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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Vernon Wolfe
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Home Phone: -- Football: Wolfe adds name into mix at WR Bruce Brown • bbrown@theadvertiser.com • October 28, 2010 Vernon Wolfe got a taste of being a vital part of the offense last Saturday, and now he’s hungry to add more to the mix as the UL Ragin’ Cajuns enter the final five games of the season. Although the Cajuns were stunned 54-21 by visiting Western Kentucky, spoiling homecoming festivities at Cajun Field for many, Wolfe came through with four catches for 94 yards. “It wasn’t hard for me to be ready for that game,” said Wolfe, who counted a 42-yard play among his catches. “It was my first start, and I just love to play football. Every day at practice is like another day in the backyard. “I’ve been training to do this. Every day, I come out ready to play. You have to treat every game like it’s your last.” Wolfe, a 6-foot-1, 188-pound senior from Vicksburg, Miss., recalled talking about the future with teammates in high school. “We talked about it so much,” he said. “By the time I was a junior or senior, I was pretty sure I would play college football. As you grow up and mature, you realize it’s a blessing.” An academic qualifier out of high school, Wolfe elected to attend Hinds Community College in his home state so he could play both football and baseball. Eventually, he narrowed that choice to one sport. “My second semester in JUCO I went to baseball and tore a quad muscle,” said the one-time outfielder. “I missed the beginning of baseball, and then it was never the same.” As a freshman at Hinds, the converted prep quarterback had 24 catches for 268 yards and a pair of scores. The next year, he improved to 33 for 392 and two touchdowns in five games. He joined the Cajuns for the spring semester in 2009, which helped acclimate him to coach Rickey Bustle’s system. “Players in the spring are more relaxed,” Wolfe said. “You have more fun. You get to meet all the players, go through pass skel (skeleton) and get used to the quarterbacks. You get to adjust to the coaches. It’s a blessing.” It wasn’t all roses, though. Wolfe caught just 8 passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns last season, and he let that disappointment affect his classwork. He then had to sit out spring drills to get his grades in order before resuming action in August. “I went home at (2009-2010) Christmas break, and started to stay in Starkville,” he said. “Then when I got home, my parents jumped me. It was one of those life lessons I had to learn.” The immediate result was a 3.3 GPA in the spring and a return to the field this fall. Long range, Wolfe is on target to graduate in the spring. But first, he wants to be part of a strong season finish for the Cajuns. His seven catches for 135 yards stamp him as a deep threat as UL heads to Ohio University this week, but to compete there he and his teammates need a stronger performance. “It has to be more than the coaches,” Wolfe said. “The coaches just coach. We have to be willing to run that extra 5 yards, get that block. If we’re going to do it, we need to do it. For many of us, this is our last hurrah. You’ve got to live life while you can. “The worst thing in life is to look back and wish you had done more. That last game was a wake-up call for us. You’ve got to come out and play every time. You can either take that punch, or come out fighting.” * * * * * * * * * * * Transferred from Hinds Community College, Mississippi, in Jan. 2009. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Football: JUCO guys ready to go Three signees on Cajuns’ campus now Joshua Parrott � jparrott@theadvertiser.com � February 8, 2009 As UL football approaches the start of spring drills on March 11, three junior college signees from the program’s 2009 recruiting class of 18 are ready to start competing for playing time next season. Two of those three players – Vernon Wolfe (Hinds Community College in Mississippi) and Andrew “Rico” Joseph (Coffeyville Community College in Kansas) – will fight for time at wide receiver. The other recruit is defensive lineman Jordan Topp, who previously played at San Diego Mesa College in California. Wolfe and Topp have two years of eligibility left, while Joseph has three remaining. UL coach Rickey Bustle would like to see immediate results, which could happen as the trio has gotten an early jump on learning new plays, terminologies and formations. All three players, who enrolled at UL in January, play positions that require an immediate boost in 2009. “That’s what you expect when you sign mid-semester junior college kids,” Bustle said. “You expect them to come in and compete and be playing for you in the fall.” Wolfe and Joseph will provide some experience for a