 What's up everybody Matt Liner here and I have the pleasure of sitting down with former which is probably crazy to say former All-American wide receiver from West Virginia David Sills who is getting ready for the pro day and the upcoming draft. You have obviously a really remarkable story or former All American wide receiver at West Virginia but that's not where it started for you at 13 years old you're offered a scholarship by Lane Kiffin who we both know really well. Take us back to that time and kind of tell us a story of how that all came about. Yeah I mean so it really started with right when coach Kiffin got the job him and you know Steve Clarkson who you know you know really well where you know they were talking and just talking about guys in the area and somehow my highlight got brought up and it was a highlight that Steve made with like a corny you know a corny highlight yeah corny music and everything looking back on it I can't watch it without like just laughing or pausing or turning it off but yeah so I guess my highlight got brought up somehow and he's you know he said you know offer that kid today and Steve kind of said like you know he's he's only in seventh grade like I don't care you know I'll offer him and that's when it kind of you know he told me and everything and you know I grew up watching you and Reggie and you know the the best days of USC and you know so it was always it was always a school that I was like you know I want to play for USC you know going through USC prime and everything you know so when I got that offer I was like you know this is what this is my dream this is what I want to do and you know that's where I actually committed you know at 13 which was it was wild at the time there really wasn't big social media but you know now you look at it and it's almost like okay it happens you know more and more often you know camp start younger everything you know happens quicker nowadays you know so that's really how the offer kind of came about you know at 13 what was so you went from you know relatively anonymous obviously you're highly touted quarterback you're you're growing in the ranks bigger in seventh grade and you get that offer what was the biggest change in your life like because it was national news everybody picked up that story yeah I mean I think if it was really a first that happened like in now in today's generation like with the way social media like I said I mean social media wasn't as big you know now if that was a first and you know the kids got a hundred thousand followers in the next day so was it it really wasn't something that I really noticed right away you know I had to do like good morning America the next yeah but it was kind of like you know 13 you're just like whatever like you don't really like I didn't really understand much at the time and then you know I went to a small private school so not minute and football in Delaware isn't huge anyway so they don't really understand so it wasn't like it was it was like I went to a big school in Texas where everyone knew what was going on you know and my teammates and everything they were great through it all like they didn't treat me any different my coaches treated me the same now like it when I went to camps and you know went to stuff like that it was kind of like you know that's the kid you know so you kind of could feel it in that regard but you know it wasn't like it was like a huge there was a huge change you know obviously I think put a little bit of a target on my back you know but that that was pretty natural I mean that's gonna happen when you're playing another team they're say yeah I want to take that kid out you know but there really wasn't any drastic changes you know other than maybe doing a couple of the bigger interviews I was a little more attention at school yeah a little bit but you're still like most of the people didn't really understand what was going on it's it's crazy now to think about like you said if that would have happened now it's almost more normal it happens especially in basketball but yeah that happens you immediately have hundreds of thousands of followers you have Twitter you have the access to social media yeah absolutely I think back then I was just I was just on Facebook yeah that was Facebook yeah I was I mean now Facebook's kind of I still don't even have a Facebook till this day yeah so lagging in the Facebook's kind of like played out now and for all like my parents so when you are get offered at 13 by Lane Kiffin I imagine that was a big change you know for your parents and your family what was their reaction to that yeah I mean it was it was you know definitely something that I think was it was almost harder for them than it was for me you know because they were getting ripped on every blog every you know why would you put this much pressure on your kid why would you you know do this do that you know and that was one thing that they kind of had to take in and deal with and almost have tough skin about but you know really I think you know they did a great job of preparing me and raising me you know and really just teaching me to be the same no matter like I said through the highs and the lows no matter what it is you know and they were with me every step of the way you know my mom she would read the blogs and stuff like that and I'd come home and she go in my dad's office and say you know such and such said this and he was never one so to read the blogs or anything like that but you know they were getting oh yeah chewed out on on those and saying you know just random people