A big target with great leaping ability and speed ... Battled a nagging knee injury during the early part of the 2001 season ... Never really develop consistency ... Has plenty of potential but has yet to reach it ... Needs to step up his game this fall and play with confidence ... Possesses the work ethic and desire to be successful ... Can play either receiver position ... Will battle for the starting split end job when practice opens ... A Super Iron Hokie in the weight room ... Found himself starting Tech's last four games at flanker in 2000 after André Davis developed ankle problems ... Gained some valuable on-the-job experience ... Saw action on 176 offensive snaps during Tech's first seven games in 2000 and 213 during the last four ... Finished third on the team in receptions with 12 ... Started his Tech career as a defensive end ... Could be a key weapon for the Hokies if he plays up to his ability ...
2001: Met all six of his goals in the weight room in preseason testing ... Had eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in 11 games ... Saw action on nine special teams plays against Connecticut ... Played a season-high 28 offensive snaps at Rutgers, catching two passes for 28 yards ... Had two catches for 23 yards against Syracuse ... Caught a 7-yard pass at Pittsburgh ... Recorded his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Temple game on a 34-yard reception ... Started Tech's Gator Bowl game against Florida State ... Had a touchdown catch nullified by a penalty in that contest ... Earned Super Iron Hokie honors in both preseason and spring testing ... Ran a 4.43 40-yard dash during the spring ... Caught two passes for 25 yards during Tech's first spring scrimmage ... Had two catches for 33 yards in the second scrimmage and three grabs for 45 yards in the final full scrimmage ... Hauled in two passes for 44 yards in the Maroon-White game ...
2000: Was one of just four players to meet all six goals during preseason strength and conditioning tests ... Led the receivers with a 500-pound back squat ... Played in every game, averaging 35 snaps ... Saw some brief action on special teams during the first half of the season ... His first collegiate reception was an 11-yard catch at East Carolina ... Grabbed three passes for 35 yards in the Rutgers game ... Moved into the starting lineup against Pittsburgh and played 72 offensive snaps ... Caught two passes for 25 yards in that game ... Added two more receptions at Miami for 21 yards ... Also had two catches in the Virginia game for a total of 33 yards ... Had 12 catches for 141 yards during the regular season ... Posted a 9-yard reception during the Gator Bowl ... Underwent surgery in early February for tendonitis in his right knee ... Sat out all spring contact work ...
1999: Registered the best vertical jump among the incoming freshmen with a leap of 37 inches ... Began his redshirt year working at defensive end ... Asked to be moved to wide receiver in September ... Spent the rest of the school year at flanker ... Finished first in the triple jump and third in the high jump at the A-10 Indoor Track Championships ... Earned Iron Hokie honors during the spring ... Bench pressed 310 pounds and posted a back squat of 450 pounds ... Suffered an ankle injury during the early stages of spring practice and did not take part in contact work for the remainder of the spring ... Was held out of the annual Maroon-White game ... Bounced back from his injury to set a meet record in winning the A-10 outdoor triple jump title ...
Prep School: Saw action at split end and tight end for Coach John Shuman at Fork Union Military Academy ... Also got a look at defensive end ... Caught 25 passes for 297 yards and seven touchdowns during the 1998 season ...
High School: Grabbed 15 passes for 247 yards and three TDs his senior year at Franklin Military High, where he played wide receiver for Coach Otis Brayboy ... Contributed four sacks on defense ... Has only been playing football for a short time ... Earned all-state honors in track and was named to the All-National team ... Posted a school-record triple jump of 49 feet, 9 inches ... Also had a 23-6 long jump and high jumped 6 feet, 8 inches ...
Personal: Ernest Lee Wilford, Jr. ... Born 1/14/79 in Richmond, VA ... Son of Ernest, Sr., and Janice Wilford ... Enrolled in sociology.
Roth Report
A big target with great leaping ability and speed ... Battled a nagging knee injury during the early part of the 2001 season ... Never really develop consistency ... Has plenty of potential but has yet to reach it ... Needs to step up his game this fall and play with confidence ... Possesses the work ethic and desire to be successful ... Can play either receiver position ... Will battle for the starting split end job when practice opens ... A Super Iron Hokie in the weight room ... Found himself starting Tech's last four games at flanker in 2000 after André Davis developed ankle problems ... Gained some valuable on-the-job experience ... Saw action on 176 offensive snaps during Tech's first seven games in 2000 and 213 during the last four ... Finished third on the team in receptions with 12 ... Started his Tech career as a defensive end ... Could be a key weapon for the Hokies if he plays up to his ability ...
2001: Met all six of his goals in the weight room in preseason testing ... Had eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in 11 games ... Saw action on nine special teams plays against Connecticut ... Played a season-high 28 offensive snaps at Rutgers, catching two passes for 28 yards ... Had two catches for 23 yards against Syracuse ... Caught a 7-yard pass at Pittsburgh ... Recorded his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Temple game on a 34-yard reception ... Started Tech's Gator Bowl game against Florida State ... Had a touchdown catch nullified by a penalty in that contest ... Earned Super Iron Hokie honors in both preseason and spring testing ... Ran a 4.43 40-yard dash during the spring ... Caught two passes for 25 yards during Tech's first spring scrimmage ... Had two catches for 33 yards in the second scrimmage and three grabs for 45 yards in the final full scrimmage ... Hauled in two passes for 44 yards in the Maroon-White game ...
2000: Was one of just four players to meet all six goals during preseason strength and conditioning tests ... Led the receivers with a 500-pound back squat ... Played in every game, averaging 35 snaps ... Saw some brief action on special teams during the first half of the season ... His first collegiate reception was an 11-yard catch at East Carolina ... Grabbed three passes for 35 yards in the Rutgers game ... Moved into the starting lineup against Pittsburgh and played 72 offensive snaps ... Caught two passes for 25 yards in that game ... Added two more receptions at Miami for 21 yards ... Also had two catches in the Virginia game for a total of 33 yards ... Had 12 catches for 141 yards during the regular season ... Posted a 9-yard reception during the Gator Bowl ... Underwent surgery in early February for tendonitis in his right knee ... Sat out all spring contact work ...
1999: Registered the best vertical jump among the incoming freshmen with a leap of 37 inches ... Began his redshirt year working at defensive end ... Asked to be moved to wide receiver in September ... Spent the rest of the school year at flanker ... Finished first in the triple jump and third in the high jump at the A-10 Indoor Track Championships ... Earned Iron Hokie honors during the spring ... Bench pressed 310 pounds and posted a back squat of 450 pounds ... Suffered an ankle injury during the early stages of spring practice and did not take part in contact work for the remainder of the spring ... Was held out of the annual Maroon-White game ... Bounced back from his injury to set a meet record in winning the A-10 outdoor triple jump title ...
Prep School: Saw action at split end and tight end for Coach John Shuman at Fork Union Military Academy ... Also got a look at defensive end ... Caught 25 passes for 297 yards and seven touchdowns during the 1998 season ...
High School: Grabbed 15 passes for 247 yards and three TDs his senior year at Franklin Military High, where he played wide receiver for Coach Otis Brayboy ... Contributed four sacks on defense ... Has only been playing football for a short time ... Earned all-state honors in track and was named to the All-National team ... Posted a school-record triple jump of 49 feet, 9 inches ... Also had a 23-6 long jump and high jumped 6 feet, 8 inches ...
Personal: Ernest Lee Wilford, Jr. ... Born 1/14/79 in Richmond, VA ... Son of Ernest, Sr., and Janice Wilford ... Enrolled in sociology.
