Wait worth it for Wells

Travis Wells decided to attend Livingstone last fall because he wanted the chance to play early in his career.

Coach Greg Richardson assured Wells he would get that opportunity, but he would have to earn it.

Wells won a starting position in time for the season opener on Sept. 2 against Division II powerhouse Catawba.

And he did it even though he arrived in Salisbury only five days prior to the contest.

“Travis came in and practiced for four days, and bang, he starts against Catawba, which is a pretty tough thing to throw a freshman kid into,”Richardson said. “But he was a good enough athlete, and he played well that game.”

Wells started off his Livingstone career impressively and has continued to shine for the Blue Bears this year.

Wells, a sophomore, ranks second on the team with 14 tackles for loss and has three sacks in seven games.

Wells has moved from defensive end as a freshman to a defensive tackle this season, and Richardson says he could become an all-CIAA player if he continues to improve.

“Once he masters the technique, we think he’s going to be a premier player in the conference,” Richardson said. “He’s been fortunate enough to make a lot of good plays. Next year we think he’ll turn the corner.”

Richardson is entitled to have high expectations for Wells.

Wells earned second-team all-state honors at Stafford High in Virginia and was recruited by the likes of Boston College, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

Wells finally chose Marshall, but he didn’t qualify academically in time to suit up for the Thundering Herd.

Wells next set his sights on Fork Union Military Academy, but he underestimated the cost of attending the prep school in central Virginia.

Wells went back home to Stafford, but Fork Union assistant Paul White called Richardson and asked him if he had any scholarship money available because he had three talented players that needed a place to play.

Before long, Richardson had a tape in his hands featuring Wells, Allen Woodbridge and James Baker.

Richardson watched film on the three players for about half an hour, but he had come to the conclusion much earlier that he wanted each of them to attend Livingstone.

“There’s some people who you deal with in terms of recruiting, when they tell you they have a good player, you believe what they say because you’ve gotten kids from them before,” Richardson said. “They’re trustworthy people.”

Wells didn’t disappoint, earning the start at defensive end against Catawba.

Wells initially worried about fitting in with his new teammates, but he quickly won them over with his tireless work ethic.

“I was a little nervous at first, but the guys were pretty cool and they took me in like a little brother,” Wells said.

Wells could have sulked because he wasn’t playing at a major college program, but he embraced the opportunity Richardson gave him at Livingstone.

“It’s a small school, but we’re going to do great things in the future,” Wells said. “It doesn’t matter where you play football if you love the game. The game’s the same.”

Wells finished his freshman season with 29 tackles, including seven for loss.

Richardson decided to move Wells inside to defensive tackle before this season to take advantage of his quickness.

Wells, who is 6-foot-2, 270 pounds, won’t win any CIAA track titles. But he’s fast enough to create mismatches against opposing offensive guards.

“He has really good speed for a defensive tackle,”Richardson said. “He gives us an advantage because with his good speed and his size, he’s a good combination. He’s pretty much faster than most guards that he’s going to be lined up on.”

Said Wells, “If you get low, you can do anything. The low man wins, and I’m just trying to do what the coaches told me.”

Livingstone’s opponents have lost a combined 76 yards because of Wells’ tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Only linebacker Jason Ocean, who has 17 tackles for loss, has caused more disruptions in the opposing backfield.

Wells has Ocean to thank for much of his success.

Richardson said defenses focus on stopping Ocean, which allows Livingstone’s defensive line more chances to get in on tackles.

“The structure of our defense is we hope the defensive linemen get double-teamed and the linebackers make plays,”Richardson said.

“When they focus on our linebackers, our defensive linemen make plays. That’s why (Wells) gets a lot of tackles for loss. We’ll stunt him into a position, and he’s able to make those plays.”

Richardson said Wells can become an all-conference player if he works hard in the weight room this summer.

Wells, like he has from the beginning of his Livingstone career, trusts that his coaches know what’s best for him.

“I need to get in the weight room for starters and just listening to what the coaches tell me because they won’t tell me anything wrong,” Wells said.

They certainly made good on a promise they made to Wells from the beginning.

Wells got his chance to play from Day 5, and he hasn’t left the lineup since.

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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com .