just saying you know terrible things and why would you do this why would you do that kids never gonna amount to anything you know and then heard a lot of the you know Todd Moranovich comparisons and stuff like that so it was hard for them you know for sure but you know I think they were just you know how they were and how they raised me you know just continue to be the same person no matter what all right so let's fast forward to West Virginia okay so you commit to West Virginia as a quarterback and your freshman year they asked you to switch to play receiver what was that like so I'm I'm mid-year to West Virginia did went through all spring ball as a quarterback you know and we're getting into fall camp and the later end of fall camp we're starting to do scout team stuff right and at this point you know they I've already learned I'm gonna be red-shirted you know I'm not probably gonna see playing time and you know every freshman going in once yeah I'm gonna be the starter I'm gonna come in and all that you know so I was just doing some scout team stuff and we were playing Georgia Southern the first week and doing you know triple option they run they they throw the ball like four times a game so they're like just go back there the scout team scouting quarterback so I go back there and just do triple option stuff do that you know for two I think we prep for them for like two weeks because we had camp and so doing stuff like that just running around and the next week I guess you know they saw some athleticism or whatever and we were playing a bigger receiver I can't remember who we were playing I think it might have been like Liberty or something like that you know a smaller school and we had another walk-on quarterback who was you know more of a pocket pastor they're like you know we were short on numbers like just go out there we'll show you the card to play and just run the route card you know so I went out there I was you know like okay the the equipment manager would give you any gloves like you're a quarterback I'm not giving you any gloves so I you know go out there and you know I'm just doing that for a couple weeks just doing what I can I'm not honestly you know it's playing scout team it's like you're just and at that point you're just trying yeah I'm trying to get on the field and do with it but yeah and honestly once you once I knew I was like red-shirting I was like whatever I'm just gonna go out there playful like just have some fun like we always you know joke that scout team was like awesome cuz like no coach has said anything to you like you just go out there and do whatever so did that for like three three weeks and then it's week four and we're playing or week five and we're playing Oklahoma State and I get a text so I'm still doing scout team that whole week I get a text on that Thursday from coach Holgerson and he says do you want to play this weekend and it you know kind of came out of nowhere I didn't think that was gonna happen at all and I texted him back at this point it wasn't like you play four games and you can still read it once you play your red shirts burn yeah it's done so you know I texted him I texted him back I was like no you know I don't really want to play right you know he was cool with it and then we we lost that game and he brought me to his office that Sunday and was like you know we really need you to play I was like all right you know I'll do what I can to help the team so I'll play so got moved up to the travel squad we were playing Baylor at Baylor that next week and that's back when Baylor was yeah they were like number two in the country at the time or something so you know I got put in the game played well I think I had like three catches scored a touchdown you know and then the next game we played TCU and I was the leading receiver that game and then the week after that experienced something that I didn't really know coming from a quarterback got a real the receiver legs which my legs were shot I mean I couldn't run 10 yards you weren't in receiver shape yeah absolutely and I mean playing quarterback you really don't like when someone says their legs hurt you're kind of like yeah go out there and run like come on now like and they tell you not to throw a deep ball 50 yards downfield so definitely was not prepared for that right and that kind of hit me like a brick wall so didn't really play much after that just like I couldn't you know I thought I'm running full-speed and I'm looking at the film and it looks like I'm about to fall over with every step I take you know so kind of towards the end of the season get my legs back before the bowl game played a good bit in the bowl game only had one catch but had a catch for a touchdown and ended up being the game-winning touchdown against Arizona State and then after the season I told Coach Ogerson I said you know I want to go back to quarterback I told you when I played receiver I said I want to go back to quarterback after the season you know he was like okay go back to quarterback but really in his mind he was like now you're gonna play receiver right so that next spring ball I was doing a little bit of both you know half quarterback half receiver stuff and just not getting better at either one of me you can't do both at that level and get better and you know after spring ball I stayed there for the first summer term and then you know told Coach Ogerson I said I want I want to go to a junior college I want to play quarterback I'm not done you know and at this time they're bringing will in so I already know you know where