Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements?

Wesley Woodyard:  I am 6'0�€�, 227 and I ran an official 4.51 at the Combine. 
 

Alex Khvatov:   Why did choose Kentucky coming out of high school?

Wesley Woodyard:  I had a lot of big offers coming out of high school.  South Carolina and Arkansas offered me scholarships.  I wanted to go to a program where I could make a difference.  I wanted to change the program in a drastic way.  There were a lot of good coaches at Kentucky.  Coach Brooks sold the dream and I bought into that.  We accomplished a lot of good things in my time at Kentucky.

Alex Khvatov:  Did you surprise yourself in how well you ran the forty at the Combine?

Wesley Woodyard:  Well, I ran a 4.41 at the Kentucky Pro Day after my junior year.  I am happy with my time, but I know that I could have run better.  It was the second fastest time among linebackers.  I proved to myself that I can still run fast even though I put on some pounds.

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me about your overall experience at the Scouting Combine

Wesley Woodyard:  You know at the combine, we had to do a lot of interviews.  I woke up at 6:30 in the morning and got back at 11: 30 at night.  I tried to make sure that I was just myself throughout this whole process.  This was my big job interview.  I treated it like I was just going to work and having fun.  I wasn't nervous because I worked out all of my jitters during the Senior Bowl. 

Alex Khvatov:  Did you get a chance to bond with a player from another team at the Combine?

Wesley Woodyard:  Well, you know Jerod Mayo because I trained with him at the same workout facility.  I never thought that I would get along with him because we were from rival schools.  We bonded and it helped both of us.  He was a good guy.  I was around good people at our training facility including Kenny Phillips.

Alex Khvatov:  What was the most unique question that you had to answer during the interview process?

Wesley Woodyard:  Can't say which team it was, but they asked me an interesting question.  Which player would I leave behind?  I said that I would choose to leave myself behind.  I was the leader of the team for three years, and I wouldn't leave any of my teammates behind. 

Alex Khvatov:  Were you satisfied with your performance at the Pro Day?

Wesley Woodyard:  Oh yeah, I did well in the drills.  The Rams linebacker's coach ran the drills and he was happy with the results.  I did get sick before my Pro Day and didn't do any reps at the bench press.  I have to get back with my strength coach.  I will have to schedule another private workout at the end of March or early April. 

Alex Khvatov:  What did you learn from Coach Mike Singletary at the Senior Bowl?

Wesley Woodyard:  You know his coaching style was similar to what I had at my college.  He talked to me on a one on one basis.  He was a small LB like me and he loved the game.  I received a big compliment from him.  He said that he saw a lot of himself in me.  He told me that I should never change the type of person that I am. 

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me about your teammate Keenan Burton.

Wesley Woodyard:  He was my fraternity brother.  I lived across the hall from him.  He is a good guy.

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your quarterback Andre Woodson.

Wesley Woodyard:  You know he is a natural born leader.  People are focusing on his weaknesses.  My thing is that he put up big numbers in a conference known for its speed.  He is a great guy off-the field.  You have to have a good personality to be a good player.  He reminds me of Eli Manning during his college days.  

Alex Khvatov:  What was it like to play for Rich Brooks?

Wesley Woodyard:  It was tough every day.  He pushed you on the practice field.  I appreciated his honesty.  He gave everybody a chance to play.  He helped bring my game to another level. 

Alex Khvatov:  Do you think that you would be able to play safety at a high level if a team asked you to?  

Wesley Woodyard:  You know it doesn't matter where I will play in the pros.  I will excel at any position.  I have found a comfort zone at WIL linebacker.  I love to compete.  I competed at a high level in the SEC.  I had three straight seasons with over 100 tackles.

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths on the football field?

Wesley Woodyard:  I am a competitor.  I hate losing.  I will always be giving it my all.  I have very good speed for a LB which helped me match up with a lot of receivers and backs in coverage.  I am able to drop back into coverage as well as defend the run.

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?

Wesley Woodyard:  You know I have to stay flexible and keep offensive linemen off of me.  I have to do a better job shedding blockers.  I did a better job with that this year. 

Alex Khvatov:  Which one of your accolades means the most to you?

Wesley Woodyard:  You know the two Academic SEC Awards that I received two years in a row.  It means a lot to me that I was able to achieve those accolades off-the-field. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your football career up to this point?

Wesley Woodyard:   To me, my highlights include our team just coming together.  We have come along way as a program.  We were able to win eight games.  Team success is much more important to me than individual numbers.   

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the one NFL player that you would compare your game to?

Wesley Woodyard:  Ray Lewis.  He is way bigger than me, but just his presence with his teammates.  He is always around the football.  I compare myself to him.

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite player?

Wesley Woodyard:  Without a doubt, it is Ray Lewis.  I saw it on TV that he gives back to a community.  He works with kids and always gives back to the community.  It is great to see the kids smile with him. 

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Wesley Woodyard:  The Atlanta Falcons, I am still a fan even now.  But I love to watch the Ravens.  I got a chance to go to the game and see Ray Lewis in action versus the Bengals on Monday night last year.

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the toughest player that you have faced during your career?

Wesley Woodyard:  Without a doubt, it was Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown.  They didn't need offensive linemen blocking for them.  We couldn't stop them.  I went up against them during my freshman year.

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassman on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Wesley Woodyard:  Well, you know to me next guy is our safety Marcus McClinton.  He is going to be a senior next season.  He had knee surgery.  Also keep an eye on senior linebacker Braxton Kelley.  He made sure that I always played hard.  He was always around the ball.

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing football?

Wesley Woodyard:  Most of all I enjoy my teammates.  I love winning.  Competition means a lot to me.  I have been playing since I have been six years old.  I am going to miss running out of the Kentucky's stadium.  I want to come back and coach in college football after my playing career is over. 

Alex Khvatov:  Where do you think that you are going to go in the draft?

Wesley Woodyard:  I would like to say second or third round.  It will be a blessing no matter where I get drafted.  I had a big chip on my shoulder when I was coming out of high school and I feel the same now that I am leaving college.

Alex Khvatov:  When did you realize that you can play in the NFL?  

Wesley Woodyard:  When I was six years old, it was a dream of mine.  During my junior year, it became more of a reality.  When it came to this year, I made sure that I left it all out on the field. 

Alex Khvatov:  What separates you from all of the other players at your position?

Wesley Woodyard:  You know I love to compete.  I come to work every day.  I love to practice and it allowed me to play well in the games.  My speed allows me to make a lot of plays.

Alex Khvatov:  What other sports in high school?

Wesley Woodyard:  I ran track in high school.  4x400 relay and I also pole vaulted.  I had a big cry watching myself doing the pole vault.  Track helped me improve my conditioning.  It helped me play football.

Alex Khvatov:  What is the one thing in your daily life that you can't live without?

Wesley Woodyard:  My family.  I can't go a day without talking to my family or friends.

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me something about yourself that makes you unique?

Wesley Woodyard:  Something about me that is unique is working with kids.  My mom worked at a day care.  My major is in social work.  I want to see kids smile, talk to them and go to different schools.  I want to open up a mentorship program when I get to the NFL.   

Alex Khvatov:  What else do you like to do away from the football field?

Wesley Woodyard:  I am a normal college kid.  I like to play video games.  I love fighting games, sports games like college football.  I don't like going to clubs.  I like being around my teammates.

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Wesley Woodyard is:..

Wesley Woodyard:  One of the most courageous guys that you can be around.  I am a competitor.  I love working with people.