Sports
Sports News in Boulder, Colorado Includes CU Buffs, Rockies, Nuggets, Bronkos, Avs, cycling, running, skiingand anything else sports that hits our sports desk. Send sports press releases to sports@BoulderChannel1.com To advertise please call 303-447-8531
Woodyard’s skills and dedication make him a team leader
Jan 10th
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Five years ago, linebacker Wesley Woodyard
was fighting for a roster spot as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky.
was fighting for a roster spot as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky.
This season, he fought for a Pro Bowl berth as one of the AFC’s most productive linebackers. Through 15 games, Woodyard is one of just four AFC players with at least 100 tackles, a sack and an interception. He’s set career highs in almost every category this season, including his three interceptions and four sacks.
“I’m trying to continue to work on my craft and get better every day,” Woodyard said. “My teammates believe in me, and I’ve just been having fun out there this year. Not worrying about anything, just going out there and playing football.”
Wesley Woodyard is a team leader
He’s already earned some hardware this season, taking home his first career AFC Defensive Player of the Week Award after becoming the first player in team history to post one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in the same game during Denver’s 34-14 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 8.
As he’s gotten more time in the starting lineup, Woodyard’s confidence and comfort level have grown.
“Whenever we step on the field, we expect to win and we know we should win every game we play,” Woodyard said. “That confidence just seeps out of everybody’s pores in the game. You actually smell that confidence in the game. It’s not being overconfident, it’s just having fun and enjoying the game.”
While his season might have caught some people off guard, Woodyard’s teammates knew what he was capable if given an opportunity.
“It was only a matter of time,” cornerback and fellow team captain Champ Bailey said. “It’s all about opportunities. Most guys make the best of them and he’s one of them. I’m happy for him because I’ve seen how much he’s grinded away and worked up to this point.”
Linebacker Von Miller saw first-hand how hard Woodyard worked on the practice field and in their position’s meeting room.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Miller said. “Since I’ve been here, he’s been making big-time plays, doing big-time things, so for him to come out here and have the type of season that he’s having isn’t a surprise at all.”
UNDRAFTED UNDERDOG
In 2008, 253 players had their names called during the NFL draft, but Woodyard wasn’t one of them. Despite earning first-team All-SEC honors during his final two seasons at the University of Kentucky, where he led the conference with 10.6 tackles per game as a senior, Woodyard went undrafted.
He joined the Broncos as a free agent and immediately opened eyes with his work ethic and playmaking ability.
“I came in my rookie year and I just wanted to give them my all and have a shot to play the game that I love to play,” Woodyard said. “It was just exciting. It was a lot of hard work and determination. I just stuck by myself and believed in myself.”
He has played double-digit games in each of his five seasons, but still remembers where he started his career.
“I keep that chip on my shoulder,” Woodyard said. “I never take anything for granted. Always work hard and outwork whoever is out there beside you. It keeps me humble.”
After starting his rookie season as an undrafted free agent, he finished the year as a team captain. Woodyard has held that position ever since to become just the second Bronco in franchise history to serve as a captain in his first five seasons with the club, joining Hall-of-Fame running back Floyd Little with that distinction.
“I just lead by example,” Woodyard said. “I don’t like to talk a lot, I just like to go out there and do it the right way and do it the way I’ve been coached to do it. Do it the way my teammates depend on. That’s going out there and playing hard-nosed football until the end of the whistle every snap.”
Having climbed from the bottom of the depth chart to a starting role, Woodyard serves as a living example for the college free agents that join the team each summer fighting the odds for a spot on the roster.
“It gives me the opportunity to be on that same level and talk to them and tell them what they need to do and what they should do,” he said. “For the most part, they listen to me and they look up to me and they always seek out advice.”
In 2011, cornerback Chris Harris began the year as an undrafted free agent and has emerged as a starter this season.
Harris credits Woodyard’s leadership and example as a factor in his success.
“Just to always continue working,” Harris said about the advice he received from Woodyard. “Any time you see a guy go undrafted it definitely gives you a chance, knowing that you can come from the bottom and start in this league.”
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CAPTAIN
Woodyard has taken that leadership beyond the playing field and into the community.
Named the Broncos’ recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in each of the previous two seasons, Woodyard said he enjoys using his position as a football player to help people.
“I think that’s what it starts with,” Woodyard said. “It’s important that we give back to the community and help out the community that we’re in. I think that’s what our world is missing. We don’t reach out and we don’t help enough people. That’s something with my status of being a football player in the NFL, I take advantage of every opportunity that I can to help out.”
Woodyard even set up his own foundation, 16Ways, which works with at-risk youth. As a team captain, Woodyard has tried to impress upon the younger players the importance of taking the time to be active in community enrichment programs.
“I love seeing guys sign up for them,” Woodyard said about the team’s community events. “I used to be the first one to sign up, now it’s funny, when I come around the corner, now there’s 10 guys that have already signed up for an event. That’s always good. Now there are more rookies at every event than I’ve ever seen.”
[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]
Bronco LB Wesley Woodyard Named Recipient Of Darrent Williams Good Guy Award
Jan 9th
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.— Denver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard on Thursday will be presented with the sixth-annual Darrent Williams Good Guy Award, as selected by the team’s local media.
The award was created in memory of former Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, who passed away on Jan. 1, 2007, after completing his second season with the team. The award is given annually to the Bronco who best exemplifies Williams’ enthusiasm, cooperation and honesty while dealing with members of the press.
