When asked if his team has a chance to win a national championship, Worilds said, “I would hope so, but if we don’t work towards that goal, then we won’t be anything. We need to continue work and that’s what we’re doing.”
When asked if he’s considered the NFL Draft after this season, Worilds said, “That’s way out of my sight right now. I love being in college. I love being around my brothers.”
The fact is, Worilds remains focused — and that might be an understatement.
“I’m a pretty focused guy,” he said. “I take football seriously. So, honestly, I’m always pretty sharp on it. It’s what I like to do. It’s my hobby, my craft, I really believe in it, and I’m always watching film or staying on top of things ... I just stay hungry.”
Worilds enters the Hokies’ 2009 campaign as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading returner in both sacks and tackles for loss.
He finished 2008 with 62 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
After playing nearly the entire year with a bum left shoulder and missing spring practices after having surgery, the 2008 second-team All-ACC selection says he’s excited to get back on the field a healthy man.
“Shoulder’s doing good,” he said. “Real good. Strength is back and I’m looking forward.”
“Last year, I was hurt. So, this year just getting back ... in my rhythm, in my groove, getting back in the swing of things, being out there, getting the checks, being mentally sharp every day and fighting through, you know, a lot of the pain. ... No matter what you do in the weight room, you can’t simulate playing the game,” he said.
While he may not be the oldest player on the defensive line, he is certainly the most hyped. Many mention his name while predicting this year’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American possibilities.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban recognized Worilds and Tech’s defense in Monday’s press conference, saying, “Defensively, which is what they are kind of known for, they are top 10 in the country.”
“They are one of the top teams in the country in turnover margin it seems like every year, and their battle cry is how well they play on special teams. They do have some significant players on defense. Number 6 (Worilds), the defensive end, is a really good player.”
Considering Saban’s NFL history, he knows a thing or two about talent on the football field.
Worilds knows the expectations are high for the team and for himself.
“I know that,” he said. “I mean, if anything, it puts a bigger X on my chest. Other guys see that. They get a chance to go against a hyped guy every week, so I know none of that is important — it’s what I go out there and do on the field, so I’m excited for that opportunity.”
His teammate, redshirt junior defensive tackle John Graves sees the work he puts in every day and says don’t take his cool demeanor the wrong way.
“He’s a great leader,” Graves said.
“You know, playing with him ... all these years, he’s just a cool, calm and collected kind of guy. But, nothing makes him more excited than playing football. He’s an extremely hard worker. Every day in the weight room, you can find him doing extra things to make himself a better player,” he said.
The first opportunity Worilds, Graves and the Hokies will have to make good on their hard work this offseason will be Sept. 5 in Atlanta against the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama enters 2009 with a depleted offensive line after losing stars Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell after last season.
Many claim this is the Tide’s greatest weakness, and it may be — but Worilds doesn’t think it means his defensive line is going to have an easy time come Saturday.
When asked if he’s seen weaknesses his defensive line could exploit, he responded, “No. Not really.”
“They’re good, they’re good,” he said. “I mean, Alabama, you know. What more can you say? It’s Alabama. They’re not going to rebuild, they’re going to reload up front, you know? Physical, tough, physical team and I’m pretty sure they’ve got some Division I players on scholarship over there that’s ready to come and get after it.”
If the Hokies want to start the season off with a bang and knock off Alabama, they’ll have to “come and get after it,” too.
To do that, the Hokies will need to collectively bring the same mentality to the field in Atlanta.
Worilds says he’s not worried about his team playing together, though.
“We have a team full of leaders. I think that’s the special thing about us. We all stand up for each other, so if I see somebody slacking, I’ll say something and also, if somebody else sees someone slacking, they’ll say something. So, we just hold each other accountable and it seems to work,” he said.
Asked if the team chemistry was different this year than his past seasons at Tech, Worilds said, “I think that we’re a very close-knit team.”
“There’s a close knit family atmosphere around here and I think that anybody who comes and hangs around us for 10-15 minutes can tell that right off the bat,” he said.
“Everything. We do everything together,” he said. “We go out together, we hang out together, we go places together, we stay in together, you know — we do everything together. So, I think that’s what brings that mentality.”
Whether or not that mentality will translate onto the field is another question, but if anyone will be honest about Saturday’s matchup – it’s the modest Worilds.
“I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “The biggest thing is — we leave the assumptions up to you guys ... but, we know that when we come out here, we’ve got to work at it every day and I think that’s the biggest part, that’s part of our tradition,” he said.
“That’s the reason why we can reload. We come out here and we work at it, no matter who’s stepping up into the barrel. We’re going to come here and we’re going to work hard. And when the lights are on, we’re going to be ready to perform.”