8 — Friday, April 8, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The legend of Travis Wooley
Senior went from
childhood in Brazil
to cheerleading to
Michigan football
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Editor
ORLANDO,
Fla.
—
Travis
Wooley isn’t one to give up.
Michigan
cheerleading
coach
Pam St. John knew that as well as
anyone, but she still needed the
flag back.
The Michigan football team had
just stomped all over Florida in the
Jan. 1 Citrus Bowl, 41-7. At halftime,
St. John had promised Wooley — a
former cheerleader — that if the
Wolverines won, he would be able
to wave the flag around the field.
Wooley had also requested to keep
the flag after the game, but St. John
thought he was joking.
He wasn’t. Wooley got an inch
and took it a mile, running the flag
back into the locker room with full
intentions of keeping it.
St. John was far from the first
person to dismiss one of Wooley’s
sky-high ambitions, and like the
thousands before her, she would
end up eating her words.
There
are
many
underdog
stories in sports, but none like
this. From growing up in Brazil
to beginning organized football
at 14 to being a benchwarmer on
a winless high school team to
majoring in musical theatre at
Saginaw Valley State to joining
the Michigan cheerleading team,
not one part of Wooley’s journey
indicated that he belonged on the
Michigan football team.
But there he stood, with sweat-
soaked pads on his shoulders
and a winged helmet in his hand,
celebrating Michigan’s 10th win of
the season.
He eventually gave the flag
back, but that was a minor loss.
His mystifying journey full of
rejection, enthusiasm and one
seized opportunity was complete.
In a story unlike any other,
against all odds and criticism,
Wooley had lettered with the
Michigan football team.
* * *
Wooley’s
introduction
to
football parallels that of a foreigner,
and in many ways, he was.
Despite being born in Texas,
Wooley spent his formative years
in Brasilia, Brazil, as his father,
John, served as a deputy attaché
for Homeland Security and the
U.S. Embassy. For the most part,
Wooley grew up Brazilian, but U.S.
government workers overseas are
required to come to America one
month out of the year on a program
called “Home Leave” to stay in
touch with and embrace American
culture. In the Wooley family, that
culture included football.
Though
football
was
not
offered in Brasilia, Wooley would
watch “Friday Night Lights,”
“Remember
the
Titans”
and
other sports movies religiously.
He not only loved the intensity of
football and its ability to bring a
community together, but also its
ability to make him feel less like
an outsider in a foreign land.
“I was picked on a lot in Brazil,
and I was in America so little that
it felt like vacation to come here,”
Wooley said. “So football gave me
a chance to go back to the United
States and feel normal. I was big
for my age, so (the football players)
were like gods
to me.”
Eventually,
he
got
the
itch to play,
but resources
in
Brazil
were
short.
So before he
moved
back
to the United
States
in
2006, Wooley learned the game of
football by playing NCAA Football
video games, watching movies and
reading 1950s playbooks found in
his principal’s attic.
But Wooley’s mother, Shelley,
knew her son would pick it
up. In the same year, she had
seen Travis — seen as too large
and
inexperienced
to
ride
horses
competitively
—
defy
conventional wisdom and become
a
medal-winning
endurance
horse-racer in Brasilia through
sheer will. A game he had actually
practiced a little bit and was built
for? No problem.
“When he came back to the
U.S., these other kids had been
playing for several years, but
Travis
didn’t
blink,”
Shelley
said. “The best thing you can do
if you want him to accomplish
something is to first tell him no.
… For as long as I can remember,
he has been unwilling to hear the
word ‘no.’ He will absolutely turn
that no into a yes.”
When Travis was 14, the family
moved back to America. Armed
with little more than a love for
the game, Wooley tried out for
the eighth-grade football team.
In many towns in America, he
wouldn’t have gotten the shot. He
would have been too old and too
raw to join a competitive team.
But he wasn’t in one of those
places. His father had become
Homeland Security’s special agent
in charge of Northern Michigan,
and Wooley’s introduction to
football came in tiny Sault Ste.
Marie. In the 14,000-person,
upper-peninsula town, Wooley
would get a shot at football.
