Ti20 Off the Boards: Defensive Lineman Wardalis Ducksworth
08/15/22 • 45 min
5th year senior defensive lineman Wardalis Ducksworth joined GoTigers247 in this episode of Off the Boards.
Wardalis is one of the returning veteran defensive lineman from the Tigers' team last year, and he described how his role has changed with his seniority. He shares how fall training camp is different from previous years. He is fully concentrating on his own game and learning the new playbook and schemes, but he also carries the burden of leading the younger guys on the defensive line. He believes his job now consists of making sure the younger players are doing right in all the little things, such as eating, sleeping, training, and studying.
Wardalis shares about his journey to Memphis through the junior college ranks. Leaving high school as a 6'4, 175 lb defensive lineman, he joined Jones County Junior College where he played for two years. He described his time at Jones County as a necessary time for him to learn the "little things" about being a college football player. He left Jones County and came to Memphis as a 6'4, 200 lb defensive lineman in 2019. In the last three years, Wardalis has spent as much time with the training team at Memphis as he has the defensive line coach. During his time at Memphis he has gained 64 lbs of muscle and strength and has realized a lot of success on the field.
In the second segment, Wardalis talks about the new defense under Matt Barnes and how he is excited to see the defense be much more pressure oriented this year. He talks about his past as a basketball player and how the skills he learned on the hardwood has helped him with footwork and hand/eye coordination on the field.
To end the show, Kenny and Wardalis talk about Wardalis being named to the AFCA Good Works' Team. He explains why he feels so compelled to give back to the community and why it's so important to him. Wardalis shares specifically about an organization called "Be The Match", a bone marrow transplant matching organization that helps find bone marrow matches for people suffering with blood born diseases such as leukemia.
About Off the Boards:
Off the Boards is a video/audio segment where GT247 sits down with local and national sports figures.
Typically, Off the Boards has been a video segment, but we are now turning it into an audio podcast as well to better meet the needs of all of our followers. This new format will allow all of GT247's content to be more accessible to listeners.
You can listen to any of our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Megaphone. Make sure to subscribe, leave a comment and spread the word about Tigers in 20 and Off the Boards.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5th year senior defensive lineman Wardalis Ducksworth joined GoTigers247 in this episode of Off the Boards.
Wardalis is one of the returning veteran defensive lineman from the Tigers' team last year, and he described how his role has changed with his seniority. He shares how fall training camp is different from previous years. He is fully concentrating on his own game and learning the new playbook and schemes, but he also carries the burden of leading the younger guys on the defensive line. He believes his job now consists of making sure the younger players are doing right in all the little things, such as eating, sleeping, training, and studying.
Wardalis shares about his journey to Memphis through the junior college ranks. Leaving high school as a 6'4, 175 lb defensive lineman, he joined Jones County Junior College where he played for two years. He described his time at Jones County as a necessary time for him to learn the "little things" about being a college football player. He left Jones County and came to Memphis as a 6'4, 200 lb defensive lineman in 2019. In the last three years, Wardalis has spent as much time with the training team at Memphis as he has the defensive line coach. During his time at Memphis he has gained 64 lbs of muscle and strength and has realized a lot of success on the field.
In the second segment, Wardalis talks about the new defense under Matt Barnes and how he is excited to see the defense be much more pressure oriented this year. He talks about his past as a basketball player and how the skills he learned on the hardwood has helped him with footwork and hand/eye coordination on the field.
To end the show, Kenny and Wardalis talk about Wardalis being named to the AFCA Good Works' Team. He explains why he feels so compelled to give back to the community and why it's so important to him. Wardalis shares specifically about an organization called "Be The Match", a bone marrow transplant matching organization that helps find bone marrow matches for people suffering with blood born diseases such as leukemia.
About Off the Boards:
Off the Boards is a video/audio segment where GT247 sits down with local and national sports figures.
Typically, Off the Boards has been a video segment, but we are now turning it into an audio podcast as well to better meet the needs of all of our followers. This new format will allow all of GT247's content to be more accessible to listeners.
You can listen to any of our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Megaphone. Make sure to subscribe, leave a comment and spread the word about Tigers in 20 and Off the Boards.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
GoTigers247's Tigers on Tap Ep 4: Criminally Underrated with a Dangerous Swagger
**Editor's Note** This episode was recorded before the news of the Tigers adding Andy Borman as an assistant coach
Tigers on Tap Episode 4 is here!