they're where they're going with this and everything so I told him I want to go to Juco and you know he was cool that we kept a good relationship left on great terms which ended up helping me right after junior college you know so it went to junior college played started 10 games you know played played well played but figured out that the junior college recruiting is just different I mean it's it's not like high school they say you know we see talent we can develop this kid they need a guy to come in and start from you needed Steve Clarks to do another cheesy video for real and so yeah played 10 games and then really when I knew is so I worked out for for Ball State and I realized that the recruiting wasn't going to happen until you worked out as a quarterback as a quarterback okay so I realized the recruiting wasn't going to happen till after you know the season when they're doing bowl prep and stuff like that so I kind of just like didn't expect anything to happen during the season anyway so I'm really wasn't you know stressing about it at all so worked out for Ball State and I think you know okay I'm gonna throw for this guy and we get offer and just gonna kid it you know get him going and you know really a switch clicked when I threw for him through the best I probably thrown for three years and you know he said you know we just don't have a spot for you a quarterback but you can come you know walk on as an athlete you know at this point I was like okay you know this is this is God telling me that you're not gonna be a quarterback anymore you know and then you got to go play receiver if you want to you know play at a high level again so at this time you know it was kind of late in the game I think it was like three weeks before the dead period tool and I wanted to be back at a school you know in January and the dead period wouldn't have been up until after I wanted to be enrolled in school so it was getting close to that time like early early December late November and I'm like okay I'm gonna walk on somewhere I'm not gonna get any offers at receiver I don't have any film at receiver besides what I played at West Virginia I don't think anybody's gonna offer me off of you know 13 catches or whatever I had I was like okay I'm gonna walk on somewhere and you know thinking of a couple places to walk on and you know TCU or something like that like I'm gonna just gonna go grind in our spot and then coach Horvison called me three days before the dead period and said you know come back and play receiver and we still say like you know that I was as easiest recruit ever you know I said I don't need a visit just send me the papers over outside of it and come back and yeah it came back at this point you're fully committed fully commit at this point it was really like okay you know you can wake up right 10 15 years from now and say you gave it your all quarterback and it's didn't work out you know and and I think honestly going to that junior college really you know a lot of people have said to me should just stay to West Virginia you know been a receiver for yourself more year and I think I just wouldn't have been as committed you know I think I would have been kind of half in half out like saying right playing receiver but wishing I was still playing quarterback at after going to junior college I was you know completely after that season realizing it didn't work out I was able to commit a hundred percent right you know to receiver and then went back to West Virginia and you know had and balled out the last two years so touchdown machine yeah so that's a it's kind of how it went it's crazy and I always think like you know the young guys that are in your position now getting ready for the draft and whatever sport a lot of that attention starts high school college you start get recruited but for you it was it was opposite obviously we talked about as a teenager but hearing you know that from where you were then to going to West Virginia to go into Juco to kind of have an epiphany and just say you know what my path is taking me somewhere else what is what is like the biggest thing you've taken away from your journey to this point yeah I mean I think you know there's there's a lot of highs and a lot of lows you know they come with the game and I think it you know teaches you how to deal with life and how to deal with different adversity you know but just being persistent and being determined you know obviously had to be persistent in other ways like not being persistent to where okay I'm not giving quarterback up but knowing you know when to to really give something up and but being persistent to say okay you know I'm coming in as a junior to play receiver and I want to play on Sundays like that's the ultimate goal you know I've got two years to kind of make my mark you know and just be persistent and determined to kind of think like okay these guys have been playing this position their whole life I've been playing it for you know this is really my first offseason my going into my junior year of preparing to play receiver so I kind of you know woke up every day like okay you got to catch these guys you know these guys have a you know they're up here and you're you know down here right you got to close the gap and that's you know kind of how I've tried to you know really have like a chip on my shoulder and an edge and and really how I prepared you know but I think also being able to play quarterback and and not only just play quarterback because you're you know the like a lot of guys play quarterback in high school because they're the