Two years after graduating from Olympia, David Woodward starting to turn heads at Utah State
To fully understand Utah State linebacker David Woodward’s path to Division I football, go back to 2013.
It was an Oct. 11 game against Central Kitsap and Woodward, then a budding sophomore at Olympia High School, collided with a defender on a punt return. He heard a pop in his back.
Woodward didn’t think much of it, and labored through pain in four more games before finishing up the school year on the basketball and track and field teams. Little did he know the little pop would become a big problem.
The summer of 2014, he was selected to the highly-regarded Northwest Elite Camp for football. Woodward, while participating in a one-on-one drill, went for a tackle as his opponent made a cut move.
Another pop.
Woodward went in for a doctor’s visit, which was already scheduled due to the lingering pain. He received significant news — he had two fractured vertebrae in his back.
To avoid permanent injury, Woodward missed the entirety of his junior season, but healed enough to return for both basketball and track.
His senior year, Woodward he helped lead the Bears to a 7-3 finish and a berth in the Class 4A district playoffs. He often took snaps out of the Wildcat formation, and lined up at running back, wide receiver and safety and played on special teams as a kick returner. Overall, Woodward amassed 1,921 all-purpose yards, 15 total touchdowns, 71 tackles and four interceptions.
He was named The Olympian’s 2015 All-Area football player of the year and was a first-team all-state selection by the Associated Press.
Woodward was later dubbed The Olympian’s 2016 Male Athlete of the Year, after starting as a forward for a Bears basketball team that went 19-5, and averaged 11 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
He capped off a stellar high school career with a 4A state title in the javelin. On his last attempt, Woodward threw a personal-best of 188 feet, 1 inch. The mark is third longest in school history.
Utah State University offered him a football scholarship. Then-Olympia coach Bill Beattie offered a prediction that looks prescient.
“You haven’t seen the last of David Woodward,” Beattie told The Olympian in 2016. “He’s going to explode at the collegiate level.”
Woodward is well on the way to fulfilling his former coach’s prophecy. He seamlessly swapped from safety to linebacker for the Aggies, and has spent the past two seasons building a reputation as one of the most efficient players in Division I football.
As a redshirt sophomore this season at Utah State, Woodward led the Mountain West Conference in tackles (124), which also ranks 10th nationally. He was fifth in the conference in tackles for loss (12.5), and was named second team all-Mountain West.
Utah State (10-2) plays North Texas (9-3) at 11 a.m. Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Pro Football Focus, a analytical company that specializes in football metrics, named Woodward the Mountain West player of the year.
According to PFF, no defender with at least 80 total tackle attempts missed fewer than Woodward in 2018. The site named Woodward the country’s “surest tackler” and gave him a first-team All-American nod at linebacker.
Woodward recorded 20 tackles against Colorado State this season, which was the most tackles by an Aggies player since 2015.
“It was a snowy game, so they were running a lot,” Woodward said. “You always got a chance to get a lot of tackles in games where the team runs a lot. Our defensive line just did a good job that game taking up blocks. There was a lot of room for me to run.”
The AP also recognized Woodward this season, naming him a third team All-American.
Woodward said that it was his redshirt year that helped ease the transition from high school to college football, all while setting up a foundation that is now being used for his success.
During the redshirt year, he focused on his body and mind. Woodward has put on 30 pounds since arriving on campus, which came through an improved protein-heavy diet and plenty of hours in the weight room.
He’s also spent significant time watching film, as he tries to deepen his understanding of the game. Woodward said one of the biggest adjustments he has had to make are his defensive reads as a linebacker.
Beattie, as predicted, is not surprised to see Woodward’s ascent.
“He missed his whole junior year with an injury,” Beattie said. “From seeing him as a freshman to sophomore — then missing that year — and to see the growth that he made, you knew, I felt, that best of David was still to come.
“In my opinion, he was still kind of behind as far as a year of experience, physical development. To see him at the level that he played as a senior, and I knew that he still had come catching up to do, I felt like he was going to have a tremendous career at the next level. I wish I could of put money on it because I’d be OK.”
Beattie cited former Olympia stars Chris Juergens (UW) and Mitch Fettig (Eastern Washington) as close comparisons to Woodward in terms of football ability.
Jergens played wide receiver for the Huskies from 1998 to 2000, setting two school records as a true freshman before knee and ankle injuries ravaged the rest of his career.
Fettig, who sustained an injury in November, is a senior safety at Eastern, where he is second in school history for most tackles, and earned all-conference honors in 2016 and 2017. His season is over, however, because of injury.
Beattie felt Juergens had the chance to play at the professional level until the injuries took over. He also says Fettig has a chance to play at the next level, and shares the same feeling about Woodward.
