The best kept secret on defense is No. 99 Antwaun Woods. Hard to believe?
— Jayton Washington (@Jayton_WorldASA) December 18, 2019
His stat sheets are not going to show his true contribution. He has 22 tackles, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery. He had five tackles against the Rams on Sunday afternoon.
What impresses me most, though, is his ability to maintain his gap discipline. He performs well at the line of scrimmage. He knows how to use his body strength and techniques to hold his stance, yet quickly come off a block to stop anyone coming near him.
Woods has played in 27 games in his career with 25 solo tackles. The dude causes headaches for opposing defenses because of the focus on Demarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn and Michael Bennett.
His most memorable game came last year on an interception that Lawrence tipped. I saw Woods at a promotion event and asked him what he thought,
“It was fun,” Woods replied.
We need more of these @AntwaunWoods_ ! https://t.co/aSYM7KoClB
— Jayton Washington (@Jayton_WorldASA) December 18, 2019
Woods is fun to watch and makes eye catching plays at critical points during the game that rarely gets much attention. His actions and behaviors after key plays are just as enjoyable.
He made negative news lately. He was late to a meeting and the world overreacted. His previous actions before this showed no concern. However, he did get arrested a couple weeks ago while he was rehabbing an injury. The NFL has yet to punish him.
Head coach Jason Garrett and owner Jerry Jones did not make much fuss about it, so I think that shows the relationship that he has on the team is favorable.
He should and will be a priority when the season ends to sign. He is a free agent after this year. Signing a two-year contract worth $1.05 million in 2018, he is expected to have a bigger pay-day this time around.
Woods won NFL Way to Play for exemplifying the proper playing technique when he tackled Seattle Seahawk’s, Chris Carson, in the backfield on “Wild Card” weekend. He just does things right. He has been well coached and his discipline is simply remarkable.
Often overlooked and cut multiple times, Woods is finally secure in the NFL. He is not going anywhere soon. If the Cowboys make a mistake and allow him to walk, someone will pick him up in a heartbeat.
Woods played college at USC and was never selected in the draft in 2016. Scouts claimed he was too short at only six-feet tall and weighing 318 pounds.
After an All-America career in high school at Los Angeles Taft, Woods got a scholarship to hometown-dream school USC and became a four-year starter, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior.
Yet, on draft day in 2016, he was not selected.
At 6-feet, 318 pounds, he was considered too short by NFL standards. He lacked the ideal intangibles.
Woods said the draft process impacted him.
“That did something to me. To this day, that still bothers me. I keep that in the back of mind,” Woods told reporters. “I wasn’t drafted and didn’t get the chance everybody got, then being on the practice squad for two years. I feel like I shouldn’t have been. It really bothered. It had me questioning myself. Was it really for me?”