And that was all he needed.
* * *
Of all the people to be surprised
when Travis Wooley made the
Michigan football team, his high
school coach considers himself
among the most shocked. Scott
Menard spent 10 years at the helm
of Sault Area High School, and his
worst two seasons were in the falls
of 2009 and 2010 — Wooley’s two
years on varsity.
His Blue Devils went 1-17 those
two seasons, and the second player
in school history to go on to play
Division I football couldn’t even
crack the starting lineup.
“I’ve got to be honest with you,
he didn’t play a lot,” Menard said
in a phone interview. “He was as
raw as you’re going to get. … He
was always a little behind.”
And it wasn’t as if the team
was that far ahead. In a good year,
Menard says his team might have
a handful of Division II players on
his roster. But neither year was a
good year, and Travis was not even
a starter.
When asked to size up Wooley’s
abilities, Menard admitted his
former player was hardly above
average in anything. At 6-feet
and
around
200
pounds,
Wooley never
really
found
a position he
could
thrive
in.
But
it
wasn’t for a
lack of effort.
“What
stood
out
to me, though, is that he wasn’t
afraid to try anything,” Menard
said. “When one guy was injured
or another needed a breather, he
would immediately come up to me
and say, ‘Hey coach, I can go in, I
think I can do that.’
“He wasn’t afraid to work for
something if it helped the team or
it helped him get better. Whatever
opportunities came up, he would
take them and seize them, or at
least try to.”
Wooley’s
enthusiasm
and
energy left him confident that
he would be able to walk on to a
football team in college, but the
try-anything mantra applied off
the field, too. Midway through high
school, Wooley became a fan of the
hit musical show “Glee.” With no
prior experience, he auditioned
for his high school’s production of
the musical “Chicago” senior year
and was cast in the lead role.
With natural charisma and
enthusiasm, he fell in love with the
performing arts. After seeing the
YouTube hit movie “A Very Potter
Musical” performed by University
of Michigan students, Wooley
fell in love with Michigan’s
musical theatre program, too.
While researching the University,
he discovered the history and
prestige of Michigan football.
His walk-on dream had a
destination.
“As
someone
who
moved
around a lot as a kid and never
had that many close friends,
Michigan was a big draw to me
— no matter what the program,”
Wooley said. “People were just
unapologetically supportive and
appreciative of each other, and
that was something I wanted to be
a part of.”
Wooley
was
rejected
by
Michigan in the spring of 2011, his
senior year.
He later called the moment
a “tipping point” in his love for
Michigan to prove the doubters
wrong. Just as before, telling him
no was all the encouragement he
would need.
* * *
When
asked
about
Travis
Wooley, just about everyone will
discuss Wooley’s enthusiasm. And
that’s warranted — no one can go
through a journey like his without
enthusiasm, but where does it
come from? No one is really born
with enthusiasm, and it’s a hard
trait to teach. To have a high level
of enthusiasm, it must be bred into
us as children.
Fortunately for Wooley, that’s
exactly what happened. Even
before his days fighting for the
Navy in the Vietnam War, John
Wooley believed that everything
can be accomplished if the energy
and passion is there. He entered
federal law enforcement, pushing
himself and his comrades to take
on large-scale drug trafficking.
He constantly told his three sons
that every challenge served as an
opportunity.
Even after he retired in 2012, his
values stood tall. Travis Wooley
remembers sitting in the car with
his father as a radio talk show
discussed automotive bailouts. By
that point, Travis had settled on
Saginaw Valley State, where he
would studying musical theatre
and training with the intentions of
transferring to Michigan.
His
grades
struggled
first
semester, and even his revised
plan looked bleak. But as the
bailouts were discussed, John
turned off the radio.
“He turned to me and said,
‘When you get into Michigan, it’s
going to feel so good knowing that
you did it all by yourself,’ ” Wooley
recalled. “That was one of the
most memorable things anyone
has ever said to me.”
And it stuck. Wooley increased
his
weightlifting
regimen
immediately.