Join Trey and TJ as they discuss the latest in University of Memphis football and basketball happenings from a fan's perspective.
In the first segment, Trey and TJ celebrate the beginning of fall camp 2022. Their takeaways initially are on the defense and how impressed they are with seeing Matt Barnes out there coaching up the guys. They both love his energy he shows on the field and how the players are adopting that into their own practice time. The "fast and violent" mantra that Coach Barnes is bringing to the defense is a welcome change from the "bend and don't break" type defense that the former defensive coordinator instilled.
Trey shares his excitement for the second year of QB1 Seth Henigan, and the maturity he has shown coming into his sophomore year at the helm of the Tigers' offense. Trey is upset that Seth has received very little national recognition and both him and TJ believe that, while Seth had a fantastic first year as a true freshman, that the sky is the limit for Seth moving forward. They finish the segment talking about Tiger great, Brady White, coming back to Memphis as a graduate assistant on offense.
In the second segment, Trey and TJ transition to talk about the basketball program. They discuss the possibility of Alex Lomax coming back to play at Memphis for his fifth and final year. Trey believes that this year could be the best year for Alex as he will play a backup role to Kendric Davis, and how he can flourish in a role like this. Alex is a lightning rod for criticism with the Tiger fanbase, with some of it being deserved but most being undeserved. They believe Alex can be a calming influence for the Tigers as the team leader. They move on to discuss the newest Tiger addition in the Spaniard, Ian Granja. They level set the conversation around Ian and what Tiger fans should expect from Ian. To end the show, the guys discuss the unveiling of the Tiger basketball out of conference home schedule. Trey and TJ end the show discussing the serious uptick in Quad 1 opportunities the Tigers will have on their out of conference schedule during the 2022-23 season.
About Tigers on Tap
Tigers on Tap is a podcast for fans by fans. Trey Lasley and TJ Willis are lifelong Memphis fans and share their perspective of the happenings in Tiger athletics from a fan perspective.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
Ti20 Off the Boards: Defensive End CorMontae Hamilton
Former Ohio State Buckeye, Whitehaven Tiger, now Memphis Tiger defensive end CorMontae Hamilton joined GoTigers247 on Off the Boards.
CorMontae transferred to Memphis during the offseason from Ohio State after spending three years with the Buckeyes. CorMontae is a native Memphian who excelled playing football for the Whitehaven Tigers. CorMontae details the story of his recruitment to Ohio State where he took a 12 hour bus ride to Columbus to participate in a Friday night camp as a senior. We discuss the theme in his life of him having a level of confidence in his abilities that motivated him to put himself out there as a recruit in order to be seen, and how this confidence helped him as he transitioned from playing tight end to joining the defense as a defensive end. CorMontae shares how tough the transition to defensive end has been, but shared that his dedication to showing himself as a recruit motivated him to continue to grind and learn the position. He explains how when he entered the transfer portal he had made the decision to move back to playing tight end, but during conversations with Ryan Silverfield and Matt Barnes he was motivated to continue playing defensive end. He shared how Coach Barnes told him that he had noticed how good CorMontae could be at that position and that he should come to Memphis and continue to learn. CorMontae expressed that the opportunity to come back to Memphis and play for his hometown school became too much to turn away from. His motivation this year has been the phrase that Ryan Silverfield has adopted for the Tiger program, and that he is "All In" on Memphis and playing defense.
In the second segment, CorMontae talks about the defense at Memphis under Matt Barnes. He explains that Matt Barnes is a high level, energetic coach who consistently brings out the best in his players. He also shares how his relationship with defensive line coach, Kyle Pope, has developed and that the reputation he has developed as a motivator and high-level position coach is well earned. He believes that the defensive line will be key to the Tigers' defensive success this year, and their ultimate goal is to be the best defense in the conference. CorMontae ends the episode looking forward to being able to play in front of his family and friends, donning the blue and gray, and being a positive example for other young kids in Memphis who look up to him.
About Off the Boards:
Off the Boards is a video/audio segment where GT247 sits down with local and national sports figures.
Typically, Off the Boards has been a video segment, but we are now turning it into an audio podcast as well to better meet the needs of all of our followers. This new format will allow all of GT247's content to be more accessible to listeners.
You can listen to any of our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Megaphone. Make sure to subscribe, leave a comment and spread the word about Tigers in 20 and Off the Boards.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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