SMALL TOWN BOY

By Lindsay Auld
Josh Sills was not exposed to a big-time football organization until he made his
way to the West Virginia football program.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman came from a small town in Ohio
named Sarahsville, population approximately 170.

The adjustment from high school to college football is something that can be
hard for anyone, probably even more so for someone from a small town.

“The transition was rough at first because I never had a true offensive line
coach or a true weight program in high school,” Sills said. “You just came in
and did whatever you wanted to do. Practice was easy. We had practice for
about an hour and half. We would run plays and that was it and then we were
done. Then I got my new high school coach. He brought in a weight program
and we had a more structured practice. It was almost identical to how it is here.
When I first got here it was pretty rough because I wasn’t used to the size and
speed, that type of thing, but once I settled in I was fine.

“Just being from a small town, the biggest guy I played against in high school
was probably 6 feet and 220 pounds,” Sills said.

The redshirt sophomore has always loved football, but in such a small town it
can be hard to make a name for yourself. This never discouraged Sills. With the
help of his parents throughout his football journey, he was able to stand out.

“One of the biggest things I remember from when I was younger was when
both of my parents told me hard work will pay off some day. I bought into that,”
Sills said. “If it wasn’t for my parents, I would not be where I am today. My dad
would drive me two hours to work out with a strength coach. I went to a couple
of camps here and there, and I started getting recognized and got some invites
to junior days.”

These camps Sills attended really helped him to create a successful football
career. They gave him the opportunity to play against all different kinds of kids.

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It was one camp in particular that really made a difference in his career.

“Everything really started towards the spring going into my senior year. I went
to one big camp in Michigan, and I got recognized by a guy named Dave Berk
and his brother Jeff. Jeff actually played here and had a lot of success. After
that, I got some spring invites, and I started getting offers,” Sills said.

While being from a small town can sometimes limit your opportunities to
be noticed by top college football programs, it was not something Josh
Sills let get in his way.

JOSH SILLS
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Lindsay Auld is a student assistant in the WVU Athletics Communications Office.