College Washington Role American football player | Name Al Worley Positions Defensive back | |
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Honors Consensus All-American (1968) AP, UPI, AFCA, FN | ||
Education University of Washington High school Wenatchee High School | ||
Al Worley was an American football player and coach. Worley played defensive back for the University of Washington Huskies from 1966-68. Worley was named a Consensus All-American in 1968 when he set an NCAA record of 14 interceptions in a season. Worley played for one season for the Seattle Rangers of the Continental Football League.
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High school
Worley grew up in a family with ten children. He attended Wenatchee High School where he was a three-sport standout in football, basketball, and baseball, finishing as the school's fourth all-time leading scorer in basketball. Worley stated he was lightly recruited and "I was surprised that Washington even offered me a scholarship. I was not what you'd call a widely recruited athlete. I was an all-nothing in high school."
Worley was selected as the "Panther Best" award recipient his senior year and is a member of the Wenatchee High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
College career
After playing split end during his freshman year at Washington in 1964, coach Ed Peasley told head coach Jim Owens that "Al Worley will never play varsity football at the University of Washington." Dave Williams, Washington's All-America tight end and a future No. 1 NFL draft pick, disagreed, stating "That kid in the red shirt gives me more trouble than anybody else." Worley was a redshirt for the 1965 team, suffering a broken hand. Worley saw playing time in the secondary in the 1966 and 1967 seasons, progressing to a full-time starter for the 1968 season.
For the 1968 team, Worley recorded three interceptions in Washington's 21-17 victory at Wisconsin, two with Wisconsin inside of Washington's ten yardline, setting a conference single-game record. Against Idaho at Husky Stadium, Worley recorded four of Washington's school-record eight interceptions in a 37-7 victory, which re-established his conference single-game record.
Worley finished the 1968 season with a NCAA record 14 interceptions. In 2014, his record was tied by Gerod Holliman of Louisville. Worley's record season was accomplished in a 10-game season, while Holliman played in a 12-game regular season plus a bowl game and with his team facing twice as many pass attempts.
Professional career
Worley's size did not draw interest from the American Football League or Canadian Football League, so he signed with the Seattle Rangers of the Continental Football League in May 1969. Worley was a 1969 CFL Pacific Division All-Star at safety with the Seattle Rangers, which folded after the season.
Later years
Worley was a part-time Washington assistant and a substitute teacher in Seattle. Worley then became a full time coach for the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks from 1971 to 1974 under head coach Ed Peasley. He later coached the Portland State Vikings under Mouse Davis. In 1979, Worley became head coach of the Yokosuka Base Seahawks, a U.S. Navy Service team in Japan. Worley settled in Hawaii and worked as a facilities and projects manager.
In 2015 and 2016, Worley was nominated for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame.