Too Little, Too Late? Not So Says Wolo
Oakton running back Nyema Wolo's love for soccer kept him off the football field until his sophomore year, when the speedster finally gave in to his friends' and coaches' urges. Now, with just two seasons of high school football under his belt, Wolo has gone from learning the game to the focal point of a football team that is just two seasons removed from winning the Div. 6 state title.
"I only started playing football my sophomore year, so my sophomore year was my introduction to it," said Wolo. "Last year was getting into it and then this year; this is my year to excel and to try to show everything I've been working on for the last two years."
In just a short amount of time, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back is drawing comparisons to former Cougar game-breaker and 2006 All-Gameday selection Ervin Garner.
But is it too little too late for the senior to make the leap to the collegiate playing field?
Wolo possesses the same kind of game-altering ability, coveted speed and the intangibles that made Garner, now in the midst of red-shirting at Virginia Tech as freshman, a game-breaker. "[Wolo] ran a 4.43, which is ironically the exact same time Ervin ran down at Tech," said Oakton head coach Joe Thompson of their 40-yard dash times.
"[Wolo is] the fastest kid we've ever had. Straight ahead, the fastest kid we've ever had."
Wolo, who along with Garner and others won the Concorde District and Northern Region outdoor track titles in the 4x100-meter relay, draws from a similar story as Garner, a wide receiver who wasn't scooped by the Hokies until late June - months after most had signed letters of intent. "I know he is very unselfish," Garner said of Wolo. "Last year, we had a lot of backs that were in rotation. When he got in, he took advantage of every carry he had. I remember we were playing against Madison and he had two carries and two touchdowns and they were all 40-yards plus. With his breakaway speed, he has the ability to do a lot of different things."
Wolo has split carries the last three seasons and has drawn little interest from collegiate programs because of his limited highlight reels. "He doesn't have a whole body of work to show anybody," said Thompson, who watched Wolo break two 80-yard touchdown runs in a preseason scrimmage against West Springfield. "But I think the two 80-yard runs put on tape will open some eyes. I'm sure after this year, he'll have enough carries on film for someone to look at him and make a decision."
The three-sport standout is more interested in taking advantage of each play because "it could be the difference in the game," Wolo said. "If it works out, that would be great, but if it doesn't then that's just how it is because it's a rare chance and a great opportunity to play college football."
