Utah’s Eric Weddle: In Good Hands
By Bruce Woodbury
It
was 5:30 a.m. when defensive back Eric Weddle walked into the
University of Utah’s indoor athletic facility. It was his first
off-season workout following the 2003 football season and he was
tired.
“I was getting ready to go through
one of the toughest things a human being could go through,“ said
Weddle, “and I notice that my teammate Morgan Scalley was in there
jumping around, laughing and yelling like it was fun.”
Impressed by Scalley’s enthusiasm,
Weddle wondered what could make someone so excited and energetic
so early in the morning. As the two became friends, Weddle learned
that Scalley was a member of the Church. He wanted to learn more
about a religion that made people so happy.
The freshman
Weddle’s freshman season on the gridiron
was very successful. He started the final nine games of the 2003
season, compiled 60 tackles, and led the team with three interceptions.
He helped lead the Utes to a 10-2 record, a Mountain West Conference
championship, and a 17-0 win over Southern Mississippi in the
2003 Liberty Bowl. For his solid play, he was named first team
Freshman All-American.
Even with his success on the field,
something was missing in Weddle’s life. “I never really knew what
I was doing with my life,” he said. “I never knew what I was doing
here and what my purpose was.”
Scalley, and several other LDS teammates,
set Weddle up with the missionaries and supported him while he
was taking the discussions. His meeting with the elders answered
his questions and fortified his belief that the Church was something
he wanted in his life.
“When I was taking the discussions,
I never really remembered what was being taught,” Weddle recalled,
“but I remembered the feeling I felt while they were teaching
me. It was a calm, reassuring feeling that what they were saying
was the truth.
“One of things I really loved about
the Church,” said Weddle, who was baptized on June 24, 2004, “was
the fact that families can be together forever. It really hit
me that one day, when I have a family, no matter what happens,
as long as we keep our covenants and stay true to the gospel,
we can be together forever.”
His eternal family now consists of
himself and the former Chanel Blaquiere, who played soccer at
Utah State. The two married in the San Diego temple on July 22,
2005.
Dual careers
Weddle’s career in the gospel has
taken off as the Alta Loma, Calif. native spends much of his free
time speaking to LDS youth groups in the Salt Lake Valley. His
career on the football field is also in high gear.
During his sophomore season in 2004,
Weddle was instrumental in helping the Utes to a perfect 12-0
season, a top-ten ranking, and a 35-7 win over Pittsburgh in the
2005 Fiesta Bowl where he had career-high 11 tackles.
As a junior in 2005, Weddle continued
his outstanding play as he was named the MWC Defensive Player
of the Year as well as the Defensive MVP in the Utes’ 38-10 win
over Georgia Tech in the 2005 Emerald Bowl.
As a senior, and prior to the 2006
season, Weddle was a pre-season All-American selection at defensive
back but has seen time on the offensive side of the ball as well.
On Sep. 23, against San Diego State,
Weddle showed his all-around ability when he made Utah history
by scoring touchdowns on back-to-back offensive and defensive
plays.
At quarterback, he scored on a two-yard
run and then, from his cornerback spot on the very next play from
scrimmage, he intercepted and returned a pass 30 yards for another
Ute touchdown. He went on to intercept two more Aztec passes that
game, returning another for a touchdown. His performance during
that game earned him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player
of the Week award.
As a football player Weddle’s future
looks secure. With the gospel in his life, his spiritual welfare
is in good hands as well.
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