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| Photo Credit: Joel Coleman |
As the Liberty football season nearing its conclusion,
senior defensive lineman Juwan Wells (6-2, 260) is making the most of the
moments he has left in his college career. The
Dublin, Georgia, native
has showcased
his talent when playing on the defensive end for the Flames.
During his sophomore and junior seasons, Wells led the team
in tackles (2016: 79, 2017: 74) and was named a Big South second team
all-conference honoree in 2017.
This season, the defensive lineman is currently
in the top five on the team in three defensive categories, including tackles,
sacks and quarterback hurries.
With the second-to-last home game coming up, Wells sat down
with Flames Illustrated to look back at his time at Liberty.
1. How did you get your start in football?
I started off in rec league football around
the age of four or five, whenever you could start to sign up and play flag. I
looked up to my older brothers and also my dad and my uncle who always played
sports. Football was just a big impact in our family, so I just felt like I had
to keep playing that role.
2. What has been your favorite moment so far
about the season?
I would say facing the bigger opponents,
getting a challenge week-in and week-out trying to show that you can play on
that level along with everybody else.
3. What is your favorite part about being on
the defensive side of the ball?
My favorite part about defense is the
physicality that you have got to have to play on that side of the ball, always
making plays and trying to get the ball to the offense.
4. You’re majoring in sport management. What
do you want to do with that major after graduation?
I want to either be a sports agent or be coaching
football. I want to give back to the youth and instill in them the things that
have been given to me throughout my whole playing career.
5. Do you have any pregame traditions you like
to do by yourself or with the team?
One thing I like to do, I always get a nice
jog around the field. Sometimes I go and do the warmups that the linebackers
do. Now, recently as a whole D-line, we started coming out together and doing different
stuff that has just been getting us prepared for the game.
6. Are there any teams or players in the NFL
you model your game after and why?
In the NFL, I definitely try to be more
like Dante Fowler and Aaron Donald (both of the Los Angeles Rams).
7. If you were to play a different position,
would you rather stick with defense or switch to offense and why?
If I had to switch to offense, I would
definitely play tight end. I was recruited heavily as a tight end in high
school. I just decided to stick with the defensive side of it. But if I could
play a different position on defense, I would definitely go with linebacker because
I played Mike linebacker in high school, and it was just fun when you get to
sit in the middle of the defense and run sideline to sideline and make plays.
8. What is your favorite part about playing at
the FBS level and why?
Definitely facing opponents that you always
watched on television as you were growing up that you always dreamed of playing
for them or playing against them.
9. You are a senior and will soon be done
playing, what do you want to be remembered for as a student-athlete? How to do
you want to inspire the future generation?
Always keep your head in your books and every
day, come in willing to learn. From the football aspect, I want to be
remembered as a guy who always works hard and always gave everything he had
when he was out there.
10. Who are the players from the team that you
like to hang out with on and off the field?
On the field, definitely the D-line because
that is who I got to go to war with. I would say the defense as a whole because
that is who I have to go to war with every time we step on the field. Off the
field, I would say probably Buckshot Calvert and my roommates Dontae Duff and
Malik Matthews.
11. What was your favorite game of the season
and why?
I would say most definitely the Troy game
because Troy was my first offer coming into my junior season of high school.
They offered me as a D-end. Being able to come back and face them and get a big
win at home in front of our great fans was pretty awesome.
12. What made you decide to come to Liberty?
Coming out of high school, I didn’t really know
too much about them, so I took a visit. I came up here, and it was a
family-like atmosphere. They greeted me with open arms like I was already one
of their own. I think the biggest thing from that was Coach Singletary, the
D-line coach. As I talked to him during the recruiting process and when I came
up here, I could tell that he was the guy that was going to further my game and
get everything he could out of me.
