Posts Tagged ‘chadron state’

New York Jets’ Danny Woodhead Proves He’s Got Game

He’s small, came out of Chadron State (where?) as an undrafted rookie, and hung around on New York’s roster last year after sustaining a knee injury.

Just another tiny guy coming out of nowhere, undoubtedly destined to fade out of the league before he ever actually gets in, right?

Almost.

You’d have to agree with all of Woodhead’s doubters about a few things. He’s only 5’8 and listed as around or under 200 pounds.

He’s never faced elite competition. And while his college numbers are earth-shattering, they don’t mean quite as much a they did a few years ago, now that he’s trying to prove he belongs with the big(ger) boys.

But all of that is moot now. Especially after Thursday night’s performance.

True, it’s only pre-season, and it was mostly against the second and third team defense, but if we’re being fair, it was still impressive.

Woodhead started off the night with a rush for -5 yards, added a few carries to get back over 0 yards, and then proceeded to blow everyone away.

With a 55-yard burst around the right tackle, Woodhead ran for a touchdown and made his name known, no longer just to the Jets’ community, but possibly to the entire NFL.

But he didn’t stop there.

He added another 44-yard run that set-up another touchdown, caught a 10-yard pass, and plunged into the end-zone for a three-yard score, furthering the belief that this little guy has enough speed, agility, and versatility to be effective in this league.

Enough about his school and competition.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Bernard Scott was a D-II back last year, yet he was a 6th round draft pick, and has somehow already locked up the back-up spot behind Cedric Benson.

Enough with his size.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren Sproles, Leon Washington (a Jets player, mind you), and Jerious Norwood are all almost the exact same size and weight.

They all have the same attributes. The difference? They all have certainty as members of an NFL roster, and even more, they all have huge roles in their respective offenses.

Don’t talk about speed.

A 55-yard touchdown isn’t easy to be had in this league. Neither is another 40+ yard run in the same game.

Woodhead’s 4.3 40 time adds to his excellent speed and athleticism, eliminating the final road-block in his quest for an NFL team to take notice.

Even his teammates know how talented he is. Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, and even head coach Rex Ryan have all backed him, applauded his athleticism and work ethic, and voiced their hopes that he’d make the team.

Cotchery even went as far as to say that, while everyone else was excited to see Michael Vick play extensively, he and his teammates couldn’t wait for the “Woodhead show”.

What a show it was.

But will it be the last time we see Woodhead run rampade in a Jets uniform? Or even the NFL?

Unfortunately, that’s a very real possibility.

But Woodhead remains humble, gives all the credit to his line and the rest of his offense, and just hopes that all of his efforts gain him a shot for a season to stick around and continue to prove he’s “got it”.

But if you’ve been watching him with an un-biased approach, you already know the answer to that question.

With Thomas Jones over 30, Leon Washington having contractual issues, and Shonn Greene not yet proving himself, it wouldn’t be a poor choice to keep an electric and hard-working player at the position.

The question is, which makes more sense?

Giving a dedicated, talented player a chance, or showing him the door?

New York Jets’ Danny Woodhead: Better Than Advertised

Thomas Jones will be 31 in August, yet his spot as the New York Jets’ starting running back is finely cemented.

Rookie Shonn Greene has somehow already earned the “closer” role, while the bit-size Leon Washington continues his change-of-pace role.

Great. So, where does that leave Danny Woodhead?

Who?

This guy.

Still don’t know who he is? I’m not surprised.

Woodhead, a 5’7” running back out of D-II Chadron State, probably isn’t a household name outside of Nebraska.

Turned down by several D-I schools due to his lack of height, Woodhead decided not to attempt to be a walk-on with a big school. Rather, he felt more like being wanted by a team, instead of being just another player.

And I agree with that sentiment. Because Woodhead isn’t just another player.

He’s a physical specimen with outstanding speed and agility.

Since Woodhead wasn’t invited to the NFL scouting combine in 2008, due to his small school and lack of size, he was forced to pack in his work-outs for scouts at his “pro day.”

According to a report from NFLDraftWatch.net, Woodhead posted impressive times in almost every major category.

He displayed speed and agility, running times between 4.33 and 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, which would place second overall for all college running backs.

He also posted the best agility time (4.03 seconds), the second-best vertical jump (38.5 in), and the best 60-yard shuttle time (11.2) seconds.

Despite only being 5’7” and weighing in at 200 pounds, Woodhead had the best athletic times, overall, of all the running back prospects in the nation.

If those numbers don’t sway you, perhaps a look at his college stats will.

Woodhead, the former NCAA’s all-time leading rusher (record recently broken by Mount Union’s Nate Kmic), put up his fourth straight 1,500-yard season in 2007, as well as his fourth straight season with at least 21 touchdowns.

He’s also known for his ridiculous 2006 season, in which he compiled over 2,700 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in just 13 games.

Woodhead also displayed his receiving ability throughout his career, as he topped at least 30 receptions in his final three years, and scored eight touchdowns on receptions for his career.

Let’s be honest with ourselves.

If you put Woodhead’s numbers up to any other back in that 2008 draft, without knowing his size, name, or school, he’s your first pick, hands down.

And even if that isn’t the case, and you’d still prefer all the other bigger, more experienced backs who faced tough competition, his numbers and athleticism put him in the middle rounds at least, right?

Wrong.

Despite all the numbers, Woodhead found himself undrafted in 2008, while soon signing a free agent contract with the Jets.

But here we are, two years removed from his sensational finale at Chadron State, still hoping he gets an honest chance.

With the flush of smaller backs taking the league by storm, now is as good a time as ever for Woodhead to make his splash and earn a spot with a team.

If that happens to be New York, then so be it.

However, considering the Jets have money invested in Jones, a third-rounder invested in Shonn Greene, and already have a 5’8” running back in Washington, there may not be room for Woodhead.

But there should be.

Woodhead is just like Darren Sproles, Jerious Norwood, and Maurice Jones-Drew.

He’s an ultra-athletic back that has been doubted his entire life, told “no” by anyone he meets, and has constantly overcome the odds.

The only difference is, those running backs previously listed got their chance at a D-I school, and they didn’t have to wait for their shot in the NFL.

Not like Woodhead has.

I know this article won’t save Woodhead’s career. It won’t make him the New York Jets’ starter, and it won’t even guarantee him a spot on their roster.

But what I hope it does is make people aware of his talent and his humble personality. I hope New York fans, and NFL fans alike, can recognize his ability and cheer him on.

Because Danny Woodhead is an underdog, even though he shouldn’t be.