best athlete or you know whatever it may be but you know actually studying the position and and knowing you know defenses and stuff like that and then playing receiver but really preparing and you know attacking the receiver position like I'm playing quarterback what was what was the so you mentioned I know the legs right you didn't have receiver legs early on and then obviously just the lack of experience playing that position what besides those things what was and maybe it still is obviously you're still working I mean you have that great mentality where you always have to just keep getting better and better what has been the biggest challenge for you or what was the biggest challenge for you in the transition you know besides just having to catch those guys experience wise yeah I mean I think one of the hardest things was making that transition you know physically you know because it's at the end of the day it's football like you're playing a different position but it's still football you know so learning the technique was you know something that I don't think was very challenging because I feel like I was able to pick up on it pretty good but you know it's something that took a lot of effort like you know I have no idea how to get off a jam coming into my junior year of college where I want to play on Sunday someday and you're you know these guys are like sometimes some guys are coming out early and everything and then like their pros you know they're pros at it so you know definitely having to learn that in such a short amount of time you know was it challenged and then you know just changing body composition and everything like that I mean playing quarterback you want to you know be a little bit more weight did you lose um you know I was always a skinnier kid so I was always kind of putting on weight yeah you know just skinny white kid who's that twig out there with the jersey on so I was always a kid that you know was kind of skinny so I was always really gaining weight you know but just eating better and you know doing things like that running longer running more you know changing the being able to have more leg stamina and you know so things like that but so when we're doing more conditioning like when I was a quarterback at West Virginia it was like okay I'm competing with the quarterbacks now your receiver you're trying to beat everybody because the guys that it doesn't matter if they're receivers or DB's you're gonna have to go against them so you know just those were probably two of the things that were the most challenging you know but it was I think it was a good transition in in this process now because you have a pro day coming up the draft obviously and and I know at the combine you get asked so many different questions and I always like this when they ask the quarterbacks but asking you you're you're gonna be wherever you go you're gonna be a great player and that team is gonna be happy but what type of player and you can tell everybody what type of player they're getting and what will you bring to a football team well I mean I think that one of the biggest things that you know they're gonna be getting is a leader you know that's kind of just the way that I grew up I always was you know the leader and tried to really in the early part of my career I was more of a lead by example kind of guy you know no one was gonna outwork me stuff like that but over the last two years you know really tried to get better at being a vocal leader and not like the guy that's in the middle of the circle like you don't want to try too hard yeah like the raw raw guy and stuff like that but saying like just getting in them you know in the huddle and saying like let's go guys like yeah and and we're in camp and things are hard like let's take it play by play we're doing tempo period and stuff like that that nobody wants to do just being able to you know talk to the guys and look the guys in the eyes you know that's that's what you know first and probably would like to say that a team is gonna get which I think is a little bit different than a lot of you know other receivers because a lot of other receivers are you know very physically gifted and they're gonna just get a playmaker and you know stuff like that which I'm not saying that that's not me but I wouldn't say that's my first but you also but you're but you're you're our quarterback at heart yeah you have that natural leader yeah yeah and then we'll translate so well at the next yeah and now kind of at the at the combine and stuff when I was you know Tory Halt was down there talking to him so I'm kind of picking his brain and everything like what what kept you in the league so long and what you know what are all the things that you think makes successful NFL careers because you see all these receivers that are different shapes sizes speeds all that but that some different guys figure out how to have success so I'm trying to figure out what that formula is there is there a current or even past receiver that you know you look up to now or you model you try to model I mean one guy that I study a lot of is probably Michael Thomas yeah you know I know a lot of people probably were expecting like a white receiver no I hear Eric I hear Eric Decker and you know I hear Jordy Nelson Adam do what I hear that all the time so you know I think Michael Thomas were pretty similar in the way that we're you know Bill had the same range you know similar speed so I you know I try to just watch this film and see you know the different ways that he's gonna create separation because there's