Wilson a starter his final season after being told to hang in there by God, Chavis

For Ellix Wilson, four years can fit into the span of a single sigh.

Reflecting on four seasons as a reserve during UT's media day Tuesday in Neyland Stadium, Tennessee's middle linebacker didn't have any trouble recounting those four years spent waiting for the opportunity he has.

Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 225-pound Memphis native and younger brother of former UT and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, is finally starting in his final season with the Vols.

"It's been long, that's all I can say. Five whole years," said Wilson, a fifth-year senior who started his second career game last week at UCLA. He will get another start Saturday against UAB (TV: WVLT, 12:30 p.m.). "God has just blessed me and just told me to hang in there. He (defensive coordinator John Chavis) told me to hang in there. I never had a problem with the backup roles, playing behind a great, Jerod Mayo. I just took advantage of all the plays when I got out there."

Making plays has never been as tough as finding his way to the top of the depth chart.

As a freshman in 2004, he had seven tackles and made his presence felt on special teams. In 2005, he redshirted because he was slow to heal from offseason knee surgery. In 2006, Wilson played in every game, including a then career-high five tackles against LSU. Last year, he again played every game. An academic suspension of starter Rico McCoy earned Wilson his first start, and he posted six tackles against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.

For the last two seasons, Wilson was Tennessee's fourth linebacker in a three-linebacker scheme. And the waiting didn't exactly get easier.

"It was long. It was tough, you know," Wilson said. "Sometimes I felt like I wanted to quit, just do this, do that. I just had to hang in there."

Fellow linebacker Adam Myers-White, a senior who started his first career game against UCLA, knows how tough the waiting can be.

"It's human nature to get frustrated when you want to be out there," Myers-White said. "It's the game you love. You do this basically for a living, almost, other than going to school. Sometimes it's frustrating, but then again you have to ask yourself why you're really not out there. It's not a very easy thing to do, but if you go about it with the right mindset optimistically, the opportunity will arise."

That was the advice Cedrick Wilson had for his little brother, too.

"He told me the same thing," Ellix Wilson said. "Never look back. You keep hearing the same thing. Right now in my life, I have to just take full advantage of the opportunities. He (Cedrick) came in playing. It's not meant for everybody. Sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes you have to just wait your turn."

For Tennessee, it's been worth the wait.

Against UCLA, Wilson was seemingly everywhere, doubling his career-high with 12 tackles against the Bruins. He picked up his fourth career sack, finishing as one of the few bright spots in what turned out to be a dud of an opener for the Vols.

"Ellix Wilson played one of the best football games a linebacker has played here in a long time," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "That's real impressive, when you're trying to replace a guy like Jerod Mayo."

Chavis also praised his starting middle linebacker's effort against UCLA.

"There were some questions about their size and things of that nature, but they were very, very physical," Chavis said. "And Ellix was very, very productive."

Mayo, the 10th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, is certainly tough to replace. And while Wilson hasn't caught scouts' eyes the way Mayo did, his teammates have noticed his production and the way he works.

"Ellix has a great work ethic and he understands the game," Myers-White said. "He's very aggressive. He goes at it with heart and determination. He's just a great football player."

Wilson's not looking back, either. Now that his time as a starter has come, he is busy trying to get the most out of it.

"I've always been patient," he said. "They always say you're only one play away. So you practice hard and when you step in to the role, you just take fullest advantage of it and make sure you never look back."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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