Worley’s Head, Heart Are Still in Game

Coaches are often looking for a motivational guest speaker, someone the players respect who can offer fresh perspective and get the adrenaline flowing.

Bob Toledo need look no further than Blake Worley.

Worley was forced to quit the team last week because he suffered his third concussion in a year. Doctors diagnosed the junior guard with post-concussive syndrome and said that unless he wanted to risk serious brain injury, he had strapped on a helmet for the last time.

On Thursday Worley, dressed comfortably in shorts and sandals, made his first appearance at practice since the diagnosis, quietly taking a seat in the stands.

His heart hurt as much as his head had.

“You don’t know what you have until you lose it,” he said. “Every year I hated training camp. I dreaded going out there. But the minute I couldn’t do it, that’s all I want to do. It’s crazy how that worked.”

Worley was the most recruited offensive lineman in the state his senior year at Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley High.

As a Bruin redshirt freshman, he started at tackle. Last season he saw action in every game at guard or tackle. But he also suffered his first concussion.

In spring practice, he had another. During the summer he didn’t tell anyone of the symptoms he was experiencing--dizziness, headaches and sensitivity to light.

So when he had another concussion the third day of practice this fall, it was time to get serious. Worley’s parents and friends urged him to quit. He will continue on scholarship for two more years and will have plenty of time to study.

“Football was pretty much my whole life,” he said.

Given a chance, he would tell his teammates to appreciate every minute of it.

“They might say, ‘Yeah right, it can’t happen to me,’ ” Worley said. “But they might hear me because I played.”

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Toledo pronounced Thursday as the end of training camp. And he said it with a smile because the Bruins are healthy.

Worley’s was the only injury of a serious nature. Linebacker Brandon Chillar (hamstring), tight end Mike Seidman (knee) and a handful of defensive backs who had minor injuries all practiced.

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The revised depth chart will be released today. Two who might move up are strong safety Ben Emanuel and strongside linebacker Tim Warfield, both redshirt freshmen.

Emanuel is pushing senior Jason Stephens and Warfield provides insurance behind Mat Ball, who moved to linebacker a few days ago. Warfield can also play in the middle.

“Warfield is an interesting guy,” Toledo said. “All of a sudden, the light switch came on. We praised him. He liked it. We don’t have a lot of linebackers and he has come on at the right time.”

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Senior middle linebacker Robert Thomas is on the watch list for the Dick Butkus Award. Senior free safety Marques Anderson and junior cornerback Ricky Manning are on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award.

Thomas and defensive end Kenyon Coleman are on the watch list of the Lombardi Award.