Josh Sills

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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. 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.

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

JOSH SILLS