The Grind, presented by Bank of Clarendon: Crestwood's Wofford looks to lift Knights' offense in senior season

During the last two seasons, there has been one constant for the offense of the Crestwood football team: Calvin "CJ" Wofford Jr.

The senior has the size to bully defenders mixed with the speed to run away from them, and he's used both to his advantage throughout his high school career. Combining his junior year with the first four games of his senior season, CJ has surpassed 2,000 yards on the ground, providing elite production for a Crestwood program that wants to make a splash in their move back down to SCHSL 3A.

"I really just want to play football, to be honest, so that's really what motivated me," CJ said of his strong start to the season. "It really helps out, the O-line doing their job, and the receivers also blocking."

GETTING STARTED

CJ's mom, Natasha Shepherd, knew almost immediately that her son would be a football player someday. As soon as he could pick up a football, he was running around the house with it, playing with his older brother. CJ also didn't take long to show his toughness. Natasha still remembers a day on the playground when CJ was about 4 that showed her son's ability to withstand the pain running backs must endure every game.

"He was playing on the monkey bars, and he broke his arm. When he fell down, he walked over to us holding his arm, and when I looked at it, it was like bent. It was broken, but he didn't cry or anything," she recalled. "The first thing he said was, 'Am I still going to be able to play football?'"

As it turns out, he had a lot of football ahead of him.

CJ went through a traditional path through football, playing flag football at 5 years old before diving into tackle ball with the Sumter Spartans. Even at a young age, he was able to appreciate the lessons the sport imparted upon him.

"It really taught me discipline because if you don't do a certain thing, then it's not going to work out. If one person messes up, then everybody messes up," CJ said. "I just love the game, I love the physicality, I love just how it just teaches you everything."

That passion grew from watching Ohio State football with his dad, Calvin Sr., who taught him about the game as they watched. All of those Saturdays watching football gave him a dream that he now has a chance to pursue.

"He was the one that taught me about football. He was actually one of my coaches. After every game, he would tell me how I did, just being real with me. And every day that Ohio State played, we just turned on that game," CJ said. "I said, if I really put my time into it and grind, I can really get there at some point."

EARLY DAYS AT CRESTWOOD

As CJ got to high school, Crestwood head coach Roosevelt Nelson knew he had a strong athlete on his hands. With a standout senior running back, Azarian Yates, on the roster, Roosevelt tried to see if he could find other ways to use the incoming freshman, but everything always came back to CJ being in the backfield.

"We kinda tried him as an outside linebacker and as a running back. The funny thing about that is, he was a decent outside linebacker for us, but he was more physical with the ball in his hands than he was without the ball," Roosevelt said. "He was just more natural with the ball in his hands than he was to go tackle someone or going back in coverage."

CJ made the jump to varsity during one of Crestwood's best seasons in recent memory. The Knights finished the year 11-2 with a perfect 5-0

record in region play, toppling Camden on the road in the process. When the playoffs came around, he even got some playing time during a pair of blowout wins.

"They taught me the way of Crestwood. It taught me how to play. They taught me how to focus," CJ said of getting some playing time late in his freshman season. "Coming in as a freshman playing on varsity, it's kind of a little scary a little bit, but I was playing well, I got a touchdown, and after that, I was just like, 'OK, it's going.'"

Sharing a running back room with Yates, who ran for 1,365 yards and 28 touchdowns that fall, helped a young CJ learn the work ethic required to succeed at the varsity level.

"Azarian Yates was a really good running back. I learned my ways from him," CJ said. "Also, Seneca Moore played a little bit, he taught me the ropes a little bit, but mostly Azarian Yates, because I used to watch him as a freshman, just run through people, get the yards, get the dirty yards and just be physical."

On top of being surrounded by veteran leaders, CJ was able to see himself succeed on the field on Friday nights, laying the foundation for a strong career at Crestwood.

