Paul Worrilow

Paul Worrilow

refer to caption

Worrilow in 2014
No. 55 Atlanta Falcons
Position: Middle Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1990-05-01) May 1, 1990
Place of birth: Wilmington, Delaware
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Concord High School (DE)
College: University of Delaware
Undrafted: 2013
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2015
Total tackles: 355
Sacks: 4.0
Pass deflections: 7
Forced fumbles: 3
Interceptions: 2
Player stats at NFL.com

Paul Eric Worrilow (/ˈwɔːrloʊ/; born May 1, 1990) is an American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Delaware where he was recognized as an All-American, and became one of the program's most decorated athletes. The Falcons signed Worrilow as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft.

Family and early years

Worrilow is the second youngest of four boys. His mother was born in Wallingford, Connecticut and his father was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. His oldest brother Edward, a marketing professional and accomplished pianist, also graduated from the University of Delaware.[1] His older brother Mark played in the Aztec Bowl in 2009 and was captain of the Division III Ursinus Bears football team, where his younger brother James currently competes as a defensive lineman.[2] Worrilow trained throughout his childhood at the Stay Real Football Camp in Wilmington, Delaware. Worrilow attended Concord High School in Wilmington, Delaware where he led the Concord Raiders to the 2006 state Division II title and a berth in the state semifinals in 2005 and 2007. Worrilow made the 2006 First Team All-State on both offense and defense, the 2007 second team All-State as Fullback and first team All-State, and was named Delaware's "2007 Defensive Player of the Year". Despite Worrilow's great success in high school, he was not offered a single scholarship to play NCAA Division I football.[3]

On July 5, 2014, Worrilow married his longtime girlfriend. They welcomed their first child, Juliet Devine Worrilow on May 1, 2015.

College career

Worrilow was not highly recruited after graduation and was only able to solidify offers from Division II schools. Instead of taking any offers, Worrilow moved to Coffeyville, Kansas, where he attended Coffeyville Community College, a junior college known for funneling athletes into Division I football programs. Worrilow was redshirted his first year due to a defensive scheme change, and ultimately turned down interest from the Arkansas Razorbacks[4] to return to Delaware in the spring of 2008 and walk on the Blue Hens football squad.

Worrilow immediately drew attention during his first spring at Delaware, earning a starting spot the following fall as a redshirt freshman along with a team scholarship as a walk-on. Starting every game he played, Worrilow would eventually become team co-captain as a junior, and remain as captain through his senior year, racking up a University of Delaware fifth all-time high 377 career tackles[5] and earning a spot on both the Phil Steele[6] and Sports Network[7] All-American teams. Additionally, Worrilow earned the MVP award for the 2012 season and the prestigious 2013 Edgar Johnson award for exhibiting qualities of hard work, dedication, leadership, fairness, and striving for excellence.[8]

Notable performances include two-time consecutive fumble recoveries for touchdowns (a current Delaware record), a career-record 18 stops in the Route 1 Rivalry game against Delaware State, which earned him the College Sports Madness CAA Defensive Player of the Week, Beyond Sports Network Defensive All-Star and the Nate Beasley Game MVP Award,[9] and a 38-stop run through the four-game 2010 FCS playoffs, leading the Blue Hens to the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship in Frisco, Texas, where they lost 20-19 in a match to Eastern Washington.

College awards and honors

Paul Worrilow at Delaware
Paul Worrilow at Delaware

Professional career

Paul Worrilow in 2013
Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP
6 ft 1 in 238 lb 4.59 s 1.57 s 2.59 s 3.97 s 6.50 s 34.5 in 10 ft 4 in 30 reps

Worrilow was signed as a free agent after the 2013 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons eventually making the final 53-man roster for the 2013 season. After spending a few weeks as the team's backup middle linebacker, Worrilow moved into the starting strongside linebacker position. On a November 3, 2013, loss against the Carolina Panthers, Worrilow recorded a career-high 19 tackles, tying his previous week's performance and a franchise record for most tackles in a game since 1994.[10]

Worrilow ended the 2013 NFL season as the Falcons' leading tackler, landing him a spot on Mel Kiper's All-Rookie Team alongside teammate and fellow rookie Desmond Trufant.[11]

Worrilow ended the 2014 NFL season again leading the Falcons in tackles at 143 combined, and posting a stat line of 84 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 passes deflected, and 3 stuffs at the line.[12]

In February 2014, Worrilow received the John J. Brady Delaware Athlete of the Year Award from the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association.[13]

Worrilow ended the 2015 NFL season again leading the Falcons in tackles at 95 combined, and posting a stat line of 67 solo tackles, 1 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered, 2 interceptions, 4 passes deflected, and 5 stuffs at the line.[14]

Off the field

In the spring of 2011, Worillow discovered he had been matched to a 23-year-old female leukemia patient in need of a life-saving peripheral blood stem cell donation.[15] Worrilow had two-years-prior signed up for the National Marrow Donor Program, through which the chances of becoming a donor are 2/10ths of 1 percent.[16] In the five days leading up to the procedure, Worrilow underwent a series of injections of a drug called filgrastim to increase the number of blood-forming cells in his bloodstream. On May 25, 2011, over the course of 6 hours, Worrilow's blood was then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells, returning it back through a vein in his other arm.[17] Worrilow has yet to meet the woman who received his donation.

References

  1. ↑ "Edward Worrilow". Higher One, Inc. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ "James Worrilow". Ursinus College. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Official All-State football team". Depreps.rivals.com. December 10, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  4. ↑ "THE RECRUITING GUY : Junior college linebacker impressed with Arkansas - Northwest Arkansas". Zimbio. October 28, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ The News Journal April 27, 2013
  6. ↑ "2012 Postseason FCS All-American Team". Phil Steele. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ "2012 The Sports Network FCS All-America Team". The Sports Network. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "Craig, Delle Donne, Worrilow, Yezzo Earn Top Honors at Annual University of Delaware Athletics Awards Banquet". University of Delaware. May 14, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "2012 University of Delaware Football Individual Honors". University of Delaware. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  10. ↑ McClure, Vaughn (November 4, 2013). "Falcons' Paul Worrilow just trying to grow". ESPN. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Worrilow, Trufant Make Kiper’s All-Rookie Team". Atlanta Faclons. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Paul Worrilow Stats for 2014 - ESPN". Atlanta Faclons, ESPN. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Former University of Delaware All-American, Current NFL Starter Paul Worrilow Honored as DSBA Athlete of the Year" (Press release). University of Delaware. February 17, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Paul Worrilow Stats for 2015 - ESPN". Atlanta Falcons, ESPN. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  15. ↑ Cunningham, Michael (April 14, 2013). "Atlanta rookie Worrilow has Delaware in his heart". The Atlanta Constitution-Journal.
  16. ↑ "FAQs about Joining the Registry". National Marrow Donor Program. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Steps of Bone Marrow Donation or PBSC Donation". National Marrow Donor Program. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

External links

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