Two years ago, DeMaundray Woolridge was out of college and not playing football for the first time since he was 5.

It wasn't a fun time.

That's why when the Idaho running back takes the field Saturday for the final home game of his college career, he will be smiling and doing everything he can to help the Vandals beat Utah State and put an exclamation point on the program's best season in a decade.

"I'm finally pushing through (the adversity) and living a little dream right here," said Woolridge, who has run for 794 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.

Adversity started at a young age. Woolridge grew up in the poor Dallas neighborhood of South Oak Cliff. It was a rough area with boarded up houses and narcotics on the corner, he said.

"It's just not a good place to grow up. Me getting out of there and being able to go to college made everyone proud,'' Woolridge said.

He got a scholarship and played for two seasons at Washington State, rushing for a combined 642 yards in 2005 and 2006. The problem was Woolridge had a penchant for skipping class and not getting his academic work done. The university kicked him out of school.

"He started out an immature guy," said Idaho coach Robb Akey, who was the defensive coordinator at Washington State when Woolridge played there.

He stayed in Pullman and worked while taking classes at a junior college with the hopes of getting back on the field somewhere. He had a scholarship opportunity at NAIA Langston University in Oklahoma in 2008, but that went away when some of his credits didn't transfer.

"That was about the time I got a phone call from him and he was looking for a place to play ball," said Akey, who had taken over at Idaho. "We talked a couple of times, and the guy I was talking to was a lot different than the kid was when I first met him. I think he learned a lot and had matured."

Akey offered Woolridge a spot as a walk-on, which he accepted immediately.

"He made it very welcoming for me and told me that we'd love to have you as part of our family," Woolridge said. "I showed up and these guys accepted me right off the bat."

Idaho was coming off a 1-11 season, and Woolridge was a Pac-10 player who would have to pay his own way to school and run the scout team for a squad ranked dead last in the Football Bowl Subdivision by several publications.

"He was very humble," Idaho offensive tackle Bryce Sinclair said. "He's never complained about anything. It's just an inspiration to see him work so hard just to get back on the field."

Woolridge became eligible for the current season by passing all of his units in spring semester and taking a summer lab. Now he's on target to graduate next year.

On the field, Woolridge has been everything Akey expected. He began the year as the short-yardage back, a role that has morphed into him being the workhorse in several games.

Now Woolridge is hoping his stellar season will catch the eyes of NFL scouts. If not, the 5-foot-9, 228-pounder said he's learned valuable lessons on The Palouse.

"(Do) not take things for granted, which I did in the past when I was young and immature," he said. "I used to feel like (Washington State) was supposed to give me a scholarship and supposed to keep me with the program. But now I know you're supposed to earn it."

Because he's paying his own way for school, Akey said it shows how serious Woolridge is about college and football.

"To me it's a great success story that tells you even more about the kid and his desire," Akey said.