While the accolades start to come in, Woodward remains unrelenting. Woodward said he wants to put on more weight and muscle. He knows he has to continue to improve at film study.
Because Woodward has NFL aspirations. The allure of professional football has intrigued him since he was young. For Woodward, this journey is just getting started.
Two more players from the South Sound — sophomore linebacker Maika Magalei (Lakes) and junior linebacker Mason Tobeck (Cascade Christian) also play for the Aggies. Magalei has appeared in three games, and collected five tackles, while Tobeck has appeared in one game.
GOING BOWLING
Several more players who hail from the South Sound are on rosters of Division I teams playing in bowl games during the next few weeks, and could appear in those games.
There are 14 locals listed on UW’s (10-3) roster as the program prepares to meet Ohio State (12-1) on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and many have seen playing time this season.
Senior offensive lineman Kaleb McGary (Fife) is a two-time Pac-12 first-team pick, and has started at right tackle for the Huskies every game this season. He also won the 2018 Morris Trophy, which is awarded to the top offensive lineman in the conference by opposing players.
Junior linebacker Benning Potoa’e (Lakes) has appeared in 13 games, collecting 38 tackles, including six for losses and one sack, while redshirt freshman linebacker Joe Tryon (Hazen) has recorded 17 tackles, two for losses, one sack and a pass break-up in 11 appearances. Junior defensive lineman Josiah Bronson (Kentwood, Temple) has 11 tackles and a sack in 11 appearances.
Redshirt freshman tight end Cade Otton (Tumwater) made his debut against Auburn in UW’s season-opener, and has appeared in all 13 games, hauling in 12 catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Junior tight end Jusstis Warren (Lincoln) has also played in every game, while senior tight end DeShon Williams (Tahoma, CSU-Pueblo) played against Cal.
Junior defensive lineman Jared Pulu (Federal Way) medically retired in October, but will remain on scholarship until he graduates, and did not play this season. Another former Federal Way star, junior wide receiver Chico McClatcher, hauled in nine catches for 134 yards in eight games, but left the team in October, still reeling from multiple injuries. He is expected to return at some point.
Freshman offensive lineman M.J. Ale (Fife), redshirt freshman defensive lineman Jarryn Bush (Timberline), freshman defensive lineman Josiah Nasili-Liu (Emerald Ridge), sophomore kicker Van Soderberg (Capital) and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Chase Skuza (Sumner) have not played this season.
Stanford (8-4) plays Pittsburgh (7-6) on Dec. 31 in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, with two former 4A SPSL stars on the roster. Sophomore offensive lineman Foster Sarell (Graham-Kapowsin) has appeared in three games for the Cardinal, missing a significant amount of the season with injury, but did participate against Cal earlier this month. Sophomore wide receiver Connor Wedington (Sumner) also missed time with injury, but played in four games, collecting nine catches for 65 yards, and added a pair of kick returns. He will reportedly sit out the bowl game to preserve his redshirt season.
A pair of locals could appear for TCU (6-6) when the Horned Frogs play Cal (7-5) in the Cheez-It Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix. Freshman linebacker Ben Wilson (Sumner) has appeared in 11 games, recording five tackles and a fumble recovery, while redshirt freshman offensive lineman Quazzel White (Lincoln) has appeared in five games.
Senior defensive lineman Wunmi Oyetuga (Charles Wright) and sophomore running back Donnell Diego (Curtis) have both played at Army this season. Oyetuga has appeared in 12 games, recording 22 tackles, two for losses, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal attempt, while Diego has played in three games. Army (9-2) plays Houston (8-4) in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (Bethel) was a first-team Mountain West pick this season at Boise State, appearing in all 13 games. The Broncos (10-3) play Boston College (7-5) on Dec. 26 in the First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
Junior wide receiver Devon Jackson (Lindbergh, Santa Ana College) has appeared in 10 games for Middle Tennessee State (8-5), which plays Appalachian State (10-2) on Dec. 15 in the New Orleans Bowl.
Washington State (10-2) plays Iowa State (8-4) on Dec. 28 in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Redshirt sophomore fullback Clay Markoff (Olympia) has appeared in nine games for the Cougars.
Utah (9-4) plays Northwestern (8-5) on Dec. 31 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Junior offensive lineman Paul Toala (Highline, Dixie State) has appeared in seven games for the Utes.
Junior linebacker Lakiem Williams (Spanaway Lake, Butte College) has appeared in six games for Syracuse this season, and collected three tackles. Syracuse (9-3) plays West Virginia (8-3) on Dec. 28 in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando.