Wilcox earned his role as glue guy for West Virginia
Earning the Tommy Nickolich Memorial Award is always a special occasion but holds perhaps a little more meaning for the most recent recipient Avery Wilcox.
That’s because he isn’t the first in his family to receive the award after his father and former Mountaineers linebacker Ray Wilcox was honored in 1992.
But despite the connection, this was something that the younger Wilcox earned on his own merits on the field although he was initially surprised to hear his name called.
“Thought it was extremely special. For his dad to win the award, and I didn’t know that, we chose the winner before I ever knew that for him,” head coach Neal Brown said.
The award recognizes a walk-on member of the West Virginia football team who has distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic. It is presented in memory of its namesake, a former Mountaineer player from 1979-82 who died of cancer in 1983.
Wilcox, a native of South Carolina, is in his fourth year with the football program and has developed into a key contributor on special teams. This past season Wilcox played 120 snaps with 97 of those coming on kickoff return, punt return and kick coverage and field goal block.
But it wasn’t easy and it took a lot of time and effort.
For Wilcox though he always had his father to rely on when he encountered obstacles. Considering he walked the same road it allowed him to have an understanding of what it took to succeed and he was able to provide advice on what to do or motivation in areas to improve.
“Knowing my dad went through a similar struggle it was easy to be able to confide in him and talk to him and he offered me advice throughout the process,” he said.
Wilcox also had a close knit group of other walk-ons to help motivate him and push him through some of the times where it proved difficult. But the end result was a two to three year process where he saw him finding his role on the football team as a special teams option.
“He really struggled here year one from a football playing perspective, but he did unbelievable work and he made himself into a really good special teams player,” Brown said.
And it’s a dream for Wilcox who grew up following the West Virginia football program and always wanted to play for the Mountaineers.
“I believe my role on this team is to be a glue guy and guy who sets the standard for the new guys coming into the program,” he said. “I feel like I’ve learned to train and take coaching and how the process works here so being able to instill that in the younger guys.”
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