Whit Weeks was a four-star recruit from Watkinsville, Georgia who grew up with a passion for football and followed in the footsteps on his brother, West Weeks, to play football at LSU.
In just a few months with the program, Weeks has already earned his freshman nickname. After arriving on campus with a buzz cut, he decided to grow his hair out, and now his teammates have given him the nickname 'sunshine.'
"Yeah, ever since I grew my hair out everybody's been calling me sunshine because I came in with a buzz cut and haven't gotten a haircut since...I've never really had long hair, so I thought I'd switch it up for once in my life. I decided to switch it up and you only live once, so why not have long hair once? But, it's coming off sooner or later, it's pretty long, it's annoying."
Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks has had a crazy couple of weeks. Coming from a small town and being a highly touted football recruit, a lot of people knew who he was, but when he arrived on campus, he didn't get nearly as much recognition. After starting for two consecutive weeks at linebacker and playing at a very high level, Whit Weeks has quickly become a household name among Tiger fans.
"I mean, it's changed a lot, because not many people knew who I was before I played against Mississippi State. It's different for sure because back home, I was from a small town, so everybody knew who I was, it was cool. Coming here, nobody knew who I was, so now people are starting to notice me."
Whit Weeks
The true freshman linebacker was thrusted into the starting lineup in just his third collegiate football game due to an injury to starting linebacker, Omar Speights. Weeks played alright in his first start. All he did was lead the team in tackles and seemed to be everywhere on the field against Mississippi State. He talked about that feeling of starting his first game on the road in the SEC and the emotions that led up to that moment.
"Throughout the week, I knew I was getting the nod because Omar [Speights] was already out and I was getting all the reps. I couldn't think about all throughout the week, because I knew if I thought about it, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Throughout the whole week, I was like 'just put it in the back of your mind and go do your job at practice' and don't even think about 'oh my gosh, you're a freshman starting the first SEC game of the year.' So, I didn't even think about it, but the morning of the game I was sitting in the hotel like holy smokes, this is real."
Whit Weeks
Almost every player, college or NFL, still gets nervous before a game. If you don't, you probably don't care as much as everyone else. For Weeks, it was not different. Getting ready to start your first game in the SEC opener has to be insanely nerve racking, and Weeks gave us some insight on how he tried to calm himself down before the game.
"I told myself I've been playing football since I was five years old. It's no different, it's just another level. My dad told me, cause when I called him and told him, he knew he could feel that I was like, 'holy smokes this is really happening,' and he said to just act like it's Warrior Stadium back home. I was like, 'Well, there's 65,000 people here, that's a little hard to do,' but I just told myself, I've been playing football for over 3/4 of my life, this is what I do."
Whit Weeks
As a true freshman, you're going to make mistakes, especially in a complex Matt House system. But, luckily for Weeks, he can make up for those mistakes with his athleticism and effort. Even when he makes a mistake, he's one of the first people to the ball on almost every play, which is why he's been able to make so many plays early in his career.
"I try to go 110% on every play, because I know, being a freshman in this system, that I'm going to mess up. There's no way I can be perfect in this system, so I know if I'm going 110% every play, I can make up for my mistakes sometimes."
Whit Weeks
Not many players are big enough to admit they need to improve their game. Some will make excuses and blame others for their mistakes, but Weeks knows he still has a lot to improve on. He told us these first two games proved to him that he belongs in the SEC, but if he wants to remain a key player for the Tigers, he has to get better every week.
"I can definitely get a lot better, but I think I learned in these two games that I belong in the SEC. I learned that I can actually play with these guys and play pretty good football. I still have a long way to go. I think I could really keep my key better. That's something I really need to work on because sometimes I get a little lost out there because my eyes aren't focused on what I need to focus on, so I think that can really improve my game."
Whit Weeks
Not a lot of people get to play football with their brother, and almost nobody gets to play SEC football with their brother. For Whit and West Weeks, this is something they don't take for granted. They weren't the best of friends up until high school, but now that they're extremely close, they cherish every moment on the field together.
"Not many people get to play college football with their brother. It's really the coolest thing we've ever done in our lives. Going from Oconee playing with each other, it was the best year we ever had. We made the State Championship and went 12-1, we lost in the State Championship, but we played some good football together, so now coming to LSU, I mean it's awesome. Like I said, he's like a Greg Penn type dude too, so if I'm out there with him, i'm like 'hey what do I got? What do I got?' and he'll let me know...He taught me how to be tough. When we were little, we used to scrap it out pretty good. Then we became best friends once we both got to high school, so back when we were real young, we hated each other, we'd fight all the time and didn't really get along. Once we got to high school, we really became best friends."
Whit Weeks
Having an older brother who's been through the process of recruiting can be very helpful. He's been able to experience everything and give you insight on how to pick where you want to spend your next four years. For Whit Weeks, it was no different. His brother was there for him every step of the way, and gave him so good and very truthful advice.
"He went through everything first like recruiting and all that stuff. He really kind of was able to guide me and tell me, 'Dude, everybody's lying to you. Just go where you want to go, none of it's true. Just wherever the first instinct you get, go there." And that's what I had at LSU, so now I'm here."
Whit Weeks
Obviously, I'm sure having his brother at LSU was a huge factor, but Weeks also said that during his visit, the staff showed him a hype video and during that he thought to himself that playing in Death Valley would be one of the coolest things ever. His gut told him to go to LSU, so he committed and is now a major player as a true freshman.
"The first visit I took here was in March of my junior year. I remember they took me into a room that was like a theatre and they were playing the hype video and it's loud and there's a super big bass. I was just like 'holy smokes, playing in Death Valley would be the coolest thing ever.' So then I was like, 'that's why I'm going. I'm going for that experience right there,' because that's the best two hours of your life. Experiencing that in Death Valley last Saturday was just mind blowing, I'm still just in shock of how awesome that was."
Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks is one of the coolest, most down-to-earth football players I've had the privilege to talk to. He knows playing football at this level is a blessing and he doesn't take a second of it for granted.
Weeks should continue to earn more and more playing time, even with the return of Omar Speights. He's been a bright spot on this Tigers defense, so expect to hear his name called on TV and the PA system a lot more during the course of his career.
