The Big News in NFL alum Will Wolford’s household this week for a change did not focus on him.
Instead, Jude Wolford, his wife of 30 years, was sworn in January 2 as a District Court Judge in their hometown of Louisville. She immediately took on a full judicial workload the next day.
Will Wolford parlayed his Vanderbilt education and playing experience there into becoming a first-round draft choice of the Bills in 1986. He played seven years in Buffalo and then moved to the Colts in one of the most publicized signings during the early days of the free agency-salary cap era. Wolford finished his NFL career with the Steelers.
Meanwhile, Jude earned a law degree at the University of Buffalo after her Vanderbilt graduation. She served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Western New York and later as the town attorney in Lancaster, just east of Buffalo. After returning to Louisville, she most recently served seven years (2013-20) in the Jefferson County Attorney’s office.
“I was recruited by several schools as a high school senior,” Will Wolford recalls, “In the end, it came down to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The deciding factor was Jude whom I was dating in high school. We wanted to attend college together. She graduated at the top of her high school class and that pretty much decided we would go to Vandy.”
Will’s post-NFL resume includes being a radio personality, a Grade-1 winning thoroughbred horse owner, and an Arena Football League franchise owner. He currently is a Vice President and Financial Advisor at the Perrone Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley in Louisville.
Although the Wolford’s, who have three adult daughters, now live full time in Louisville, they still own Bills season tickets and usually return to Buffalo for three or four home games each season.
“I lived in Buffalo for seven seasons on a year-round basis,” says the 58-year old Will Wolford. “I have a lot of friends there and my family loved living there as well. Jude likes to go back any time of year.”
The Bills are set to host at least one home playoff game later this month. Whether the Woolford’s can attend may very well depend on Judge Jude’s workload in her new judicial position.
We at NFL Alumni congratulate the entire Wolford family for being the type of accomplished, community-minded individuals we are fortunate to have in our NFL community.
