Getty Former Wake Forest QB John Wolford
Arizona Hotshots quarterback John Wolford wasted little time making a name for himself on the opening weekend of the Alliance of American Football league. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback tossed four touchdowns and 275 yards during the opener against the Salt Lake Stallions, a 38-22 victory.
The AAF, which runs after the NFL season, features a number of former NFL players and talented college players and received quite a bit of attention in its first weekend. But Wolford was exceptional while leading his team to an opening-day victory. For those who don’t know the quarterback’s backstory, he had an interesting road to get here.
Wolford started for Wake Forest in all four of his collegiate seasons, but it wasn’t until his senior year that the breakout really came for him.
Wolford’s Tough Early Years at Wake Forest
As a freshman, Wolford was tasked with trying to lead the rebuild of the Demon Deacons football program. He went through plenty of bumps and bruises along the way, throwing for 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during his freshman season.
It didn’t get much easier beyond that, as Wolford threw a combined 18 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in the next two seasons. At no point over his first three seasons did he complete more than 60.5 percent of his passes, and it was unknown what his senior season would bring. Fortunately, the outcome surprised many and led to the best season for the school since 2008.
After Wake Forest posted a 3-9 record in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, they were able to make a bowl game in 2016 and finish at 7-6. This began the turning of the tides for the program and apparently, its quarterback.
John Wolford’s Breakout Senior Season at Wake Forest
The following year was a statistical breakout for Wolford, as he completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 3,192 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2017. He was intercepted just six times and tacked on 10 rushing touchdowns for good measure.
Most importantly, the school posted an 8-5 record complete with a win in the Belk Bowl. Wake Forest knocked off the Texas A&M Aggies 55-52 in the game and Wolford was named Most Valuable Player after he threw for 400 yards, four touchdowns and added 68 rushing yards.
Wolford received an opportunity to play with the New York Jets in the preseason after his final year, but only saw action in one game. During that game, he completed 8-of-20 passes for 89 yards and one interception. He’s gotten off to a hot start in the AAF, though, and looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the league after the opening weekend.
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