William Charles Wolford (born May 18, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.[1] He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 18, 1964 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 294 lb (133 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | St. Xavier (Louisville) | ||||||||
| College: | Vanderbilt | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1986 / round: 1 / pick: 20 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Playing career
editWolford attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky and played college football at Vanderbilt University, where he was a third-team All-America selection as a senior.[2]
He was the Bills' first-round pick in the 1986 NFL draft,[3] and played for them from 1986 to 1992, including AFC championships (and Super Bowl losses) in his last three years in Buffalo. Wolford signed as a free agent with the Colts in 1993, and finally joined the Steelers from 1996 to 1998. He was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster in 1990, 1992, and 1995.[1]
Post-playing career
editIn 2002, he became the majority owner/operator of the Arena Football 2's Louisville Fire.[4]
Wolford took over color analyst duties for the Colts in the 2007 season, working alongside longtime Colts voice Bob Lamey. Wolford was also co-host of The Bob and Will Show, working alongside Bob Valvano on WQKC, an all-sports station in Louisville, until that station changed formats in November 2008.
In 2013, Wolford became the head football coach at his alma mater of St. Xavier High, replacing the retiring Mike Glaser. On December 20, 2017, he announced his retirement.[5]
Personal life
editWolford's wife, Mary Jude Wolford, is a career lawyer who was elected Nov. 8, 2022, to be the 15th Division District Court Judge in Kentucky. She had been a former assistant district attorney in Jefferson County. She and Wolford have been married since 1988. They have three adult daughters.
Wolford's nephew, John Wolford, is a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played for the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Will Wolford Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "All-America". Akron Beacon Journal. December 10, 1985. p. D2.
- ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "Former NFLer to operate Fire". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. October 18, 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ^ "Former NFL player to be next St. X football coach". Louisville, Kentucky: WDRB. September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ Heck, Jordan (April 10, 2019). "AAF to NFL:Tracking which players have signed following league suspension". MSN.
- ^ Journal, Conor O’Neill Winston-Salem (November 17, 2017). "Ultimate competitor: After three tough years, Wake Forest QB John Wolford leading high-powered offense". Winston-Salem Journal.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
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