Football Senior Salute: Dustin Woodard
6/3/2020
Dustin Woodard's Memphis career falls nothing short of spectacular, as he not only blocked for four of the top five offenses in program history, but did so playing at three different positions on the offensive line. Woodard started his career primarily at left guard before moving to the right side as a junior and the team's center during his 2019 senior campaign.
He was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection with a first team pick in 2018 at right guard and a 2019 second team selection at center. As a freshman in 2016, Woodard was named to the 247Sports.com True Freshman All-America Team.
In addition to the success on the field, Woodard earned multiple accolades for his academic triumphs. Earlier this spring, Woodard was one of three Tigers to be named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation. The NFF is an honor society made up of football players from all divisions who maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better throughout their college careers. Woodard was also a 2019 Senior CLASS Award finalist and a 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist. He has also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and is a two-time AAC All-Academic Team member. Woodard graduated in December of 2019 with a degree in management.
Career Highlights
- Holds the school record for most games played by an offensive lineman (54)
- Blocked for four of the top five offenses in program history (2018: 1st; 2017: 2nd; 2019: 3rd; 2016: 5th)
- Those offenses piled up more than 27,000 yards at over 500 per game
- Blocked for a unanimous All-American in Darrell Henderson, a consensus All-American in Anthony Miller and the FWAA Freshman of the Year Kenneth Gainwell
Honors
- 2020 NFF Hampshire Honor Society
- 2019 Second Team All-AAC (center)
- 2018 First Team All-AAC (right guard)
- 2019 Senior CLASS Award finalist
- 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District
- 2019 Outland Trophy watch list
- 2019 Rimington Trophy watch list
- 2016-17 and 2017-18 AAC All-Academic Team
- 2016 247Sports.com True Freshman All-America Team
Woodard was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He was one of three Tigers to be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and the first Memphis offensive lineman to be drafted since Wade Smith was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2003 draft.
Congrats @dustin1w! pic.twitter.com/K3ouMwjk7a
— Memphis Football (@MemphisFB) April 25, 2020
