Maverick Wolfley grew up wanting to play football.
“I first got into football in the fifth grade and played for the Cheat Lake Chargers,” he said. “My brother had played when we lived in Arizona and I knew about my family, like my dad and uncles playing, so it really made me want to start.”
Wolfley is no stranger to football. His father, Dale, and brother Stone both played football at WVU. Dale was a standout on the 1988 team that played for a National Championship.
Maverick’s uncle Ron Wolfley was also a standout for the Mountaineers and had a 10-year career in the NFL, including four years as a Pro Bowl selection.
Maverick’s grandfather, Ray Mansfield started at the University of Washington and played 14 years in the NFL, including 13 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maverick said being a part of such a football family has its perks.
“A lot of people know who I am just because of them. So I have met a lot of people or made connections with them because they knew them,” he said. “Also it felt like I always had someone watching everything I did. I feel like I have always been held to a higher standard in some ways to positively represent my family’s name like they all did when they were my age.”
His family has been Maverick’s biggest motivation.
“I look up to them a ton,” he said. “They have taught me a lot over the years growing up, especially my dad. He was always there for the games, telling me ‘good job’ when I did a good job and letting me know when I didn’t.”
A Morgantown native, Maverick is a 2016 graduate of Morgantown High.
He enrolled at WVU, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. He transferred to the University of Akron, where he recently completed his redshirt freshman season.
Maverick said his family supported his decision to transfer, even though so many of them attended WVU.
“My family was very supportive,” he said. “They will back me up with every big decision I make like that so it was nice to have them with me the whole way.”
He had to sit out his freshman season due to NCAA transfer rules.
This season as a redshirt freshman, he played in 11 games. He finished with four receptions for 58 yards. He caught his first touchdown pass, a 24-yard catch, to help Akron upset Northwestern 39-34.
“I was kind of shocked to be honest,” Maverick said. “I was super excited and there was no hiding it. I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a great feeling to see that I could compete with these guys on a big stage, going up against a Big Ten team.”
He was named the Unsung Hero on Offense following spring practice.
“I was not expecting it at all, really,” Maverick said. “I remember it was at halftime and I had my back towards the scoreboard where they were announcing things and I just heard my name and I was just happy and grateful that they chose me, when I’m sure a lot of guys could’ve been picked.”
Maverick said he is looking forward to next season.
“I am very excited for this next season,” he said. “I’m excited for Coach [Tom] Arth and his new staff, to see what he has in store for us and where he is going to take us. I really can’t wait, never been so excited for a season to start.”
As a Mohigan, Maverick finished with 302 tackles and five sacks. He had 89 tackles, two sacks and 12 tackles for loss as a senior. He helped lead MHS to the state semifinals and a 10-3 record.
“It was definitely a fun time,” he said. “We worked our butts off to be there. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get past Martinsburg. We had some really close games that we pulled out or games we closed out and didn’t let teams hang around in the end.”
Maverick also lettered in basketball at MHS.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I love Coach [Dave] Tallman he helped me a lot. I think he’s a really good coach and I enjoyed playing for him very much. But it was cool to play for both the teams, even if it was only two years.”
Playing football at Akron is not like it was at MHS.
“Football is football and it was fun at MHS, but it is different on the collegiate level,” Maverick said. “Guys are just as good as you, just as fast — if not faster — and just as strong. They were all one of their best players at their high school. So you definitely have to work a lot harder and stay on top with your playbook, which is definitely a lot more to learn than high school.”
Maverick is majoring in criminology and criminal justice, but a career in football is his first choice.
“I want to play in the NFL, so obviously I am going to pursue that,” he said, “because that has been my dream as long as I can remember. But if that doesn’t work out, I want to be a police officer or work in the FBI or, who knows, I might try coaching because it would be hard for me to let go of football because so far everything in my life has been football.”
Maverick is the son of Dale and Kathleen Wolfley. Besides Stone, he has three other siblings: Kyle, Jaden and Talley.