To
improve
his
grades, Wooley cut out ice cream
— his favorite food — until he got
a 4.0 grade-point average.
He never had ice cream (and
still hasn’t to this day), but after
two years at Saginaw, he got the
next best thing: admittance to
Michigan.
For the first time, Wooley’s
dream had some legs. But the
already average football player
hadn’t played in more than two
years, and the Wolverines don’t
tend to take those kinds of players,
so Wooley needed to find a way to
get his foot in the door.
He only needed an inch.
* * *
In the real world, the majority of
career advancement results come
from networking and connections
made along the way. Whether it’s
a friend, colleague or even just a
fellow alumnus, jobs are given in
large part based on who you know.
Wooley remembered this very
thought when he tried out for the
Michigan cheerleading team in
the fall of 2013. The football team
wouldn’t take him, so he tried to get
as close to the program as possible.
“I wanted people to Google
‘Michigan football’ and see my
face,” Wooley said. “And with the
cheerleading team, you can do that.”
That wasn’t the only benefit
of the cheerleading team. As
perennial
contenders
for
the
national championship, the team
trains year-round as seriously
as any varsity sport. They have
access to special weight rooms
along with several other facilities
for student-athletes.
And perhaps most importantly
for Wooley, no experience was
required to join.
“We don’t have a lot of men go
out for our team, and none of them
come in with the skills for this
sport,” St. John said. “So part of our
vetting process is, are they a good
person? Are they nice, are they
enthusiastic, are they flexible?’
“We
want
them
to
be
athletic
and
strong enough
to perform the
tasks we ask
them to, but a
large
part
of
it is what kind
of person you
are, and it was
apparent pretty
early on that Travis had that.”
With plenty of enthusiasm and
energy to his credit, Wooley was
a natural fit. He cheered for two
years, and the Wolverines took
home the national title both years.
But Wooley wasn’t shy about
what his end goal was. Once he
arrived in Ann Arbor, he e-mailed
the football team at least once
a week for two years. He would
get responses, but they usually
mentioned an unspecified open
tryout, until they said it was
canceled or had already happened.
Undeterred, Wooley simply
worked
harder
to
ensure
that when he finally did get a
chance, he wouldn’t miss it.
After
cheerleading
practice
and lifting, Wooley would run
sprints, go through agility drills
and push himself to get into
shape for when the football
team came knocking.
“He worked harder than a
lot of kids I’d ever seen,” said
cheerleading
co-captain
Evan
Hampton. “I just don’t think it was
in his blood to take it easy.”
Off the field, he used his
presence on the cheerleading
team to join clubs for student-
athletes, where he met members
of the football team. Players like
wide receiver Jehu Chesson and
defensive lineman Chris Wormley
were drawn to his energy and
fearless charisma right away, but
when he brought up the fact that
he was trying to make the team,
they — like St. John with the flag
— thought he was kidding.
“I didn’t think he was serious,”
said Chesson, who met Wooley
through
student-athlete
Bible
study while Wooley was still on
the cheer team. “Or even if he
was, I didn’t think he would go
through with it. A lot of guys talk
and even think about trying out,
but it’s another thing to actually
do it. I didn’t think much of it at
the time.”
Wooley wasn’t joking, though
he did need to wait for a new head
coach with equally unheard-of
enthusiasm to take over.
* * *
When Jim Harbaugh returned
to Ann Arbor to become the
Michigan football coach, to say
he was a popular guy would be an
understatement.
Many people wanted to talk to
him, but Wooley had something
others
didn’t
—
Harbaugh’s
attention in the front row.
During a Michigan women’s
basketball game in January 2015,
Harbaugh was seated along the
baseline of Crisler Center as
Wooley performed a routine with
the team. While Wooley held a
female cheerleader over his head,
Harbaugh — as has proven to be
typical of the eccentric coach —
began to coach Wooley on his form
and muscle placement.
Despite the absurdity of the
situation, Wooley knew he had the
chance he was looking for.
“He’s bugging me during the
routine, but I just go, ‘Hey coach,
I’m looking forward to trying
out for you next week,’ ” Wooley
said.
