Damien Woody

Summary

Damien Michael Woody (born November 3, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boston College Eagles. He was drafted as a center by the Patriots in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft with the 17th overall pick. During his pro career, he played every position on the offensive line. A Pro Bowl selection in 2002, Woody won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.

Damien Woody
refer to caption
Woody with the New York Jets in 2009
No. 65, 67
Position:Offensive guard
Personal information
Born: (1977-11-03) November 3, 1977 (age 46)
Beaverdam, Virginia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:388 lb (176 kg)
Career information
College:Boston College
NFL draft:1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:173
Games started:166
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years edit

Woody attended Patrick Henry High School in Ashland, Virginia, where he teamed with Erron Kinney and helped the Patrick Henry Patriots win the 1994 state football championship. He played college football for Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3+18 in
(1.91 m)
328 lb
(149 kg)
33 in
(0.84 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
5.15 s 1.82 s 3.04 s 4.99 s 8.21 s 28.5 in
(0.72 m)
3 ft 2 in
(0.97 m)
26 reps
All values from NFL Combine[1]

New England Patriots edit

The Patriots selected him 17th overall in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft.[2] Woody would go on to start 76 games with the Patriots, mostly at center.

Woody was known to struggle with delivering the snap in the shotgun formation. When a play was called that required a shotgun snap to the quarterback, Woody would rotate to the guard position.[3]

As the anchor of a tough and effective New England offensive line, Woody was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams, in 2001 and 2003. He did not play in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers because of a knee injury.

Detroit Lions edit

Woody signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions in March 2004 and started every game in the 2004 and 2005 seasons before missing most of 2006 on injured reserve. His play earned him a selection as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2004.

New York Jets edit

On March 2, 2008, Woody and the Jets agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract with $11 million in guaranteed money.[4]

During the Jets' post-season run during the 2010 season, Woody suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a Wild Card victory over the Indianapolis Colts on January 8, 2011.[5] Woody was subsequently placed on the injured reserve list on January 12, 2011.[5] Following the injury, Woody was released by the Jets on February 28, 2011.[6]

Woody announced his retirement on July 26, 2011.[7]

Broadcasting career edit

On August 5, 2011, Woody joined ESPN as an NFL analyst.[8] He can be seen on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Fantasy Football Now, and other shows.

Personal life edit

Woody is a Christian.[9] Woody is married to Nicole Woody.[10] They have seven children: Kamille, Jalynn, Alexandra, Domonique, Deuce, Dontrell, and Jacoby.[11][12]

Woody was a contestant on Season 16 of the reality competition The Biggest Loser, which premiered on September 11, 2014, on NBC under the name The Biggest Loser: Glory Days, appearing along with former NFL quarterback Scott Mitchell.

Woody is a fan of the NHL's New York Islanders.[13][14]

References edit

  1. ^ "Damien Woody, Combine Results, C - Boston College". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Reiss, Mike (December 12, 2007). "Hiked-up offense: Patriots thriving in shotgun formation". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  4. ^ Smith, Michael (March 3, 2008). "Woody gives Jets four former first-round draft picks on O-line". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Caldwell, Dave (January 12, 2011), "New Injury Forces Jets Into Switch at Tackle", The New York Times, archived from the original on January 13, 2011, retrieved January 12, 2011
  6. ^ Cimini, Rich (February 28, 2011). "Jets cut Damien Woody". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  7. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (July 26, 2011). "Jets tackle Damien Woody has decided to retire". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  8. ^ Vrentas, Jenny (August 5, 2011). "Damien Woody announces retirement, looks ahead to life after football". The Star-Ledger. Newark, New Jersey. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  9. ^ Romano, Jason. "SS PODCAST: Two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody discusses ESPN, faith, giving back". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Gehman, Jim. "Where Are They Now: Damien Woody". Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  11. ^ "Black Celebrity Kids, babies, and their Parents » DAMIEN WOODY AND HIS FOOTBALL TEAM 'TEAR IT UP'". Blackcelebkids.Com. November 29, 2010. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  12. ^ Hyman, Vicki (September 11, 2014). "Former Jet Damien Woody on tackling 'The Biggest Loser: Glory Days'". NJ.Com. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  13. ^ "Islanders Gain Former NFL Player Damien Woody On The Bandwagon". Eyes On Isles. November 7, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  14. ^ "Damien Woody 'All-in' at First Islanders Game". NHL.com. Retrieved May 14, 2022.

External links edit

  • Damien Woody Official website
  • Detroit Lions bio
  • New England Patriots bio
  • Pro Football Reference