PJ Virden doesn’t dream he’ll have the same kind of fancy footwork his father possessed during his glory days. But the improvement the Ozark senior lineman has made in his footwork has put him in position for increased playing time.
PJ stands for Patrick Junior. His father, Patrick Senior, was a football player himself. The elder Virden played high school at Fern Creek in Louisville, Kentucky.
“I’ve seen all the trophies at their high school from when he played. They were a talented team,” PJ said. “They’ve had players go on to the NFL and he was a great player, too. He gives me someone to look up to. I’m bigger than him. But he was better than me. He was a quick end. He always tells me God has blessed me with size.”
Virden indeed makes for a menacing sight while standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 275 pounds. His towering presence has attracted the attention of Ozark coaches since he was a freshman. But Virden wasn’t quite mobile enough to garner much playing time the past three years.
By all reports, Virden is moving much better this year. He was as improved any Tiger during Ozark’s summer camp last month and applied his share of pancakes at the Kickapoo Team Camp last week.
“It comes from all those morning weight sessions, practices and moving around with the team,” Virden said. “I feel like I’ve improved so much. It’s fulfilling.”
Virden appreciates that his coaches and teammates have seen potential in him and have tried to help him tap into it.
“They tell me if I get faster off the ball, I’ll be a beast,” he said. “They’ve been pushing me since my freshman year. I appreciate them doing that. They say they’ve seen improvement in my speed off the ball and are excited about it. I’ve seen how much it helps the team when big guys can move and get off the ball well. It helps the linebackers do their job. I’m happy to provide that to the team.”
Coach Chad Depee has also been impressed with Virden’s improved mobility.
“He’s worked on his strength, flexibility and getting off the football,” Depee said. “We expect him to be a contributor. I’m expecting him to do some things.”
Depee adds he has gained respect for Virden’s resilience to keep working, even when playing time was minimal.
“That’s a testament to his perseverance,” Depee said. “He keeps on going and every year he has made improvement.”
Virden’s work on improving his mobility hasn’t been restricted to school. At home, he has repeatedly went through footwork drills with an agility ladder and cones in his back yard.
“I used to be very tight around the hips and wasn’t able to get down in a stance well,” he said. “I knew that if I want to play with my friends for my last year of high school, I was going to have to move well.”
