When Ernest Wilford started working as a full-time officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about a year ago, he did it because he wanted to serve the people in the community who cheered him on in his previous profession as a Jaguars football player.

Several citizens stepped forward throughout the year to praise him for going above and beyond that call of duty, and Thursday he was recognized by his peers at a monthly awards ceremony for the things he did.

The Sheriff’s Office said in one situation last fall Wilford responded to a home after a woman called to complain about her unruly son. Wilford spoke to the family to learn about the trouble and found out the son was acting out because he didn’t have any money and needed a job.

Wilford said Thursday that he asked the teen if a job was really something he wanted and if his behavior would improve if he helped him get one.

"Long story short, I was able to talk to one of the employees at a nearby local restaurant," Wilford said. "They interviewed the young man and were able to assist him in finding employment."

He said he still remembers the teen’s name and at last check he was happily working at the restaurant.

Later the family contacted Wilford’s supervisor to express gratitude for what he did after the son was hired for the job.

Read more about Earnest Wilford

Q&A with Ernest Wilford: Reborn as tight end (11/25/09)

Jaguars bringing back TE Ernest Wilford (2/22/10)

Ernest goes to camp — and works (8/4/06)

In another instance last summer he responded to a call of someone threatening to kill herself. The woman told him she was on the phone with her insurance company when she said she would "jump off a bridge" because of the pain in her mouth. She told him she couldn’t afford the necessary dental work. Wilford said he got in touch with a dentist who goes to his church to see if anything could be done, and the dentist was able to set up an appointment the next day.

Wilford checked with the dentist office the day of the procedure to make sure everything went OK and later followed up with the woman to find out if she was recovering well. The woman called the Sheriff’s Office to express her appreciation for what Wilford did for her.

"We’re still staying in communication, and her pain has gotten significantly better," Wilford said. "I’m just grateful I could offer my assistance."

In another example in April, the Sheriff’s Office said Wilford’s neighbor informed him that her grandson was suffering from a medical issue and he jumped to action. He provided assistance to the child until rescue personnel arrived, and the grandmother later called him the family’s "hero" because of his quick actions.

"I would hope someone would do the same thing for me," he said Thursday.

Several other Sheriff’s Office employees were honored at the March Meritorious Awards for similar examples of going out of their way for people in the community, and three men from the corrections department were awarded the Lifesaving Medal Recognition.

Wilford was drafted by the Jaguars as a wide receiver in the fourth round in 2004 after playing at Virginia Tech. He played for the Jaguars — mostly as a starter — until he was signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2008. He rejoined the Jaguars in 2009 as a converted tight end and was released in September 2010.

He first caught the bug for police work when he got the opportunity to participate in the ride-along program during his playing days. After his football career, he tested the waters as a mortgage company processor and then as a sales specialist at a car dealership before he was hired by the Sheriff’s Office in March 2015.

After attending the training academy, he completed the training process and hit the streets as an officer early last spring. The Times-Union was the first to write about his new career. For the story go to http://bit.ly/2nBx9VQ.

Wilford said the applause he received from the packed room Thursday when he accepted the award helped validate that he’s now a member of the law enforcement community he’s been longing to join for years.

Now that he knows he belongs, he said he can’t wait to figure out his niche within the Sheriff’s Office.

"This agency is so large that I’m able to experience different things," Wilford said. "What kind of experiences do I want in the future? I don’t know at the moment."

He said he hopes to one day try out for the SWAT or K-9 units, but until then he plans to keep learning new things every time he puts on the uniform.

Joe Daraskevich: (904) 359-4308