AURORA — Ron Woolfork was a 10-year-old kid living in Detroit when Tony Manfredi took over the Overland High football team in 1980. Since then, Woolfork went on to become a big-time football player, including a career at the University of Colorado and a brief stint in the NFL. He also had a successful coaching stop at Denver East High School and, today, is the successor to Manfredi, who left this past summer for family concerns.
Woolfork has brought inner-city grit to the rolling green suburban Aurora fields of Overland. But after two games, Woolfork has yet to bring a victory to the Trailblazers faithful. However, he’s working on it.
“I want to create a new kind of tradition here, one that the community is proud of,” Woolfork said. “There’s a great football tradition already here, but we want to build on it and expand it.
“Above all, we’re going to have discipline, we’re going to go to class, we’re going to be academically sound, and we’re going to play at a high level with integrity.”
Woolfork may be only 39, but he preaches an old-school, defensive style of football. He put up big numbers at CU as a linebacker, leading the 1991 and 1992 teams in sacks. He still ranks second at CU in career sacks (33) and tackles for loss (53 for 303 yards) and single-season sacks (13 1/2 in 1992). Woolfork was drafted in the fourth round by the Miami Dolphins in 1994, but things didn’t work out there, and his pro career ended after one season with Kansas City.
At a career crossroads, Woolfork turned to coaching. The influence of his coaches — Henry Ford (Detroit) High School’s Joe Hoskins and CU’s Bill McCartney and assistant Bob Simmons — convinced him to impart their lessons to a future generation. In 1999, Woolfork latched on as an assistant with East and moved to the head coach’s position in 2005.
The Angels posted four consecutive winning seasons under Woolfork, and in 2009 six of his players went on to play college football. His teams were known for stingy defense — the Angels allowed an average of 16.2 points a game last year.
When Manfredi’s wife, Sheila, developed breast cancer, he resigned after 27 years that included a 198-120 record and one state title.
Replacing a local legend isn’t easy, but so far, despite an 0-2 record, Woolfork said the community has accepted him.
“I was mindful of the tradition (Manfredi) established here,” Woolfork said. “I only talked to him briefly, though. I know he has personal issues in his own life, so I didn’t want to bombard him with questions, out of respect to him.”
Junior running back Chaz Butler said he and his teammates have accepted Woolfork.
“Our new coach is engaged in practices,” Butler said. “He’s in the school a little more. We can come to him. I feel like everyone is buying in to what he says. . . . I just think the juniors and seniors need to step up and lead.”
Woolfork may have college or pro coaching aspirations, but one of his favorite sayings is “bloom where you’re planted.” He’s not looking at anything other than making Overland a winner again. More than that, he wants to influence youngsters in a positive way.
“This is the pure stage of football,” he said. “This is when you can mold young men as a student, as an athlete and all-around quality person. This is the best time of their life, and this is, in my opinion, the best time in a coach’s life — being able to teach young men the game of football and the game of life. It’s pretty remarkable.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360, adater@denverpost.com or