"It was mop-up duty, but it helped getting out there and getting some confidence going," Roosevelt said. "He's improved tremendously, put on some more weight, got faster. He's always been a really good student, and he's a high-character individual around school, so that's always been a good thing."

A year later, CJ got lost a bit in a crowded backfield. The team was learning how to adjust with the graduation of quarterback Javion Martin, so in order to help out a rotating group at QB, star receiver Jeremie Richardson saw extra time in the backfield. CJ was left sharing the rest of the carries with LaDamien Belton and Jayden Martin, finishing the year with 296 yards and five touchdowns on 63 carries.

"It was kind of a blessing in disguise," said Kevin Shepherd, CJ's stepfather. "It gave him a chance to really slow the game down with those guys who were ahead of him. It worked out well because once he did hit the field, he never took a step back; it was always progression game after game and year after year to where he is now."

BREAK OUT JUNIOR SEASON

Last fall, CJ was a monster in the backfield. He ran for 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns despite splitting time with freshman sensation Brayden Boults. While the younger back was receiving attention from just about every Power 5 program in the country, CJ kept his head down and did his work. He didn't see Brayden as competition for touches; the freshman just kept CJ from having to be worn down by night after night of being beaten down.

"It was pretty helpful because he also took the weight off my back a little bit," CJ said. "I really wanted to play, but also he had to take the weight off my back because I couldn't do everything by myself, so that was really helpful."

Kevin added, "He was good with that because he's a very good team player. He knew 'I have the chance to get mine, he has the chance to get his and we can help move this team forward.'"

With Brayden taking some of that pressure off his back, CJ ran for a ridiculous 8.6 yards per carry. The freshman had a strong debut as well, rushing for 743 yards and nine scores before moving down to Texas just before the start of the 2026 season. The pair were able to work together to power a superb Crestwood rushing attack that ran for 2,778 yards in total.

"I think the staff managed it pretty well," Roosevelt said. "Hindsight is always 20-20; we could've gotten him more carries, I thought, but CJ took the right approach to it. He understood that Brayden is a good player, but he knew deep down inside that he'd put his time in, he deserved it, and it showed off when he had nearly 1,400 yards rushing."

SHOWING OFF FOR COLLEGE PROGRAMS

After a season like that, college coaches tend to start calling. CJ made the rounds at various camps trying to get his name out there. Eventually, he got a call from Charlotte and quickly learned that it was the place for him.

"I went to a couple of their camps. We had a little communication, it was kind of on and off, then I went up to a game day and after that they offered me," CJ said. "I came up for the OV (official visit) and I really liked the place, the coaches really love the game of football, and I decided to go on and commit there."

The entire process was overwhelming at times for CJ and his family as they sorted through his options, but the decision to land in Charlotte felt right from the beginning.

"It can be overwhelming, like drinking through a fire hose, but you have to slow it down in your head to say what fits best for me and my future, not just right now," Kevin said. "With UNC Charlotte, it felt like home, it felt like a perfect spot for him to be in and make an immediate impact instead of going somewhere where he gets buried on the depth chart. Because nowadays with the transfer portal, colleges aren't really looking at high school players to develop moving forward, so Charlotte seems like where he can make an immediate impact."

CJ decided to commit on June 7, taking a world of weight off his shoulders. For the rest of the summer and the entire fall, he could focus on giving the Knights his best, not finding time to go to extra camps or college visits.

"It was actually helpful because I would have been going to a lot of camps, putting stress on my body and then having to come into football season right after that," CJ said. "So, it really took off a lot of weight, a lot of stress, too, because I wasn't trying to worry about what I'm gonna do."

SENIOR SEASON LOADING

CJ didn't take long to show that the 2025 season wasn't a fluke. After storms postponed the Knights' season opener at Manning, Crestwood had to play two games in the span of a week, and CJ made the most of the opportunity.