Jeff Legwoldof The Denver Post will present the award to Woodyard after practice on Thursday on behalf of the Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Previous winners of the Darrent Williams Good Guy Award were Champ Bailey (2011), Mario Haggan (2010), Elvis Dumervil (2009),Ebenezer Ekuban (2008) and John Lynch (2007).
[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]
Jeffery’s 28 Pushes Buffs To Pac-12 Win
Jan 9th
Story by B.G. Brooks, Contributing Editor, CUBuffs.com
BOULDER – Linda Lappe’s third Colorado women’s basketball team is more balanced than her first two, but after a pair of Pac-12 Conference losses she wisely recognized that a stronger dose of Chucky Jeffery might be just as beneficial as balance.
After dropping consecutive home games to No. 4 Stanford and No. 7 California, Lappe and Jeffery talked – and on Tuesday night Jeffery responded. The senior point guard scored a season-high 28 points and collected 12 rebounds to lead No. 23 CU to its first Pac-12 win of the season, 67-57 over Utah at the Coors Events Center.
“Chucky came out a lot more aggressive,” Lappe said. “She was tentative against Cal and Stanford . . . we needed more from her.”
More is what Jeffery delivered, helping key a 20-3 second-half run as the Buffaloes (12-2, 1-2) finally pulled away from the uncooperative Utes (9-5, 0-3).
CU also was lights out from the free throw line, hitting 22 of 26 in the second half and 23 of 28 for the game. The Buffs’ final nine points came from the foul line, and they sealed the win by sinking five of six free throws in the final 33 seconds.
Lappe said Jeffery, whose 10 field goals tied a season high, “got in a great flow offensively . . . she took her time, but she was being aggressive and everything was in rhythm. She didn’t force too much.”
Registering her 23rd career double-double (third this season), it was the type of trademark performance expected of Jeffery in her first three CU seasons. “And we still need that from her,” Lappe said. “She knew when we needed to score . . . she understood her role and sometimes that’s taking the bull by the horns. There are times when we need her to step up; she understands big possessions.”
It wasn’t as if Jeffery was completely unproductive against Stanford (17 points) and Cal (13). But she agreed with her coach about playing tentative to open Pac-12 play: “After the past two games, I watched film with coach . . . and I was tentative and wasn’t looking to score. She just wanted me to be more aggressive. She told me when I’m more aggressive I make smarter and better decisions to create and help my teammates score as well.”
CU won’t have to put in extensive film study for its next game with Utah. The Buffs play the Utes in Salt Lake City on Sunday (3 p.m.). Last season, CU and Utah split their regular-season series, with each team winning on the road and CU breaking the tie with a win in the Pac-12 tournament.
Freshman Jamee Swan played the most minutes in a game she’s played all season and had several key plays that helped the Buffs win,
The Buffs only led once in Tuesday’s first half, and it took them 19 minutes to finally catch the Utes. They did it by closing the half on a 10-1 run, with eight of the points scored by Jeffery as CU took a 32-31 lead at intermission.
Behind Plouffe’s 11 first-half points, Utah led by eight points on two occasions before CU shook itself awake. The Utes’ last eight-point advantage (30-22) came on a pair of Wicijowski free throws with 4:42 remaining before the break.
That’s when Jeffery went to work, getting eight of her 14 first-half points in the final 41/2 minutes. The Buffs’ other basket was scored by freshman Jamee Swan, who finished with a career-high 11 boards and eight points in 22 minutes and was a catalyst in CU catching up in the first half, said Lappe: “She kept us in the game for a lot of the first half.”
The Buffs’ 32 first-half points gave them a nice start toward finally reaching 50 in their third conference home game. They managed only 40 and 49 in the two previous losses, marking the first time since the 1974-75 season CU had been held under 50 points in consecutive home games.
But that wasn’t a second-half focal point for the Buffs; scoring 49 and getting a one-point win would have been fine. They opened the second half with a basket by Swan, taking their largest lead (34-31) of the night to that point.
Plouffe answered for Utah (34-33), then got a trey by Rachel Messer to go up 36-34. Meagan Malcolm-Peck’s layup tied the score at 36-36 before a 9-2 Utes run opened a 45-38 advantage for the visitors with just under 13 minutes to play.
It was the Buffs’ turn to respond, and they did with an 11-1 run, with seven of the points made at the free throw line. The final pair by Brittany Wilson put CU up 49-46 with 8:49 left.
Jeffery took it from there. After hitting a short jumper, she got a steal at the other end, was fouled and hit two free throws for a 55-48 Buffs lead. And when the Utes misfired on their next possession, Jeffery made them pay with a three-pointer from the top of the key that completed CU’s 20-3 surge and opened a 10-point lead (58-48) with 5:58 remaining.
The Utes pulled to within five points (62-57) when Plouffe made one of three free throws with 36.1 seconds to play. But the Buffs pulled away at the free throw line, hitting five of six free throws to pocket their first Pac-12 win.
“I’m happy . . . it’s nice to get that first one,” Lappe said. “You have to give Utah credit, though; they don’t beat themselves. You really have to work hard to beat Utah.”
A chance for a sweep comes again in five days, which Lappe calls “different (because) we play them again so soon . . . I think there will be some changes by both teams, but for the most part we know each other’s game.”
The Utes know Jeffery’s game, said Utah coach Anthony Levrets: “We played a really good team and obviously Chucky made a ton of plays to beat us. But I’m pleased with my team’s effort and we’ll keep working and try to get ourselves ready to go on Sunday.”
[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]
