Up Close & Personal: Wormley Eager to Get to Work

Before Saleem Wormley arrived at Penn State earlier this month, he made it clear what he was looking forward to most this summer.

“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 offensive linemen, one of the biggest roadblocks standing between 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 offensive line right away, at 6-foot-3, 311 pounds, the Clayton, Del., native has a leg up on many of his peers thanks to a love of exercise.

“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 develop,” 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 degree 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 scientific 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 development], he’s in control,” Judy said. “That intuition has definitely helped him control that and ask the right questions, and he never blindly goes into a workout. He knows what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

After spending the first 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 offensive tackle position, he led his team to a Delaware state championship. During the title run, he stood out in every game as the best player on the field, garnering attention from college programs around the country, including Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia and Oregon. He took official 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 offensive 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 was a part of a strong recruiting class up front that included Anthony Whigan and Caedan Wallace. Under the direction of assistant coach Matt Limegrover, the group has the potential to be one of the better offensive lines in the Big Ten once its time comes.

Although Wormley may be a relative newcomer to the offensive side of the ball, his natural athleticism sets him apart.

“If you lined him up with other 6-foot- 4, 300-pound kids and said, keep your feet flat and squat, he would stand out just in that movement pattern alone,” Judy said. “His ability to bend and his ability to open his hips and squat within his framework and to be able to get into a great stance is critical to develop the power angles he needs to move people, which is his job.”

Wormley said he’ll miss the one-on-one opportunities that come with playing tackle, but Judy doesn’t expect the likely position change to affect his growth.

“I think his coachability, his trust in us, has allowed us to mold him,” the coach said. “From a development standpoint, we just tried to attack some of the weaknesses and deficiencies he had early on and let his athleticism take over. He’s very cognizant of what he needs to develop.

“He’s got very solid fundamentals, he’s not a lean-on-you kind of guy. When he throws a punch, it is bringing pop, under control, not getting out of his base.”

In his time at Smyrna, Wormley learned not only the details of playing a new position, but also the intricacies of becoming a leader.

At Penn State, he’ll have to do the same. There’s plenty of reason to believe the transition will be seamless.

“He’s got a smile that you don’t forget. His personality, his willingness to step outside of his comfort zone” set him apart, Judy said. “The drive that I see in him to better himself as a person overall is impressive, and it’s just something that you wish you could bottle up and give to other kids.”