Blue White Illustrated

W hen Saleem Wormley arrives at Penn State this summer, his 4rst stop won't be the football 4eld. Instead, the self-proclaimed exercise junkie wants to get right into the gym. "I'm most excited to work out," Wormley said. "[Penn State] has a lot more equipment than I have access to down here, so I'm ready to see all that." For most young o6ensive linemen, one of the biggest roadblocks standing be- tween them and a starting job is the need to get their bodies up to collegiate standards. While Wormley may not be poised to earn a starting role on Penn State's o6ensive line as an underclass- man, at 6-foot-3, 311 pounds, the Clay- ton, Del., native has a leg up on many of his peers thanks to a love of exercise that started while he was in high school. "I like to see guys like that keep in great shape, in the high 200s, low 300s range, and he's been able to maintain that easily as his body continues to de- velop," said Mike Judy, Wormley's head coach at Smyrna High. "He's been working hard at getting stronger, not just from a performance standpoint, but to make sure the body is prepared for the massive amount of contact that's going to happen at the college level." In fact, Wormley's passion for working out has even driven him to pursue a de- gree in kinesiology at Penn State in the hope of becoming a college strength coach once his playing days are behind him. Judy said Wormley understands the scienti4c part of athletics, and his inquisitive nature has allowed him to better understand his body and how to push himself to his physical peak. "Whereas for a normal student his age I'd have to control [athletic develop- ment], he's in control," Judy said. "That intuition has de4nitely helped him con- trol that and ask the right questions, and he never blindly goes into a work- out. He knows what we're doing and why we're doing it." A8er spending the 4rst half of his high school career playing defensive tackle, Wormley moved to the other side of the ball as a junior in the hope that the switch would enable him to reach his full potential. Once he grew accustomed to the o6ensive tackle position, he led his team to a Delaware state champi- onship. During the title run, he stood out in every game as the best player on the 4eld, garnering attention from col- lege programs around the country, in- cluding Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia and Oregon. He took o7- cial visits to Notre Dame and Rutgers before committing to Penn State in July. Wormley's frame will likely push him to the interior at the collegiate level, but that's a much smaller move compared to switching from one side of the ball to the other. "When he walks in the room, you know he's a Power Five o6ensive guard or center. His build, the way he moves, his long arms," Judy said. "And I think he probably doesn't realize it yet, but he's going to get plenty of one-on-one action in there when he's setting on a Big Ten three-technique kid, probably the best kid he's ever faced in his life, and he's going to hold his own." Wormley is a part of a strong recruit- ing class up front that includes Anthony Whigan and Caedan Wallace. Under the direction of assistant coach Matt Wormley eager to get to work as member of Lions' line CLICK HERE to see video of Wormley in action. ble. They had moved to Germany from Ghana to provide more for their son. Regina retails perfume and Isaac works as a sandblaster, and they've always put ac- ademics 4rst for their children. Darkwa speaks multiple languages. Ger- man is primary, but at home the family speaks Twi, a language native to Ghana. He has been speaking English 5uently since second grade and also knows a bit of French. Spanish might be next. Darkwa is set to graduate high school in July. He's working to expedite that process in hope of enrolling at PSU in June, but it was unclear as of this writing whether that would be possible or if he would have to wait until August. Once he's on campus, he plans to study mechanical engineering. He's also slated to begin his athletic career as a three-tech- nique defensive tackle. Unsurprisingly, he has high aspirations for both endeavors. "First of all, I want to get my degree, be- cause that is why I'm coming there," he said, "and I want to win a lot." ■ |

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