Preston Woods: Pursuing His Dream

By Emma Widner
UNI Athletics Communications Intern

There aren't many things that can stop a college athlete from playing the sport they love. One of those few things is a serious injury. For senior Preston Woods, three herniated discs and two surgeries, only made him want to play more.

The South St. Paul, Minn., native played as a true freshman in 2014 before suffering his injury. Woods took his time in rehab and made sure he was good to go before returning to the field. He has now started 18 games in a row on the defensive line, thanks in part to an optimistic attitude.

"I had to stay positive," Woods said. "You actually see a lot of athletes try to come back early from injury. I was like no way, this was a serious injury and I wanted to make sure I was ready to go."

Woods played as a reserve on the defensive line as a freshman, but the coaching staff switched up his role in the team a few times to ensure he was ready.

"I actually got moved to offensive line at first, and it helped take some of the stress off my back," he said. "Then I got moved to fullback when I was able to come back and play, and I played that for about a game or so."

Deep down, Woods was hoping to return to the role he'd been assigned as a true freshman - defensive lineman. But he knew he had to take it slow to lower the risk of another serious injury. After playing the homecoming game in 2015, he got his wish.

"I got a text later that night that I would be moved back to defensive line starting the next week, so that was pretty cool," Woods said.

He didn't get there alone, though. Woods says his coaches and teammates were a tremendous help, and a former coach even went the extra mile.

"Coach Brandon Lynch isn't here anymore, but he treated me like family," Woods said. "He brought my mother food and made sure I was good. All of the coaches here and my teammates were really supportive and encouraging, and made sure my spirits were high."

Woods says that even though the injury was serious, his perspective on football hasn't changed much - just the steps he takes to stay healthy.

"I'm still all about it," he said. "Physical therapy and keeping myself healthy is very important, and now whenever I get beat up a little bit I make sure to take full advantage of the rehab programs here and get my body right."

Don't mistake that for weakness, though. Woods has set his goals for the upcoming season, and he won't be going down without a fight.

"I am looking forward to being able to go out there with my team and just have fun, but I want to try to win all the games, honestly," said Woods. "My goal this year and every year is to win a national championship. Just taking it one day at a time and one game at a time."

Woods is entering this season with a different mindset, but he's confident it will put him on the right track.

"I think I really appreciate the little things more after my injury," said Woods. "It woke me up a little bit because the game can be taken away from you that quick, so I don't take any moments for granted."

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