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He’s been to South Florida twice to play in two Orange Bowls, and now he’s heading to Arlington, Texas, for the Super Bowl.

Worilds, a former Tech defensive end in his rookie season with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, got that honor when the Steelers knocked off the New York Jets in the AFC title game this past Sunday.

“It doesn’t even seem real,” Worilds said in a phone conversation Tuesday night. “I thought I was just lucky to get drafted and lucky to be in the NFL. But I’ve been blessed. This is like a dream come true.”

The Steelers selected Worilds, who gave up his final year of college eligibility to enter last year’s NFL Draft, in the second round, and the coaches there made him into an outside linebacker. He spent most of the season adjusting to that role while playing behind two Pro Bowlers in James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.

He has played in 14 games and recorded 17 tackles and two sacks. He saw extensive action on special teams, playing on Pittsburgh’s kickoff, punt, punt return and defensive field goal block teams.

“Everyone wants to play more,” he said. “But I didn’t have any expectations coming in. I’m behind two Pro Bowlers. My expectation was to come in and learn, and that’s what I’ve been doing.

“Athletically, it hasn’t been a bad transition. Coach [Dick] LeBeau [Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator] has a great system, and they’ve got me standing up and using my athletic abilities. The hardest part is the playbook. That’s been my biggest hurdle, just learning everything.”

Worilds doesn’t regret his decision to leave Tech early, though he admitted he wanted to get out there and play when he was on the sidelines for Tech’s game against Boise State to open the season. He loves Pittsburgh – both the organization and the city.

“The fans here remind me of Hokie fans,” Worilds said. “They’re zealous about the Steelers. We [the players] get mail from throughout the world. I got a letter from someone in Japan, and that’s when I knew how big this was. I really do enjoy it here.”

The Steelers will take on the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6. Worilds spent the first couple of days of this week handling ticket requests – “They’re coming from everywhere,” he said. – and then it’s on to preparing for the Packers.

“We’ve just got to be consistent and do what we’ve been doing,” he said. “We need to get ready and go win a Super Bowl.”

For updates on Virginia Tech football, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Football).