Claude E. Woodruff (died June 15, 2009) was a U.S. marine, college football player and head coach, as well as an assistant football and assistant track coach at various high schools in Central Florida including Union Academy in Bartow, Florida. Programs he coached in produced many players who went on to college football stardom, often at

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the Un ...

(FAMU). Several became NFL players. As a player, he was on the 1950 FAMU team that won the Black College National Title. As a coach his teams won five track and field state titles. He is a member of the FAMU and Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Woodruff dropped out of school and served as a United States Marine in Japan. He returned to Union Academy a war hero and became a star athlete who was recruited by the coaches at Florida A&M University. As a 175-pound lineman he helped the Rattlers win the Black College National Title in 1950 playing for Alonzo “Jake” Gaither. He planned to enlist in the Army after graduation, but FAMU coach Gaither and Union Academy principal James E. Stephens encouraged him to become a teacher and coach.

Career in education and coaching

He taught science and physical education at several high schools in the Central Florida from 1952 until 1986, including at Union Academy where teams he worked with won five state championships in track and field. Players he worked with included Cincinnati Bengal and FAMU head football coach

Ken Riley Kenneth Jerome Riley (August 6, 1947 – June 7, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback. He spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the ...

. His coaching stints also included time as Osceola High School's head coach He also worked on a ranch and opened Osceola Q in

Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

. He had his recipes published in ''Great Black-American Cooking''. Marion County rancher Tom Silas was his uncle. On February 25, 2002, he was interviewed about his experiences and career.

Players he coached

, cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals *

Nate James Nathaniel James Speas, known as Nate James, (born 15 September 1979 in Lakenheath, Suffolk, England) is an English singer-songwriter. James released his debut soul album '' Set the Tone'' in 2005 which won him two MOBO Nominations for Best Newc ...

Major Hazelton Major Hazelton (born September 19, 1943) is a former professional football player. He played for the Chicago Bears after being drafted from FAMU where he was a football and track star. He went to Union Academy, a high school for African Americans ...

, Chicago Bear after leaving FAMU *

Sam Silas Samuel Louis Silas (born September 25, 1940 in Homeland, Florida) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. Drafted by the Boston Patriots in the sixth round (46th overall) of the 1963 AFL Draft. He went to ...

, Boston Patriots player

References

Year of birth missing 2009 deaths {{Improve categories, date=June 2020