TXBRONC
10-25-2009, 10:10 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13635716
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Draft snub: fuel for Woodyard fire
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/25/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
It's just about impossible to ignore Wesley Woodyard. Not on the Broncos' practice field, where he always manages to be at the center of the action. Not in the locker room, where he's the one selecting the music from his iTunes library and the one most likely to be the culprit of lighthearted high jinks. Not in games, where he's respected as one of the Broncos' hardest hitters, especially on special teams. Not even online, as he's one of the Broncos' most prolific tweeters.
Woodyard joined the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2008, made the 53-man roster after training camp and went on to start six games his rookie year. Now in his second year, Woodyard was voted a captain by his teammates, plays inside linebacker on passing downs and is a key player on special teams.
Q: You were raised in LaGrange, Ga., with your brother by your mom (Edna Sutton). What's she like?
A: She works at a group home that's sponsored by the government. She works with kids that have been abandoned or molested. Growing up with my mom, she was always making sure I stayed focused and that I was always 100 percent on football, because that's what I really wanted to do. I give a lot of credit for my success to her, because she made me fight through all the hard times and the pain.
Q: How close are you to her now?
A: We talk every day. I send her a text before every game to tell her I love her, and she texts back that she loves me. It's a ritual we've been doing ever since I've had a cellphone, just to catch my mom before the game. I text her if she's at the game because I have to see where she's sitting before every game starts.
Q: Will you ever forget what it was like not being drafted?
A: It's never going to go away. I'm always going to have that chip. It's something that makes me continue to work hard every day and continue to prove people wrong every time I'm on the field.
Q: What did it mean to you when you were voted a team captain?
A: It meant a lot that my coaches and my teammates thought that much of me to vote me as a captain. I'm the type of guy that I feel like respect is earned, and you've got to go out there and take it. Every time I'm out there on the football field, I give it my all, and they saw my hard work and determination and voted me to be a team captain. That's been a good experience for me.
Q: What do you like to do on your off day in Denver?
A: On our Tuesday, the rookie class that I came in with, if we're not doing a community service event, we're always going out to eat, every Tuesday night, just to make sure we always continue to hold that bond we came in with and make sure we stay focused. We like to go out to eat and then just chill and hang out with each other.
Q: How quickly did you guys, the '08s, all bond?
A: When I first got there, all of the rookies were in the lobby, and we didn't go to our rooms, we just stayed down there and talked, just played cards and got to know each other. One of our main goals was to make an impact on the team. I think we accomplished that our rookie year, and we're still trying to do bigger and better things as we advance in our careers.
Q: What do you want to do with your life after the NFL?
A: I want to be a college coach; that's always been my dream to go back and help kids. Give out the knowledge that I've gained from the game of football and get back out there and help, do something in the community so that kids get the chance to see that people who came from a bad or tough neighborhood can get out.
Q: Would you want to go back to Georgia to do that?
A: I always wanted to be a college coach at Kentucky, where I went to school. I always joke with (Kentucky offensive coordinator- coach in waiting Joker Phillips) that I'm going to be the next coach there. He always tells me that he'll have a spot for me, so who knows what will happen in the future.
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
About Woodyard
Position: Inside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-feet, 222 pounds
Age: 23
Hometown: LaGrange, Ga.
College: Kentucky
2009: Played in all six games in the nickel package on defense as well as on special teams. He has eight solo tackles and six assists on defense, with two passes defended, one forced fumble. He intercepted his first career pass in the season opener at Cincinnati and gave the ball to his mother, who was at the game.
Career stats: Played in 22 games, six starts, with 63 total tackles.
Editor's note: Each Sunday throughout the season, Broncos reporter Lindsay H. Jones will help readers get to know the players on a more personal level. Illustrations by graphic artist Andrew Lucas will complement the series.
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Draft snub: fuel for Woodyard fire
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/25/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
It's just about impossible to ignore Wesley Woodyard. Not on the Broncos' practice field, where he always manages to be at the center of the action. Not in the locker room, where he's the one selecting the music from his iTunes library and the one most likely to be the culprit of lighthearted high jinks. Not in games, where he's respected as one of the Broncos' hardest hitters, especially on special teams. Not even online, as he's one of the Broncos' most prolific tweeters.
Woodyard joined the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2008, made the 53-man roster after training camp and went on to start six games his rookie year. Now in his second year, Woodyard was voted a captain by his teammates, plays inside linebacker on passing downs and is a key player on special teams.
Q: You were raised in LaGrange, Ga., with your brother by your mom (Edna Sutton). What's she like?
A: She works at a group home that's sponsored by the government. She works with kids that have been abandoned or molested. Growing up with my mom, she was always making sure I stayed focused and that I was always 100 percent on football, because that's what I really wanted to do. I give a lot of credit for my success to her, because she made me fight through all the hard times and the pain.
Q: How close are you to her now?
A: We talk every day. I send her a text before every game to tell her I love her, and she texts back that she loves me. It's a ritual we've been doing ever since I've had a cellphone, just to catch my mom before the game. I text her if she's at the game because I have to see where she's sitting before every game starts.
Q: Will you ever forget what it was like not being drafted?
A: It's never going to go away. I'm always going to have that chip. It's something that makes me continue to work hard every day and continue to prove people wrong every time I'm on the field.
Q: What did it mean to you when you were voted a team captain?
A: It meant a lot that my coaches and my teammates thought that much of me to vote me as a captain. I'm the type of guy that I feel like respect is earned, and you've got to go out there and take it. Every time I'm out there on the football field, I give it my all, and they saw my hard work and determination and voted me to be a team captain. That's been a good experience for me.
Q: What do you like to do on your off day in Denver?
A: On our Tuesday, the rookie class that I came in with, if we're not doing a community service event, we're always going out to eat, every Tuesday night, just to make sure we always continue to hold that bond we came in with and make sure we stay focused. We like to go out to eat and then just chill and hang out with each other.
Q: How quickly did you guys, the '08s, all bond?
A: When I first got there, all of the rookies were in the lobby, and we didn't go to our rooms, we just stayed down there and talked, just played cards and got to know each other. One of our main goals was to make an impact on the team. I think we accomplished that our rookie year, and we're still trying to do bigger and better things as we advance in our careers.
Q: What do you want to do with your life after the NFL?
A: I want to be a college coach; that's always been my dream to go back and help kids. Give out the knowledge that I've gained from the game of football and get back out there and help, do something in the community so that kids get the chance to see that people who came from a bad or tough neighborhood can get out.
Q: Would you want to go back to Georgia to do that?
A: I always wanted to be a college coach at Kentucky, where I went to school. I always joke with (Kentucky offensive coordinator- coach in waiting Joker Phillips) that I'm going to be the next coach there. He always tells me that he'll have a spot for me, so who knows what will happen in the future.
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
About Woodyard
Position: Inside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-feet, 222 pounds
Age: 23
Hometown: LaGrange, Ga.
College: Kentucky
2009: Played in all six games in the nickel package on defense as well as on special teams. He has eight solo tackles and six assists on defense, with two passes defended, one forced fumble. He intercepted his first career pass in the season opener at Cincinnati and gave the ball to his mother, who was at the game.
Career stats: Played in 22 games, six starts, with 63 total tackles.
Editor's note: Each Sunday throughout the season, Broncos reporter Lindsay H. Jones will help readers get to know the players on a more personal level. Illustrations by graphic artist Andrew Lucas will complement the series.