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Denver Native (Carol)
12-04-2009, 09:54 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9633

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Growing up as a child, Wesley Woodyard's favorite sport was always football, but he wanted to play basketball as well.

Why? Because his older brother, Jazmon Griggs, was good at it.

Wesley always looked up to Jazmon, and as the linebacker headed off to the University of Kentucky, Jazmon made sure he watched every game Wesley played. As Wesley worked his way from the first-ever UK freshman to serve as a team captain to earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors during each of his final two seasons, Jazmon was always there to provide encouragement and advice before and after games.

"He's probably one of the most influential people in my life right now -- his word means a lot and it goes a long way for me," Wesley said of Jazmon. "So whenever he says something, it just automatically gets me focused."

So it should come as no surprise that even though Jazmon, 26, is now working in Iraq alongside the U.S. Military, and Wesley is in his second year in Denver with the Broncos, the brotherly talks before each and every game continue.

Before Wesley takes the field, he has a fairly strict pregame ritual. He tries to "stuff his stomach" with two or three small steaks, says three prayers and texts his mother. But just before he goes onto the field, he always makes sure he communicates with Jazmon.

"I always email him before every game just to get that off of my chest, talk to him and express the way I feel," Wesley said. "Just basically tell him how I feel about the game. Tell him things that I have to do in order for us to win, in order for us to be successful. Just tell him I miss him and I love him and to always keep his head up, stuff like that -- make sure that he's always on positive ground."

Iraq is 10 hours ahead of Denver, so, for example, as the Broncos suited up for Monday Night Football in San Diego in Week 6, it was already Tuesday in Iraq. But that doesn't stop Jazmon from watching as many Broncos games as possible -- whenever one is broadcast in Iraq on stations such as the American Forces Network, he makes sure he's in front of the television. And no matter what, he always emails Wesley back the next day.

"Hey, you could've done this on this play," he might write. Or, "I saw where you could've made that play." Jazmon's emails are occasionally congratulatory, and always full of insights into the way his brother played.

"It's always good to have somebody that's able to watch you and tell you something that you need to do to get better," Wesley said. "Especially coming from my brother, it means a lot."

Wesley said the emails help get him focused before games, and he will go back and re-read words from his brother that stand out in his mind. But the communication is just as beneficial for Jazmon.

Though many of the emails stick with football, Wesley said the correspondence sometimes veers into more "brotherly talk" -- "things that have been on my mind, issues that I'm having, problems -- how I'm feeling."

"He actually gets on me when I don't email him outside of football," Wesley smiled. "He tells me it actually makes him feel closer to home whenever he gets a chance to talk to me through email or through a phone call, so it means a lot to him."

The last game Jazmon saw Wesley play in person before this season was back in 2007 in Nashville, Tenn., when Wesley -- then a senior at Kentucky -- led the Wildcats with a game-high 15 tackles en route to Kentucky's second-straight Music City Bowl victory.

Then when Wesley wasn't chosen in the 2008 NFL Draft, Jazmon was there to calm him down and talk him through it. One day later, Wesley was signed by the Broncos as a college free agent. Within the week, Jazmon was headed to Iraq, and the brothers were left with emails and games on television.

Then came Week 9 of this season, when the Pittsburgh Steelers came to INVESCO Field at Mile High for Monday Night Football. In the stands was Jazmon, who was able to come home for a little more than a week, and didn't miss the chance to see his brother in person in an NFL game.

Though the Broncos lost, Wesley called it a "real good feeling" for the two to be able to share that experience, and for Jazmon to get a feel for Denver.

But it was a short visit, and Jazmon is currently back in Iraq. So while the two continue their bond through emails and occasional telephone conversations, Wesley is anxious for a time when Jazmon will be back in the States, and the two can get a little more back to normal.

If all goes according to plan, that will be sooner than later.

"He said this will be his last year over there before he comes back home," Wesley said. "He told me he's going to come out here and catch all my home games in Denver, so I'm excited about that."

rcsodak
12-05-2009, 11:28 AM
Man, if he were just a little bigger.......what a great player.

All heart!

:salute: