Ask Tommy Woolridge to talk about himself and he'll start listing names and explaining what each person means to him. He'll talk about his teammates, from the stars, to the role players, the underclassmen, the athletic trainer, the coaching staff, the cleaning crew, the team managers… After a while you'll start thinking that you're going to hear about everyone that he's ever met. Then he pauses and says, "I just want to name out everyone on this team because everyone has a role that matters."
 
That's where Tommy Woolridge's story begins and why he's so important to this year's Angelo State basketball team. A former junior college all-American, Woolridge is in his second season at ASU and is embracing his leadership role off the bench during his senior year by being prepared for his moments on the court and is a constant encourager for his teammates. He doesn't sulk when he's not playing and he doesn't allow his teammates to get down when times get tough. When you're talking to him he wants to begin by talking about others. We'll circumvent that by allowing others to talk about him.
 
"Tommy is a really great teammate who is also an elite shooter," ASU senior Demario Mayfield said. "He had a lot of individual accolades before he came to Angelo State and now he's a guy that plays a lot of different roles. He's the type of player that is ready for anything that is asked of him. He's capable of going for 20 points in a game but he's not going to hurt the team with a bad attitude if he doesn't get a lot of shots. That says a lot about him as a man. He puts the team first every day."
 
"Tommy is one of the best teammates I have ever coached," ASU head coach Chris Beard said. "He genuinely cares about every guy in our locker room. He deserves a lot of credit for his leadership and unselfishness on this year's team. Tommy is a talented player and an even better person. I am proud to be Tommy's coach."
 
Woolridge comes into the final week of the regular season averaging 4.8 points per game after averaging 9.1 points per game as a junior and 17 points per game in his final junior college season. He was accustomed to taking shots, to filling the stat sheets and winning awards. That has changed, but what has also changed is his mentality. He no longer needs the ball in his hands all the time and he doesn't need the credit. As a senior, as a leader, all of Woolridge's efforts go into making his team stronger through an unselfish and prepared approach to the game.
 
"My role is to come out and be an energy guy," Woolridge said. "I've matured a lot. I used to want the ball in my hands all the time and wanted to score, but I understand now that whatever I can do to help the team is all that matters. I'm a shooter, but then again I pride myself on playing defense and making hustle plays. I'm probably on other team's scouting report as just a shooter off the bench, but I try to be a lot more than that for this team. I'll go for steals and battle for rebounds, so anything this team needs is what I'm going to try to give them."
 
Woolridge arrived in San Angelo last year after playing at North Dakota State College of Science as a sophomore and from Tyler Junior College as a freshman. A Chicago native, Woolridge averaged 12 points a game at TJC before an opportunity to transfer to NDSCS came about. He transferred and starred as a sophomore, earning all-American honors to go along with being named the Region 8 Player of the Year. Look at a map and trace his journey and you'll be amazed at how far he's travelled and what his path must have been like. You'll also start to understand why the people in his life right now, the ones who have given him this opportunity for stability and those who believe in him, mean so much to him.
 
"Coming from two different junior colleges to start my career I was really looking for somewhere I could call home," Woolridge said. "I found that here. Last year was a lot of fun helping to get this program going again and then this year has been a blessing with so many dedicated guys coming in. I've learned a lot from all of them and have had a great time. It was important for me to come to place where I could have a good time playing basketball and somewhere that I could earn a degree. I couldn't have made a better choice.
 
"My journey has taken me places I never could have imagined," Woolridge added. "From Chicago to East Texas to North Dakota before I got here is something that I never saw coming. I'm lucky to have had all the experiences and can't believe how lucky I am to finish off my career here. Coach Beard and (Cinco) Boone treat me like I'm family and have always worked with me to help me with basketball and life. They show me love and make me believe in myself more than I ever have before."
 
Woolridge has played in 54 games at Angelo State with 46 of those coming as a reserve. He started eight games as a junior and led the Rams with 37 3-pointers last season. The Rams, who were 7-19 the season before Woolridge arrived, went 19-9 last season and won their first postseason game since 2002. Woolridge was a role player, but also had starring moments during his first season in San Angelo. He scored 32 points against Cameron after going 6-for-6 from beyond the arc and was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week. He also scored 19 points in a 75-70 win over UTEP after hitting five 3-pointers in another game which earned him the conference's honor for the second time.  He scored in double digits in 11 games last season, including scoring 16 points and hitting the game-winning jumper in the final seconds of a victory over Southwestern Oklahoma.  At 4.8 points per game this season some may sleep on his ability to produce, but that would be a mistake.
 
