties 'n' Raisins (CWR), Wheaties Energy Crunch (WEC), or Wheaties Fuel (WF) boxes.
Around 1990, General Mills did a promotion called "Picture Yourself on a Wheaties Box," in which, for a fee, they would make a custom Wheaties box from one's own photograph that was sealed in clear acrylic. Kristi Yamaguchi, among other athletes, was featured in advertising this campaign.
Individual athletes
Teams
| Year | Team | Sport | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Minnesota Twins | Baseball | World Series Champions (first team depicted on box) | [6] |
| 1988 | Washington Redskins | Football | Super Bowl XXII | |
| 1989 | Detroit Pistons | Basketball | NBA Champions | |
| 1992 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Hockey | Stanley Cup Champions | |
| 1993 | Dallas Cowboys | Football | Super Bowl XXVII Champions | |
| 1994 | Dallas Cowboys | Football | Super Bowl XXVIII Champions | |
| 1995 | Northwestern Wildcats | Football | Big Ten Champions | |
| 1995 | Atlanta Braves | Baseball | World Series Champions | |
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | Baseball | American League Champions | |
| 1996 | Dallas Cowboys | Football | Super Bowl XXX Champions | |
| 1996 | U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team | Gymnastics | Olympic gold medalists | |
| 1997 | U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team | Hockey (men) | Olympic gold medalists (1980) | |
| 1998 | Target Chip Ganassi Racing CART team | CART | CART FedEx Championship Series champions | |
| 1998 | Denver Broncos | Football | Super Bowl XXXII Champions | |
| 1998 | U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey team | Hockey (women) | Olympic gold medalists Five members were unable to be included due to NCAA regulations regarding endorsements | |
| 1998 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball | inaugural season | |
| 1998 | De La Salle High School | Football | High School football | |
| 1998 | DeMatha High School | Football | High School football | |
| 2000 | St. Louis Rams | Football | Super Bowl XXXIV Champions | |
| 2001 | Dallas Cowboys | Football | "35 Years of Championship Performance" | |
| 2001 | Baltimore Ravens | Football | Super Bowl XXXV Champions | |
| 2002 | New England Patriots | Football | Super Bowl XXXVI Champions | |
| 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Football | Super Bowl XXXVII Champions | |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox | Baseball | World Series Champions | |
| 2005 | Texas Longhorns | Football | National Champions | |
| 2005 | Texas Western College | Basketball | NCAA Champions (1966) | |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | Baseball | World Series Champions | |
| 2006 | Miami Heat | Basketball | NBA Champions | |
| 2006 | Detroit Shock | Basketball | WNBA Champions | |
| 2006 | Georgia Bulldogs | Football | [7] | |
| 2006 | Michigan Wolverines | Football | ||
| 2006 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Football | ||
| 2006 | Texas Longhorns | Football | 2 boxes in 2006 | |
| 2006 | Texas A&M Aggies | Football | ||
| 2006 | St. Louis Cardinals | Baseball | World Series Champions | |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox | Baseball | World Series Champions | |
| 2007 | Florida Gators | Basketball (men) | ||
| 2007 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Basketball (men) | ||
| 2007 | Kentucky Wildcats | Basketball (men) | ||
| 2007 | Tennessee Lady Vols | Basketball (women) | [8] | |
| 2008 | Boston Celtics | Basketball | NBA Champions | |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Lakers | Basketball | NBA Champions | |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | Basketball | NBA Champions | |
| 2010 | Seattle Storm | Basketball | WNBA Champions | |
Fictitious characters
| Year | Athlete | Sport | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Spider-Man | N/A | Sold in celebration of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | [9] |
| 2025 | Marty Mauser | Table Tennis | Referenced in film trailer and sold as an actual product prior to movie's release | [10] |
Sources
- Wheaties Boxes 1984–2001 at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 January 2006)
- Wheaties Official Site Champions List
References
- ↑ Menand, Louis (May 25, 2020). "How Baseball Players Became Celebrities". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Wheaties – Brands – Food we make - General Mills". www.generalmills.com. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ↑ "Cengage Learning". www.cengage.com. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Photo of Jim Thorpe Wheaties box". Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Video: Russell Wilson becomes the next athlete on Wheaties cereal box". ABC News. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Sports Then and Now – The Wheaties Box: A Champion's Cardboard Trophy". September 27, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Team meals: Michigan, Irish, Georgia on Wheaties box". ESPN.com. September 19, 2006. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "WHEATIES HONORS UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE LADY VOLS BASKETBALL TRADITION - UTSPORTS.COM - University of Tennessee Athletics". Archived from the original on February 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Wheaties | Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Box". Wheaties Shop. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
- ↑ "Marty Supreme Wheaties Box". A24 Shop. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