so many different ways to create separation whether it's your stick or using hands or whatever it may be you know so just really studying his game to see what he does because he's obviously had you know a very successful career and just you know the short amount of time he's been there there's a handful of guys that have kind of done what you don't need a former quarterback you look at Julian Edelman who's a quarterback at Kent State and he just won the Super Bowl MVP and in my opinion one of the best receivers and I felt what he does he's phenomenal Heinz Ward was a high school quarterback and won an MVP a Super Bowl MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers a great receiver when you see stories like that I mean does that inspire you I know you look up to Michael Thomas but when you know it's been done before what you're doing yeah I mean I think it really does but you know I think that quarterbacks make you know I think they would make great receivers now we have the best hands on the team I always say that everyone always says that because they're constantly got the ball you know but I've always thought that quarterbacks would you know be great wide receivers because you know and just watching those guys when I was at quarterback you know and throwing a ball like I always knew what I wanted the receiver to do right but you know it was sometimes hard to get that connection you know kind of across and and make him understand you know what I want like okay give me a little bit more space on that go ball so I you know so I feel like you know when the balls in the air just knowing what the you know quarterback is it wants and you know I think those guys did a great very job and they both obviously you know Heinz Ward had a very successful player and Julian Edelman still you know is having an awesome career and you know had a great Super Bowl and everything but um you know I just think like really with with you know having friendly angles and stuff that are quarterback friendly you know just always you know and understand and how crucial an interception is like when that if I know that ball is like not to me I'm tackling you have an advantage man you already know I think it really just puts the receiver and the quarterback on the same page like you know one thing for me when I was when I would come off the field I was going straight to the quarterback tent and talking to Will and Spath who was my offensive coordinator and we would always have conversations because Will's got a million things I mean you know you got you got to worry about protection you got to worry about all that I can sit out there you know my stance and if it's a run play I can just look at what the safeties are doing you know see different coverage and say this is this is how they're playing it they're playing inside outside leverage we have this we have that third down you know this is what they're doing and everything you know so I think it just gives you another you know vantage point of what they're doing on on defense you know I think that contributed to a lot of our success at West Virginia too. Getting a chance to cover you in West Virginia the last couple years has been awesome to watch and just your story and really just the drive and the commitment that you've had and obviously your path took you in a lot of different directions but for you to just just kind of keep staying the course and not giving up on your dream maybe it was quarterback at some point but now you're gonna be a bad NFL receiver I really believe that you're gonna be successful and for me personally I just want to wish you the best of luck because I know whatever team gets you is gonna get a great player and a great kid and your parents if they watch this they should be proud obviously of how they handled that and proud of you know just talking to you today proud of the young man that you are man so I'm looking forward to watching you ball on Sunday thank you awesome enjoy enjoy it soak up every minute of it yeah it does go by this so this is kind of been the old like the the time where I reflected on the last you know a couple years at college and actually you know Jordan Palmer made a statement when he said you know this is really the only three months for a while that you don't have to worry about anybody else but yourself you worry about you know you and in April you're gonna be drafted to a team you have to worry about your team all that college you had to worry about your team school high school same thing so this is like really the last three months that you can really just focus on yourself you know and then being able to reflect on what happened yeah I think the biggest thing for me when I was going through this process and I was you know gonna be at one of the top quarterbacks and just the scrutiny and all that kind of stuff and Steve Carson definitely definitely a lot tougher for you what I was gonna say if I could go back and I would do what you said I would I would really try and enjoy the moment and enjoy the process because it does like once you get in the league it is a business and it's football and it's fun and you'll have a blast but it's different you know you're you're making a lot of money you have a lot more responsibility on your plate as well as playing football so so Jordan was right and I'm sure you're getting great advice obviously but just really just enjoy the moments enjoy your pro day with your your teammates you know because you'll be gone you'll have new teammates next year and enjoy the process and and you'll be you'll be fine