36 Ron Wolfley

Hometown: Orchard Park, NY

Career: 1981-1984
Record: 35-13, Bowl Record: 3-1

Ron Wolfley was one tough runner. His tough running style attracted many schools coming out of high school.  He would choose to come to Morgantown in the spring of 1981 to play for 2^nd year Head Coach Don Nehlen. Wolfley would spend his freshman season playing special teams, later splitting carries his sophomore and junior seasons. He would be the featured fullback his senior season in 1984. Wolfley was a punishing inside runner, stacking up 1,328 yards and 10 touchdowns. His ability to contribute both as a rusher and special teams player earned him a draft selection by the St. Louis Cardinals in the spring of 1985. Wolfley spent 10 years in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl 4 times. Recently, Wolfley was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. It should only be a matter of time before he gets considered for the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.

Memorable Game: Ron Wolfley’s most memorable performance for WVU came in the 1983 road game against the 19^th ranked Boston College Eagles. The 12^th ranked Mountaineers were 3-0 and had the look of a championship team. The defense was solid and the offense featured an NFL caliber quarterback, Jeff Hostetler, and two talented rushers in Tim Gray and Ron Wolfley. The game against Boston College would be a tough contest for the Mountaineers. Eagles QB Doug Flutie was looking for his first victory over the Mountaineers (Flutie never won against the Mountaineers). Wolfley saw to the Mountaineers victory by giving his personal best performance. He ran the ball for 114 yards and a touchdown. The Mountaineers made the most of their opportunities to score, edging the BC Eagles by a final score of 27-17.

Competition: Wolfley was the most recognizable name of the bunch at #36. He had a solid Mountaineer career and then went on to have a great pro career. The only other player, in my opinion, worthy of mention is Charles Donaldson. I will also mention that Ira Rodgers wore this number at the beginning of his career.

Teaser: I got to say, I'm genuinely excited about the pick at #35. This player is my all-time favorite Mountaineer player. He was a hard-nosed rusher known as much for his ability to pound the rock as much as his ability to smash facemasks. This fan favorite player was a mohawked psycho, just like Robert Deniro in Taxi Driver.