young receiving core that is now without seniors Jason Chery and Derrick Smith. Out of Vicksburg High in Mississippi, Wolfe was an academic qualifier but went to Hinds so he could play both baseball and football. He showed promise as a freshman with 24 catches for 268 yards and two scores. As a sophomore Wolfe was ready to blossom, but he got involved in an on-the-field incident while trying to help a teammate in the season opener and got ejected from the game. That came with an automatic two-game suspension. Then a Hinds coach reportedly did not file the necessary paperwork in time, which resulted in Wolfe missing another two games due to league rules. Wolfe refused to let that situation dictate his future. Instead, he learned from the experience and has moved on. “I almost let that get me down,” Wolfe said. “All that gave me a reason to work harder and helped me grow up a lot quicker.” Wolfe made great use of his limited time on the field last season with 33 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns in five games. He led the MACJCAA in catches per game (6.6) and was second in receiving yards per game (79) to garner second team all-league honors in the South Division and an invite to the conference’s annual all-star game. One of his best performances came in a 21-9 loss to Southwest Mississippi Community College on Oct. 4. Wolfe finished that night with 10 catches for 131 yards. While he’s listed at 6-feet tall, Wolfe appears to be a few inches taller. That makes him an even more intriguing prospect given he said he’s capable of touching 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and got interest from Mississippi State and Southern Miss. “He’s got a little more size than some of the receivers we already had,” Bustle said of Wolfe, who also held offers from Arkansas State and ULM. “He’s a guy with great speed.” Joseph is another burner with reported 4.4 speed. The Florida native earned first team all-state honors as a senior at Class 1A Glades Day School, leading the team to the state title with 35 catches for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns. He received some interest from several ACC programs but went to Coffeyville after being unable to get a qualifying ACT score. After redshirting as a freshman, Joseph emerged as one of the top receivers and kick returners this season in the competitive Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. He earned second team all-league honors and was voted the team’s most valuable player after catching 35 passes for 597 yards and four touchdowns and averaging 18.8 yards per catch. That production helped him finish second in the conference in receiving yards and yards per catch and third in receiving yards per game (66.3). In seven league games, he topped the conference in total receiving yards (490) and receiving yards per game (70). Listed at 5-10, Joseph is probably a little shorter than that. But his route running and elusiveness also garnered offers from Hofstra and Charleston Southern. “He’s another talented athlete that has great speed,” Bustle said. “We will be counting on him next fall.” While it’s tough still being away from Florida, Joseph is comforted by having nearly 20 teammates from his home state. “All Florida people always stick together,” Joseph said. “So being here has been perfect for me.” An even greater distance separates Topp from his hometown of San Diego, but he’s hoping to provide a boost to a UL defense that struggled to slow opponents in last season’s 6-6 campaign. Topp was another qualifier out of high school. He was named the North team’s MVP in the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic but went to San Diego Mesa because he eventually wanted offers from bigger D-I programs. After redshirting as a freshman, he got second team all-Mountain Conference honors the following year with 48 tackles and seven sacks. Oregon State, Arizona State and Utah, among others, showed him strong interest. Issues with the NCAA Clearinghouse kept Topp from signing with a Division I program mid-term as a redshirt freshman, so the 6-3, 280-pounder returned to San Diego Mesa for another year. The interest from Pac-10 schools dried up because they wanted him for three years, but Topp posted another productive season in 2008 with 47 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four pass break-ups. He eventually found a home in Louisiana. Bustle expects Topp, who reportedly has 4.85 speed, to compete for playing time at defensive tackle and end in the spring. Topp knows the benefits that come with already being on campus. “It’s a huge advantage,” Topp said. “I’ve already gotten to know the team, the formations and the blitzes. “Anything I can learn while I’m here (in the spring) makes it even better that I’m already here.”
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