Against Manning, the senior back was a truly unstoppable force. He rushed for 289 yards and four touchdowns as he single-handedly crushed the Monarch defense on the way to a 32-27 win. Five days later, Crestwood hosted Goose Creek, and he added another 211 yards and a touchdown in a shutout 27-0 victory. That hot start, and the season as a whole, is dedicated to one special spectator watching from above.

"His grandfather passed away this year in May. That hurt him, but that was his motivation to go out and start this season off great," Natasha said. "Every time he goes out there, he's praying, and I always tell him that grandpa's watching."

That success has come on the back of a unique combination of athleticism from the senior back. CJ has blazing speed, placing sixth in the 100m dash at the SCHSL 4A state meet in the spring with a time of 11.07. His personal best is a 10.97, while he's been clocked at 4.47 in the 40-yard dash. He also has the size to bully defenders at 6 feet and 195 pounds.

"I think having the track background helps him, having that top-end speed to be able to run away from defenders. Being a bigger back, being able to run through arm tackles is definitely a good thing to have," Roosevelt said. "He has really good strength in the weight room. Having that 10.9 speed is really good."

CJ credits the Crestwood track program for helping unlock a new level of speed to use on Friday nights.

"They teach me how to run, how to breathe, how to just stay focused, the drive phase and all of that," CJ said. "It really just carried onto the football field by killing guys with my speed, and then the power just coming in."

After a dynamic start, the Knights lost their next two ballgames. They dropped a shootout with a ranked Marlboro County squad 28-21. The Knights fell behind and had to turn to the passing game, as CJ finished with just 70 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Last week against Sumter High, CJ managed just 54 yards and a score on the ground. He's learning first-hand the struggle of every opposing defensive coordinator knowing exactly who to center a game plan around.

"We've had good conversations about it," Kevin said of dealing with being the main focus of every opposing team, "and he said, 'The best thing I can do is go out and do what I can do and try to help my team be in the best position. So, CJ is taking it very humbly. He knows they're going to do it and the only thing he can do is the best that he can, which he has been because, as we all know, it's a team sport."

Roosevelt isn't surprised teams are trying to stop his star senior, but that has been the case since the first game. He said the Knights need to continue to evolve to make sure CJ is put into position to succeed.

"They've got his full attention. They're going to load the box up on us, following him around when we motion him out of the backfield, and rightfully so. They understand we're trying to get the ball to him, so they're focused on him trying to take him out of the game," Roosevelt said. "(The key is) Just being patient. He does kind of get frustrated from time to time when he has so much attention on him, but that happens to good players. We just have to make sure we continue to do a good job and make sure we scheme him up to get open."

Even with the occasional frustration, CJ's focus is on his teammates, not his own success. As a senior leader for a young offense, he is trying to rally the troops. Roosevelt has noticed the constant encouragement he tries to provide his teammates, especially the sophomore running back developing in alongside him in the backfield, Darrell "Shiloh" Epps. From the stands, his parents have been thrilled to watch CJ blossom into an important leader.

"It's exciting for me to see because CJ is a quiet, reserved guy. I guess once coach said 'You are the leader,' he's been more vocal," Kevin said. "It's like a shock. He's really talking his passion. He always showed his passion, but now he's actually talking more. Like this past game, I think it was the quarterback that was a little frustrated after a play. It was very humbling and warm for our hearts to see CJ sprint up to him, escort him off the field and help calm him down on the sidelines."

CJ and the Knights now turn their attention to region play, traveling to Aynor on Friday. He just wants to keep putting his best foot forward as he does his part for the Knights on Friday nights. He'd love to watch the individual accolades, like an opportunity to play in the North-South Game or Shrine Bowl, come, but those are just motivating factors to keep finding the best version of himself.

"The North-South Game and the Shrine Bowl (are both) one of the places I want to be. It pushes me to where I want to go, so if I know that I can make it there, then I try to achieve it," CJ said. "(I just want to) keep winning one week by another, just move our way up to the playoffs and win State."