“Then
mid-routine, he
starts
asking
about
my
height, weight,
40 time and so
on.”
It
was
only
a
few
minutes,
and
it was unclear
if
it
actually
helped his chances, but a week
later, Wooley made it through
tryouts and was invited to join the
Michigan football team.
Four years and two schools
since he last played a down of
organized football, Wooley had
realized his dream.
“We questioned it all the time,”
Shelley said of the family’s doubts
along the way. “The joke in our
family was that the stars aligned
for Travis — perfect time, perfect
coach, perfect grades. … When he
called to tell us he had made the
team, he was just beside himself.
It was a special moment.”
It was extra special for John,
who had grown ill with cancer
since reigniting Wooley’s dream
three years prior. The elder
Wooley told Travis he had never
been prouder.
But for the younger Wooley, the
journey was only just beginning.
* * *
Beyond simply the financial
burden, life as a walk-on football
player is substantially harder
than that of a scholarship player.
While Michigan has financially
committed
to
its
scholarship
players, the walk-ons are owed
nothing and are often seen as
dispensable parts, complete with
training regimens designed to
make athletes quit.
But four years into the relentless
pursuit of his dream, Wooley
couldn’t even fathom quitting.
“Oh, God no,” Wooley said.
“Somehow they gave me a shot,
and then I just kind of stuck
around. I truly believed that they
were going to kick me off the team,
that they were going to say, ‘You
can’t help us, please leave.’ ”
But that loyalty also applied
to the cheerleading team, which
trains through the first week
of April. Wooley had made a
commitment to the team and
maintained that commitment —
no matter the cost.
“He was doing four-a-days,
if you think about it,” said
cheerleading
co-captain
Alex
Snow. “But he got a whiff of his
dream, and I think he loved it. …
Being on the team, being a part
of Michigan football, that’s all he
ever wanted.”
Added St. John: “I could tell he
was exhausted, but he was keeping
his commitment to our team. I
wish I could tap into that (energy).
I could use a little bit of it.”
Working out for up to six hours
per day for the month of March,
Wooley tested the limits of his
dream. He not only passed, but
won over his new teammates in
the process.
“I thought it was cool to see
him really push through that
month,” said Wormley, who met
Wooley while the two lived in
North Quad in 2013. “Travis isn’t
the most athletically gifted kid
when it comes to football, but
his heart and determination and
passion for Michigan as a whole
is something I wish more of our
players had.”
Added Chesson: “A lot of guys
who are on the scout team are
like, ‘Damn, I’m on the scout
team’ and have a bad attitude
about it. But that was never the
case with him, ever.”
Most importantly, he made the
dress list for the Spring Game on
April 4, 2015. His father, who had
grown more ill in the month since
Wooley made the team and was
using a walker, was able to make
it to the game to see his son in
uniform for the first time.
Wooley didn’t play, but it didn’t
matter — he had made it.
Above all else, his father, who
had a bone marrow transplant
and had been in the hospital for
a month, was able to see his son
finally make it. Unable to walk on
his own or withstand the cold, he
got a box seat.
“He didn’t have to fight the
lines,” Shelley joked. “He had
blanket after blanket and hat
after hat, but he got to see his
son down on the sidelines in a
Michigan uniform.
“It was really a dream come
true.”
Neither
John
nor
Travis
Wooley took the moment for
granted, and for good reason.
John’s condition grew worse, and
July 14, 2015, the man who taught
Travis about football, enthusiasm
and had reignited his dream when
he needed it most passed away.
* * *
COURTESY OF THE WOOLEY FAMILY
Travis Wooley (left) played in front of his dad, John (right), in Michigan’s Spring Game last April, just before John passed
away last July. John, a former Homeland Security agent, constantly gave Travis encouragement during Travis’s childhood.
COURTESY OF THE WOOLEY FAMILY
Travis Wooley achieved his dream of making the Michigan football team last fall.
“Somehow they
gave me a shot, and
then I just kind of
stuck around.”
“He worked
harder than a
lot of kids I’d
ever seen.”
Read the full version of this story
online at MichiganDaily.com