Last week we brought you the first in a three part interview with former standout linebacker Grant Wiley. Grant was a leader for the teams he played for, even from the beginning, some guys were born to be Mountaineers and I believe Grant was one of those guys. So here is part dos of the interview …

Couch Fire Sports: First impressions of Rich Rod?
Grant Wiley: My first impression of Rich Rod was interesting to say the least. He was definitely not there to be our friend. He was on a mission to get his everything stamped on that football program and if you didn’t like it, like he said so many times, “The doors are unlocked from the inside-out.” If you look at any coaching transition they always get rid of anything that doesn’t fit with their program. Not always in such an extreme tyrannical way, but it goes down. I didn’t understand it at the time but looking back I understand what he was trying to accomplish and it is why he is so successful. My experience with him really helped me grow into a man. Michigan players, fans, and alumni need to stop crying like a bunch of babies and turn on the 2007 Mountaineers so they can see their future. I remember coming back to school after the Music City Bowl, on crutches, for our first meeting with Rich. I didn’t research him or read any of the papers so I really had no idea what to expect. I wouldn’t have known that I was Big East Rookie of the Year hadn’t it been for the trophy I was presented with.  So Rich introduced the staff and very adamantly told us we were going to play like our hair was on fire or not play at all. From the start he was re-instilling the discipline I feel we needed at the time. The meeting ended and typically people were overreacting, trying to find their exit strategy, and a lot of guys were just ready to take that next step to win, coming off of destroying another SEC team. Rich pulls me into his office and breaks me down like this. “Grant, you had a good year, and I think you are a good player. You didn’t really have to work for your position, it was kind of handed to you.” At the time I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I knew what I went through to start as a freshman and the work I put in to be the best linebacker in the country. So I didn’t over react, I just took it as more motivation to prove this guy I was the best. Maybe that is what his objective was to begin with. Aside from him being my coach I wouldn’t say we had any kind of relationship beyond that and it also had to do with me being the undercover rebel and not conforming completely and looking out for my teammates more so than anything. Rich isn’t a bad guy, I didn’t reach out to him either. The one knock from me towards Rich was his approach or lack there of to have truly genuine relationships with the players he didn’t recruit when I was there. I am sure he has changed, that was his first test as a big-time college head football coach.

CFS: Rather play for Rich Rod or Bill Stewart
GW: Coach Stew and I went head to head when he first came to Mo-Town. I was the next big thing since Avon and I was ready to stamp my name all over college football again after playing with a torn hamstring my sophomore season. It was after our 3-8 season and we were in winter conditioning, “Tour of Duty.” The only thing you can assimilate to “Tour of Duty” is boot camp. Mental and physical torture. Okay, not that extreme. Haha! We were going through this cone drill that Coach Stew was in charge of and he thought our effort was as good as a bunch of “sorry-asses.” I was winded and trying to make it through this day and I had to hear that shit. I wasn’t having it. I felt like I had to stand-up for my group because we were working hard. So I said, “Coach there is not one sorry-ass here!!!” Looking dead in his eyes. He looked at me and knew I was standing up and I was not going to back down. He said it again, “You guys are like a bunch of sorry-asses!” I said, “Coach, there is not one sorry-ass here!!!” My volume grew. So he kept giving me checks. I said, “Give me more checks! Give me everybody’s checks, I don’t give a fuck!” The checks are what you accumulate based on your effort during the drills. At the end of the session you have to run 10 yard suicides based on your checks. I accumulated 12 checks in that one drill alone and was not happy in the least but I wasn’t going to let anybody call my group a bunch of sorry-asses. The tiff did not last long once Rich got involved and I was able to explain my stance. Coach Stew and I gained more respect for each other and maintain a great relationship. I never played for Coach Stewart as a head coach. I loved the fact that Coach Rod’s in your face attitude was being embodied by guys I played with that naturally didn’t have that attitude, so in the end they were better players because of it. I mean the proof is in the pudding. Coach Rod wins games. No matter where he goes, he is going to win games. Coach Stew has been winning games as well. But, I don’t see the same attitude out on the field, offensively, as when Rich was in charge. You can teach technique until your blue in the face but if you don’t have that killer inside come out when you play, you won’t stand a chance. I was also fortunate to be recruited and play for a Hall of Fame coach in Don Nehlen who I consider to this day to be one of the greatest human beings I have ever been blessed to know. 

CFS: Worst injury you played with? How many concussions?
GW: I played with a torn hammy my sophomore year. That sucked a big one. I wanted to pull a Mike Vick and leave after my sophomore year and my hamstring snapped in half against B.C. The only thing that could heal the injury was rest. Nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged. There is no worst feeling than being able to play  but not at 100%. I was fine with a broken leg, torn-up shoulders. It was the hammy damnit!  My concussion rate is higher than it states in my official WVU file. The WVU training staff was great, I just didn’t report them. I remember being blacked out and telling Lehnortt to call the play. Lining up and getting my sight back at the snap, then I made the tackle. Against Central Florida. Many very mild concussions. We hit with our heads, it happens.

CFS: Opposing player you hated the most?
GW: I never hated any one player. Maybe fans. I hated going to Boston College to a big crowd that makes no noise. If you’re gonna be in the stands at least make some fuckin noise. The fun is going to crazy environments and shutting them up with plays. We had nothing to shut up. They made the atmosphere boring. Even playing Temple my Freshman year at Franklin Field was more exciting. Better yet, as torcherous as playing at Rutgers always was, it was still louder. So I had a disliking for B.C.’s wine and cheese  quiet fans. Hopefully they’ve changed.

CFS: Teammate you hated the most?
GW: I didn’t hate any teammates. That kind of defeats the purpose. Any fights I got into at practice were always handled and let go of on the field. Nothing ever transpired beyond practice with me. Plus I threw cool parties so I didn’t want to eliminate any potential new friends(girls) of  my teammates from missing the fun. My parties were always about bonding.

CFS: Craziest MFer you ever played beside?
GW: Ben Collins. A. He weighed 195 pounds soaking wet playing middle linebacker in the original Big East which was no patty cakin. 2. From the time he has met you he had envisioned you as a deer and him chasing after you with a shotgun. And D. If you said as much as “hello” to his sister the shotgun changed to a rocket launcher. Ben was on the smaller side but he wouldn’t back down from anything and he would give everything he had. That made up for his size. He also has a sick tattoo on his back of the skeleton of a deer head.

CFS: Were there any agents or agent reps around the team?
GW: Usually the agents are smart and stay away from the team but sometimes they are friends of coaches or someone involved in the program. Where there is athletes there are agents. I experienced some run-ins with agents but nothing crazy. I wasn’t really looking for anything either. I started to get phone calls my sophmore year and it is always interesting how they get your number. Nowadays you have facebook and everybody has an entourage promoting them from the time they score their first touchdown in pop warner. Which is cool but it makes everyone even more accessible. Who knows, maybe agents will spend more time on their computers sending pokes and likes to future clients. This has been going on forever. And to take the Heisman away from a guy, Reggie Bush, for following suit of all of the Heisman winners is absurd. I thought the Heisman was like the presidency in that the winner has raised the most money during his campaign. I want you took look at the Heisman winners of the past and tell me that some of them were not getting paid. I’m just saying. What does taking it away prove? Reggie Bush must have raised more money than everybody.

Check back next Thursday for the final installment of the Grant Gone Wiley interview and you know we are saving the best for last. Do you have a question for Grant, if so send it to billyhoyle@couchfiresports.com