"I left for field goals and extra points," he said. What a slacker.
These days, playing time is much more precious for the Virginia sophomore. He finds himself on the field for just a handful of plays each game - as a kick returner and as a member of the kickoff coverage team. But in that limited role, he is making a major impact for the Cavaliers (6-2, 4-1 ACC), who play at Georgia Tech (4-3, 1-3) on Saturday.
Weeks turned in one of the biggest plays of the season against North Carolina last Saturday, returning the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. That ignited UVa's comeback from a 21-0 deficit, but it wasn't his only contribution. He returned two other kickoffs for 72 yards and also made two tackles on kickoff coverage in the 37-27 victory.
"He did a marvelous job," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He had three good returns and he was a demon on coverage."
For his efforts, Weeks was named ACC specialist of the week. He also earned a game ball from Groh for the second straight week. In a 22-17 win over Clemson on Oct. 12, he had two tackles and a 28-yard return.
"You want to make big plays wherever you're put," said Weeks, whose 172 kick-return yards against the Tar Heels broke the school record. "Special teams is a great place to make big plays."
Still, it's not the role Weeks envisioned for himself coming out of Conestoga, where he rushed 808 times for 6,193 yards and 71 touchdowns in three seasons. He estimated that he touched the ball on 85-90 percent of the offensive plays. His high school coach says that is no exaggeration.
"We tried to give him the ball as often as we could," said Matt Gibson, now Conestoga's athletics director. "He's the type of back who loved getting the ball. The more, the better."
UVa quarterback Matt Schaub, who played for rival West Chester East High, said Weeks "was a great high school running back. … In my junior year, his sophomore year, he crushed us. He ran for about 250 yards. He still talks about that, but we won the game."
Weeks, rated among the nation's top 20 tailbacks by several scouting services, was recruited by Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan and North Carolina, among others. But his college destination, it turned out, was decided (at least in part) by a horse.
When Weeks came to UVa for an official visit three years ago, the Cavaliers were playing Virginia Tech. "I loved the atmosphere," he said. "I loved the stadium and I loved when the horse came out of the tunnel. I really loved that."
Weeks didn't take any other official visits. He committed to Virginia, partly on the recommendation of fellow Pennsylvania tailback Arlen Harris, who hosted him on his visit.
But for now, Weeks is having a career similar to that of Harris, another high school All-American who never secured the starting job at UVa. Harris ended up transferring to Hofstra.
Weeks carried just four times last season as a redshirt freshman. He earned raves from Groh during preseason camp this year and started the opener against Colorado State, but he carried once in that game and has slipped down the depth chart ever since. He has a grand total of nine carries for 37 yards
Weeks says he doesn't know why he isn't playing more, but he hasn't sulked.
"You can't get down. You just have to play," Weeks said. "I easily could have come out and not done anything, had my confidence destroyed. But the time will come where I get the ball at running back. Right now I'm focusing on what I can do to help this team, and that's play hard on special teams."
"It speaks to the guy's character," said senior Alex Seals, another special teams ace. "He probably wants to be playing more at running back, but he's trying to help the team however he can."
Whether Weeks gets another chance to carry the ball remains to be seen. In the third game against South Carolina, he fumbled in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers were trying to run out the clock. He hasn't taken a handoff since.
Two freshmen, Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson, and sophomore Alvin Pearman are ahead of him on the depth chart. Even backup quarterback Marques Hagans has lined up at tailback more often than Weeks, who said he still holds out hope.
"A lot of things happen during the season, especially at tailback," he said. "They take a lot of hits. At any given moment, I could be playing. I'm not saying I want anyone to get hurt. … Hopefully they'll put me in sometimes."
"He has great potential," Gibson said. "All he needs is a chance."
Might that chance come at another position? Weeks has proven to be a sure tackler on kickoff coverage. In high school, he had eight interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and five sacks. How about switching to defense?
"I hope not," he said. "I'm a running back. I don't want to play defense. [But] if they put me there, I'd have to play. I love football. … I'm a running back and I want to play running back. But I have a job to do, so I don't dwell on it."
Weeks said he has considered transferring, as Harris did. "But I love Virginia, my friends and my teammates … so I'm going to ride it out."
The past two weeks have been a nice ride for Weeks, who is averaging 40.9 yards on seven kickoff returns.
"He's got a real role. He's got an identity. He doesn't have a personal agenda," Groh said. "I'm sure he'd like to carry the ball 30 times a game. He's done an admirable job in that circumstance, but there have been a lot of kids on the team who have done the same job under similar circumstances."