David Woodward could be first Olympia football player drafted in nearly 3 decades
David Woodward is on the brink of realizing a dream he’s been chasing since he started his football career as a first-grader.
Woodward, who wrapped up his junior season as an imposing linebacker at Utah State in the fall, will be one of the many college football players hoping to hear his name called during the NFL draft.
If he does, he will be the first former Olympia High School football player to be drafted in nearly three decades.
“I don’t think it will set in until I hear my name called or get called by a team,” Woodward said. “I think once that happens it will finally set in, but right now I’m just kind of doing the same stuff I normally do.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
Woodward, who was The Olympian’s All-Area football player of the year in 2015, and its Male Athlete of the Year as a senior, recently made the long drive from Logan, Utah back home to Olympia.
There, he continues to prepare for the next phase of his football career with the equipment he has at home — most workout facilities remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and is getting outside and shooting hoops as he awaits the draft, which he plans to watch with family.
Though the reality of the moment — and how far he’s come since his first days of tackle football more than 15 years ago — hasn’t quite sunk in yet, Woodward is ready for the next chapter.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I’m just happy that I was able to get to this point, and I’ve had a lot of help to get here. I think just being able to thank everyone who has helped me (is important).
“It’s not just me who has made it this far, it’s everyone who has helped me throughout the way. I think it’s just cool for everyone who has helped me put in work to get me to where I am, also.”
After missing out on his junior season in high school with a back injury, Woodward had a breakout senior year, impacting every phase and leading the Bears to the district playoffs. He piled up a team-leading 71 tackles as a safety, hauled in four interceptions, and tallied 1,921 yards rushing, receiving, returning and quarterbacking Olympia’s Wildcat offense for 15 touchdowns.
He was the Class 4A Narrows League offensive player of the year, a first-team selection at defensive back and return specialist, a first-team all-state pick as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press, and certainly had NFL ambitions back then.
“Most kids who play, they always have that dream of wanting to play in the NFL,” said current Tumwater coach Bill Beattie, who was also Woodward’s high school coach at Olympia. “You have kids that come through that are talented, and yet still don’t fit the bill. The problem in the NFL, with only 1,800 NFL players in the world, is you have to not only be talented, you have to kind of fit the bill.
“The one thing I was always impressed with about David was he had the size and the speed, and the strength and the knowledge that went along with the drive to be able to accomplish something like that. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve had two or three guys in my coaching career that I believe had that type of ability, David, obviously, being one of the top ones.
“When you see someone like that coming through, you know the chances are slim, but you know if there’s a guy who might have a shot at it, it would be someone like David.”
Woodward already had advanced football instincts entering college, but his four years at Utah State — he redshirted his first season — also helped him develop more of an NFL physique. He added 40 pounds to his frame during his time with the Aggies, now at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, and the physical changes paid off.
He started 13 games his sophomore season, leading the Mountain West with 134 tackles (12 1/2 for losses, five sacks), and tallying two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups on his way to third-team AP All-American honors.
Woodward was on pace for a remarkable junior season, but a concussion cut it short just seven games in. In the shortened season, he still recorded 93 tackles (five for losses, two sacks — including one of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who is projected as the top pick in this year’s draft), four forced fumbles and two pass breakups, and was awarded first-team all-Mountain West honors.
“Just thinking about what could have happened if I’d played the whole season is kind of frustrating, but I think in the long term it will all work out,” Woodward said.
Woodward saw a specialist this winter after dealing with the concussions in college, was given exercises to try, and said he has since been doing great.
He declared for the draft in December and said the decision to declare early wasn’t injury-related. He knew early on in his junior season he was ready — especially after logging a career-high 24 tackles in the Aggies’ season-opener at Wake Forest.
“After (my sophomore) season I was thinking about it because I had a good season,” he said. “I was saying if I had another good one this year, I’d declare for the draft because I showed enough of what I could do in college. I think even though I had my season cut short, I still produced enough and showed what I could do.”
Woodward recognizes the shortened season likely impacted his draft stock some, but he’s hoping not too much. He will likely be picked later in the weekend — he’s projected anywhere from the fourth round to the seventh round by analysts — but believes he has plenty to offer any team that does select him.
“I think I’m great in pass coverage — a lot of people don’t know that I played safety in high school, so I like man coverage and playing good zone coverage,” he said. “I would say coverage is one of my best abilities.
“And also just being a secure open-field tackler. I don’t miss a lot of tackles. I’ve played football since first grade, so it’s something I’ve done my whole life.”
Woodward’s football instincts, and his ability to quickly gravitate toward the ball play after play, also work in his favor, and have since youth football.
“I think part of it comes from playing for so long, just being able to go through that many plays, and having that much memory of playing, and having that many reps I think helps a lot so I can just diagnose plays quicker,” he said.
“And also the film study helps a lot. I learned that in college — just knowing what the offense is going to do depending on their formation, or the down and distance, or knowing what the situation in the game is.”
Woodward has had pre-draft meetings with multiple teams online and believes he could fit in as either an inside or outside linebacker based on need.
“I think there’s qualities I have to help me play either one,” he said.
Should Woodward get drafted, he would be the first former Olympia High School player drafted since former UW defensive tackle John Cook in 1991. Before Cook, you have to look back to former UW linebacker Dean Halverson, who was drafted in 1968, and played for four franchises in the NFL until 1975.
Woodward would also be the first NFL draftee Beattie has coached in a high school career that’s spanned more than 30 years.
“I’m sure David would be the first one to tell you, ‘Just give me a shot, and once I get there, I’ll show you that you made the right choice,’ ” Beattie said.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
