By Matt Florjancic
MaxPreps.com
He was at the top of his game on the field. Wearing a green varsity jersey with defenders only seeing the white No. 2 that adorned his back, wide receiver D.J. Woods led the Strongsville Mustangs to a 6-4 record against a challenging 2006 schedule.
Woods started the 2007 season where he left off as a junior. In the opening game of the year, Woods and the Mustangs defeated perennial contender St. Edward 39-0.
Individually, Woods was on his way to consecutive 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons. He had over 900 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past year-and-a-half, but he was all of the sudden taken out of action.
Woods was sidelined with a serious back injury.
“I had a blood clot in my spine that was pushing against my nerve in my left leg,” Woods said. “It started hurting before the season, but I just didn’t think anything of it. I just blew it off. After the fifth week’s game, it happened during practice. I couldn’t walk. I was on the ground moving side to side. I had surgery to get [the clot] out.”
The physical setback forced him to watch as his teammates and friends complete another 6-4 season. The team finished two spots out of the playoffs, trailing the No. 8 seed, Painesville Riverside, by 1.439 points.
“I can’t stand being on the side,” said Woods. “I don’t care if coach takes me out for a play. I felt maybe something I do could make a difference for the team. Being on the sideline knowing that I can’t do [anything] to help the team is probably the worst feeling that I could ever get.”
“It was an enormous blow, not only to our offense, but to our whole team because of what he brought not only in practice, but on Friday nights also,” said 15-year Strongsville coach Russ Jacques. “He was an enormous part of our senior class as a leader and a guy that the young guys looked up to.”
When the Mustangs finished the season with a 24-14 road loss to the Solon Comets, Strongsville was out of the playoff picture and all of the seniors’ high school careers were over. All except for Woods.
Though Woods only played in five games as a senior, three of which were Strongsville victories, the three-year varsity player earned a spot on the Team Ohio roster for the Big 33 Football Classic.
In its 51st year, the Big 33 game annually showcases the top 33 prospects from Ohio against Pennsylvania’s best 33 high school football players. Each of the 42 Super Bowls has featured at least one Big 33 alumnus.
“I’m very honored just that someone would think about me,” Woods said of the selection. “There are some great athletes in the top 33 on the offensive end. It’s definitely an honor to be chosen and I don’t want to let [anyone] done. Then, [I want] to bring the trophy back home to Ohio.
“[I want] to be a difference maker out on the field,” added Woods. “This is a big game and I want to show up in big games. I don’t just want to be the best in little games. I want to be on a big level and show out. I’m hoping to score a couple touchdowns here and there.”
Woods will be the second player in Strongsville history to participate in the Big 33 Classic. Ohio State sophomore offensive lineman Josh Kerr appeared in the 2004 contest.
“It’s going to feel great just to put a helmet on, to put shoulder pads and the pants on,” Woods said. “I’ve had a couple months just to recover. I’m itching to get back. I want to be on the field. I hope they’re ready because I’m going to bring everything I can.”
“It’s a great honor and it shows the respect that he gained just by playing in five football games for us and from a year ago as a junior,” Jacques echoed. “It’s very important that he gets back on the field. From the injuries [and] everything that he’s gone through and how hard he’s worked to get back to this point, I think it’s a great boost and it’ll be a great start to the rest of his career.”
Woods is one of seven receivers on the Ohio roster. He is among a handful of recruits heading to the University of Cincinnati in the fall.
“He’s the best wide receiver that I’ve ever coached,” Jacques said. “I coached in college and in high school. He’s not afraid to work hard to get to those places and to reach the goals that he set for himself.
“He’s got great speed, quickness [and] hands,” continued Jacques. “He’s catches everything. He has great confidence in his ability any time he walks on the field, whether it’s Tuesday afternoon or Friday night. He has a personality that’s contagious with the other players. He’s the type of guy that makes the players around him better.”
While he settled on Cincinnati, Woods started with Nebraska. When the Huskers parted ways with head coach Bill Callahan, they lost Woods. He looked into West Virginia, but when Rich Rodriguez went to the University of Michigan, Woods decided Cincinnati would be the best fit for him.
“Coach Rodriguez left and he wanted me to go to Michigan with him,” Woods said. “I went to Michigan for an official visit. I’m not afraid to compete with the best. That’s what I want most of all. I got a different feeling about everything [at Michigan].
“I didn’t want to go that route,” he added. “I went to Cincinnati and their setup is so much different than anybody else’s I’ve seen. I don’t need a huge stadium. I don’t need billions and billions of fans watching me. All I need is a football in my hands and a touchdown to run to and I found that spot at Cincinnati.”
Matt Florjancic, a freelance reporter and a sports show host for WOBL and WDLW, covers Northern Ohio for MaxPreps.com