"Tommy has been very loyal to our program," Beard said. "He chose ASU and signed with us before our program was established and winning.  He believed in what we wanted to build at ASU. As a player, Tommy has the ability to score and do it quickly.  He is a very good shooter and has worked hard to develop a mid-range game.  Our team depends on Tommy a lot on both ends of the court."
 
Woolridge has recorded three double-digit scoring performances this season, including going for 14 points after hitting three 3-pointers at West Texas A&M. He also scored 11 points against South Dakota School of Mines and 10 against Eastern New Mexico. A shooting guard, Woolridge is 22-for-52 (42.3 percent) from beyond the arc this season and has also added 26 assists and 20 steals for the 23-3 Rams. Woolridge was the only returning senior this season, but was joined by four talented transfers who joined the Rams in Chris Jones, Raijon Kelly, Marsell Holden and Demario Mayfield. Like Woolridge, the four other seniors took a unique path to Angelo State, but each have come together to forge a bond and create something special this season.
 
"You never know with this team who is going to be needed," Mayfield said. "Tommy is one of those guys that all of our teammates believe in and we know that he can come through for us."
 
"He brings great energy to our team every game," Holden added. "It helped us a lot with Tommy already understanding what coach Beard expected from us before this year started. He helped us get used to the program and has always been a real positive guy for our team. He has embraced his role and has made our team a lot stronger."
 
"Hi. My name is Tommy Woolridge and I'm from Chicago, Illinois."
 
You hear that sentence from a kid at the West Texas Boys Ranch and for a moment you think that there is a very strange coincidence going on. The kid, maybe 10-years-old and a little bit nervous, is standing on the basketball court and introducing himself to the ASU basketball team which is there on an October night before the season starts. "Hi. My name is Tommy Woolridge and I'm from Chicago, Illinois" says the kid as the Rams start smiling and clapping while the real Tommy Woolridge stands up and gives the boy a hug as if they've been best friends for 10 years.
 
In reality, they met just 10 minutes before that.
 
When you see that instant connection between Woolridge and the kid you can understand why each of his teammates and coaches value him so much. You understand that Woolridge cares about people and has a big heart. You see that no matter where someone is in their life, they have a friend when Woolridge is around.
 
Woolridge has been that kind of person all of his life. His father, Tommy S. Woolridge, Sr., has been a minister at Helping Hand Missionary Baptist Church for 30 years in Chicago and he names his mother, Kawana L. Woolridge, as his best friend. The influence his parents have had on him not only kept him out of trouble, but they instilled principles that he uses as a teammate, friend and mentor. The values kept him off the streets of Chicago and gave his life purpose, and in turn, have taught him to give purpose to others.
 
Tough times pass. Tough people last.
 
"It was rough growing up in the deep west side of Chicago where gangs and drugs are everywhere," Woolridge said. "My dad tried to move us a lot times, but that's where we were supposed to be. My religious background has always kept me going. Basketball and religion were always my get-away and I don't know where I'd be without both of them. I turned to gospel music when I was afraid. I had basketball when I didn't feel like I belonged. About half of my friends growing up are in jail, on drugs and some of them have recently passed away. I had a strong family who kept me in line and I always had basketball to keep me focused."
 
Woolridge's family is deeply ingrained in the religious community of Chicago with seven pastors on his father's side of the family and multiple ministers on his mother's side. He grew up in the church, singing in choirs and helping his family make a positive influence on the community. Meeting and inspiring people, like that community service night at the West Texas Boys Ranch, has been a part of Woolridge's identity his entire life.
 
"I grew up in a family that always helped people," Woolridge said. "That's who I've always been. Even when I was younger I would try to help kids stay out of trouble. I talk to my dad and mom about everything to get their advice on how to help people. They have seen a lot through their time leading the church. I've seen them do everything they can to help our community my whole life. All I know is to put your community ahead of yourself."
 
An interesting and diverse guy, Woolridge lists out becoming a firefighter, song artist, professional basketball player and masseuse when you ask him what his future plans are after he graduates from Angelo State. He can see himself becoming a firefighter because he grew up with an aunt who was a firefighter and he saw the positive impact she had on the community. A singer is a possibility because he can use his voice and the message of gospel and R&B music to uplift people and becoming a professional basketball player because he enjoys being on a team and that has always been a dream. And a masseuse, well, because he watched a video during his freshman year in college that described the profession and saw that you can make "a decent amount of change". There's probably an element of making people feel better in there too, but who knows on that one. What you see from his list of possible professions is that each is driven through the lens of making an impact on the lives of others which makes sense to anyone who knows anything about him.
 
An unselfish and inspiring presence is what Angelo State has received from Woolridge for two years. He's a player who puts the team above himself and a person who has lasted through the tough times to be an important piece to the most successful season in program history. Woolridge may not be a starter or a double-digit scorer, but he matters. Make no mistake about that.