By LARRY VAUGHT

LEXINGTON — He’s earned a National Football League paycheck for one year and based on the way he played for the Denver Broncos, Wesley Woodyard could be getting NFL money for many more years.
However, the former University of Kentucky linebacker says the NFL money can never make him forget his four years at UK.
“The money is one thing, but I always love Kentucky,” said Woodyard, who was back here last week to work camps for Dennis Johnson at UK and former teammate Keenan Burton in Louisville. “What I did here I can never forget and never will forget. It is like my second home here. I will always come back to Lexington and will always have that love for Kentucky.”
Woodyard, UK’s leading tackler three straight years, was an avid viewer of Kentucky games last season when the Cats earned their third straight bowl bid and won the Liberty Bowl.
“I was in there watching the games every time they were on ESPN and yelling, hollering and screaming. I was play-by-play analyst for the Liberty Bowl this year. I kept up with everything they did,” Woodyard said.
His former UK teammates were probably just as interested in what he was doing for the Broncos, especially since he made the team as an undrafted free agent despite pleas from UK head coach Rich Brooks to NFL personnel that he should be drafted.
“I was always confident in my playing ability, but the NFL is a crazy business. I have been just shooting for the stars. You never know what will happen,” said the LaGrange, Ga., native. “I always try to prove myself no matter what. Even in offseason workouts, I was trying to work hard, do extra things whenever I could. I never looked back and tried to take advantage of every chance I got and make the best of it.”
Woodyard became a special teams standout for Denver and also worked his way into the starting lineup for five games. In his first start against Cleveland, he had 10 solo tackles, including two for loss.
In his second game, he had two special teams tackles against San Diego. He was Denver’s special teams captain the third game of the season. He led the team with 13 tackles, including 11 solo, and also had a forced fumble and quarterback pressure against the New York Jets. He even got some snaps at strong safety in December.
“I told our special teams coach (Scott ) that I wanted to be the man on special teams. He told me if I did that, I could be around a long time. My first two big plays in the NFL were both on special teams when I made tackles inside the 15-yard line. You don’t forget those,” Woodyard, 22, said. “Then when I got my first start and helped our team win, it was incredible. That was something special to always remember. But the true high point was just making the team and having my coaches and teammates believe in me.”
That team-first attitude is what made Kentucky fans love Woodyard, the team’s leading tackler in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was also the team’s inspirational leader and was one of the players who went to UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart to plead for him to stick with Brooks midway of the 2006 season. The Cats have responded with three straight winning seasons and three straight bowl victories.
Woodyard, who had 395 career tackles and led the Southeastern Conference in tackles per game in 2007, was initially disappointed when he was not drafted.
“I was really disappointed the first week after the draft and was down on myself. But it all happened for a good reason. I have always been a guy that works hard. I made a promise to always be the guy at my position to work the hardest and never be down on myself. Not getting drafted humbled me a lot. I went from all-SEC and being on top of the world to having to prove myself again. To me, that’s the way it should be. You should have to work for what you get,” Woodyard said.
Woodyard quickly found a way in the NFL to compensate for his perceived lack of size.
“My whole attitude is about football. I love and respect it and always will. I try to be a competitor in everything,” Woodyard said. “When I am on the field, I feel nobody can beat me. I try to improve on my previous play no matter how good it was. I continue to do that and keep my head focused and just not worry about what people think about my size. The only thing I remember is the bad plays and what it will take to make me better the next play.”
Woodyard also knew it was important to be involved in the community and enjoys any opportunity to represent the Broncos.
“I am a social work major. I love working in the community. I organize a lot of events here,” Woodyard said.
He took some youth from local clubs Christmas shopping  and “I loved helping them out because seeing the smiles on their faces and knowing how much they appreciated it” was so special.
“Denver is a nice city. The fans and community are great,” he said. “They all love the Broncos. The view out here is so great, too. If I ever got sad, I could just go out and see the mountains and know everything was fine. It’s so beautiful. I plan on taking some trips to the mountains to see what they are really like.”
Woodyard knows his new-found fame in the NFL could be gone in a heartbeat. He knows there will be plenty of players trying to impress a new Denver coaching staff in hopes of taking his roster spot when the season begins.
“I can never be comfortable. You have to come to work every day and never relax,” Woodyard said. “I obviously am not the biggest guy on the team. I have to stay on top of lifting weights and keeping my strength up. I have to continue to get smarter. You go from being vet in college to having to relearn everything.
“I signed for three years. I am a restricted free agent for three years. But nothing is guaranteed at all. There is always somebody else coming in and trying to prove he’s better than you. If you are not at the top of your game, you will be exposed and out of a job.”
The Broncos are moving Woodyard to an inside linebacker spot, one reason he’s tried to add weight during the offseason. However, Woodyard has not spent time worrying over free agents or draft picks that could challenge his roster spot.
“I try not to pay attention to who is on the roster. It is a business. They have brought in new guys, but they have also kept four guys. You just have to go in there every day like it could be your last day and have fun and show the coaches what you have,” Woodyard said.
Still, it was a memorable first NFL season for Woodyard and one he hopes will be the start of even better things and take the same path his UK career did.
“I really couldn’t ask for me. I had the opportunity to play and get paid. I was able to live out my dream.  A lot of people never get that chance. I was appreciative of the opportunity and now I want to try to take it and run with it even more just like I did at Kentucky,” Woodyard said.

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