As a senior, he hauled in 80 passes for over 1,200 yards and scored 14 touchdowns playing wide receiver, earning all-state honors.

Following his senior season, he was named by Cal-Hi Sports as one of the Top 10 football/basketball players in the state of California.

Whalen was selected in the sixth round with the 167th overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple news outlets, including Rotoworld.com and Bengals.com, reported that the Bengals had signed 167th overall pick WR Ryan Whalen on a four-year contract.

[4] On August 2, 2015, Whalen joined the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent entering the 2015 season.