Good Foundation

By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
June 29, 2006

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sto...exclusives

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - An outdoorsy kind of guy, West Virginia's Jeremy Sheffey knows a little something about building houses. The best houses have the best foundations and Sheffey says the same goes for good football teams. Put in the work in the summertime and the fall becomes a piece of cake.

"It's kind of the same deal here," he said recently. "We all work hard; we've got more people here this summer than at any time since I've been here. This is my fifth summer and I was here the summer when we had 30 guys and we went 8-3. The more we have here the better shape we're in."

According to Sheffey, there's a big difference between saying you work hard and actually working hard.

"Around here was have a philosophy that we know what hard work is," he said. "With Mike Barwis and Coach Trickett, I don't get away with a day without hard work. If I don't work hard it's a long day at the office."

The senior offensive guard admits he's had some bad days in the office over the years.

"Some days you feel good and it's not quite as bad. Other days you're puking and you have to get yourself motivated to keep going," he said. "It's part of the game and if the team is willing to win then we'll put forth the effort."

In those rare instances when Sheffey notices a younger guy not quite working as hard as he's supposed to and slipping into cruise control then he's not afraid to speak his mind.

'Every once in a while someone will get out of hand and it's all in-house," he said. "I don't care if I have to say something."

Yet when the subject turns to himself and the honors he's piling up this summer, Sheffey clams up. He was recently named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The Outland Trophy is presented to college football's most outstanding interior offensive lineman.

"I'll be honest I didn't even know I was on that list - that's good news," he laughed.

When pressed, Sheffey says its pleasing getting recognized for all the hard work he's put forth.

"It's kind of coming around to paying off a little bit," he said. "Honestly, I try to ignore as many of those things as I can because if you work hard and do your best every time good things will happen to you. That's kind of my philosophy. I motivate myself internally."

Sheffey says the fourth quarter of football games is when he can tell which teams have paid the price the summer before and which ones haven't.

"You can tell in the fourth quarter when we were running like we were last year. We're still busting out runs and we're still feeling fresh at the end of the game," Sheffey said. "The other people are starting to pitter patter off."

The 6-foot-3-inch, 290-pound senior is known as one of the toughest guys on the offensive line, willing to mix it up with anybody. He says willpower and intensity can overcome most mistakes.

"If you don't know who to hit just hit somebody," Sheffey said. "I've done it before. I did it last year. There are times when I didn't know who to hit and I just hit somebody. You make it happen."

"As you get older you stop doing that as much and you learn what they want."

West Virginia is being projected by some to be a national title contender. Sheffey was just a small boy the last time the Mountaineers played for the national championship in 1989, and he believes the elements are there for another trip to the big game if everyone remains focused and the team gets some fortunate breaks.

"It's definitely attainable," he said. "They sky is the limit. We can go out and beat anybody, but we can't just go out and beat anybody by showing up. If we keep our heads on our shoulders and everybody keeps working as hard as they are it's a possibility."

Sheffey understands, too, that other teams are gunning for the Mountaineers this year.

"We realize other people get motivated by our success and our predicted success," he said. "We do the same thing - if a team is predicted to beat us we got more motivated that week in practice and we practiced a little harder. It's fine."

"I think everybody has stepped it up a little more if nothing else," he added. "We realize what is at stake. If we want to beat these other teams then we have to come out and work harder. The only way to win a championship is to work like a champion and that's what we're doing."