Wesley Woodyard Jr. (born July 21, 1986) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

and was signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

in 2008. Woodyard has also played for the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

High school career

Woodyard was born in LaGrange, Georgia and attended LaGrange High School. He was named the

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Class AAA Defensive Player of the Year by the ''

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' and was first-team all-state as a senior by the Georgia Sportswriters Association and the Journal-Constitution. As a four-year letterman and two-year starter at outside linebacker, the team posted a 51-3 record during his three seasons, winning a pair of state championships.

College career

As a freshman in 2004, Woodyard played in the first 10 games, and midway through the season, he switched from

strong safety Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...

inside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

. Woodyard recorded 34 tackles for the season and was selected for the Freshman All-SEC Team by SEC coaches. As a sophomore in 2005, he started all 11 games at linebacker. For the season, Woodyard recorded 100 tackles, seven for-a-loss, and four

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

recoveries. He was named second-team Sophomore

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n and All- SEC honorable mention. As a junior in 2006, Woodyard started all 13 games at linebacker, leading the team with 122 tackles and tackles-for-loss with 9.5. For the season, he earned Defensive

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

honors in the

Music City Bowl The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998. Since 2020, it has been sponsored by TransPerfect and is officially known as the ''TransPerf ...

. As a senior in 2007, Woodyard started all 13 games at

, leading the team with 139 tackles. He is a member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

fraternity.

Professional career

Denver Broncos

On April 29, 2008, the

signed Woodyard to a three-year, $1.17 million contract that included a $20,000 signing bonus after he went undrafted in the

2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

2008 season: Rookie year

Throughout training camp, Woodyard competed for a job as an outside linebacker against

Boss Bailey Rodney "Boss" Bailey (born October 14, 1979) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football ...

Nate Webster Nate or NATE may refer to: People and fictional characters *Nate (given name) *A nickname for Nathanael *A nickname for Nathaniel Organizations *National Association for the Teaching of English, the UK subject teacher association for all aspects ...

Jamie Winborn Jamie Winborn (born May 14, 1979, in Wetumpka, Alabama) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Vanderbilt. Winborn has also pl ...

, Louis Green, Jordan Beck, and

Spencer Larsen Spencer Larsen (born March 4, 1984) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona, primarily as a linebacker. Early years Larsen ear ...

. Head coach

Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led ...

named Woodyard the backup weakside linebacker behind D. J. Williams to start the regular season. Woodyard made his NFL debut in the season-opener at the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

and recorded a solo tackle during the 41–14 victory. On November 6, 2008, Woodyard earned his first NFL start in place of D. J. Williams who sustained a knee injury. He finished the 34–30 victory at the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

with a season-high ten combined tackles. On December 31, 2008, the Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan after the Broncos finished with an 8–8 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. Woodyard finished his rookie season with 55 combined tackles (47 solo) and a pass deflection in 16 games and six starts.

2009 season

The Broncos new defensive coordinator

Mike Nolan Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...

opted to convert to a base 3-4 defense, using four linebackers instead of three. Woodyard competed against Mario Haggan, Braxton Kelley, and Lee Robinson for a roster spot as a backup inside linebacker. Head coach

Josh McDaniels Joshua Thomas McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American football head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career in 2001 with the New England Patriots, where he served as the offensive coo ...

named Woodyard the backup inside linebacker behind D. J. Williams and Andra Davis to start the regular season. On September 10, Woodyard was named the special teams captain by his teammates for the 2009 season. On September 13, Woodyard recorded three combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by quarterback

Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...

as the Broncos won 12–7 at the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

. In Week 9, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 28–10 loss to the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

. Woodyard finished his second NFL season with 44 combined tackles (32 solo), two pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.

2010 season

Throughout training camp, Woodyard competed for a job as a backup inside linebacker against

Akin Ayodele Akinola James Ayodele (; born September 17, 1979) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Jacksonville J ...

, Joe Mays, and

Nick Greisen Nick A. Greisen ( ; born August 10, 1979) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin. Greisen also played for the Jacksonville ...

. Josh McDaniels named him the backup inside linebacker behind D. J. Williams and Joe Mays. Woodyard was a healthy scratch for the Broncos' Week 2 victory against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. On September 20, Woodyard was featured in a press conference held by the Broncos after their wide receiver

Kenny McKinley Kendrick L. McKinley (January 31, 1987 – September 20, 2010) was an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He playe ...

committed suicide the day prior. He was inactive for their Week 4 victory at the

after sustaining a hamstring injury. Woodyard also missed three consecutive games (Weeks 6-8) after he aggravated his hamstring injury. On November 14, 2010, Woodyard earned his first career start and recorded two solo tackles during a 49–29 win against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

. On December 6, the Broncos fired McDaniels after they lost at the

and fell to a 3-9 record. In Week 16, he made his second NFL start and collected a season-high nine combined tackles in the Broncos' 24–23 win against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

. The following week, Woodyard recorded five solo tackles and made his first NFL sack on quarterback

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

during the Broncos' 33–28 loss to the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. Woodyard finished the 2010 season with 37 combined tackles (33 solo) and one sack in 11 games and three starts.

2011 season

On July 29, 2011, the Broncos signed Woodyard to a one-year, $1.85 million contract. He was voted as the special teams captain for the third consecutive year. Woodyard competed against D. J. Williams, Lee Robinson, and Braxton Kelley for the role as the starting weakside linebacker. He was moved to outside linebacker after new Broncos' defensive coordinator

Don Martindale Don "Wink" Martindale (born May 19, 1963) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). From 2018 to 2021, he held the same position for the Baltimore Ravens afte ...

opted to switch to a base 4-3 defense. Head coach John Fox named Woodyard the starting weakside linebacker to start the regular season after D. J. Williams suffered a dislocated elbow and was projected to miss 3-4 games. On September 18, 2011, Woodyard recorded a season-high 13 combined tackles (ten solo) and broke up a pass during their 24–22 victory against the

. The following week, he collected a ten combined tackles (seven solo) during a 17–14 loss at the

. He was demoted back to backup outside linebacker after Williams returned from injury in Week 5. Woodyard missed the Broncos' Week 10 victory at the

after he sustained a shoulder injury the previous week. He finished the 2011 season with 97 combined tackles (67 solo) and two pass deflections in 15 games and seven starts.

2012 season

On May 19, 2012, the Denver Broncos signed Woodyard to a two-year, $3.5 million contract. Woodyard entered training camp slated as the starting weakside linebacker after D. J. Williams was suspended for six games for failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs. He faced minor competition from

Danny Trevathan Danny Eugene Trevathan (born March 24, 1990) is an American football inside linebacker who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky, where in 2010, he w ...

Cyril Obiozor Cyril Obiozor (born September 26, 1986) ( ) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Texas A&M. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals a ...

, and

Mike Mohamed Michael Patrick Mohamed (born March 11, 1988) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at California. Mohamed is the first player of Punjab ...

. Woodyard started the Broncos' season-opener against the

and recorded a career-high 12 solo tackles and sacked

Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...

during their 31–19 victory. On October 28, 2012, Woodyard collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (nine solo), two pass deflections, a sack, and intercepted a pass by

Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...

during the Broncos' 34–14 win against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

. The following week, Woodyard recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles (four solo) in the Broncos' 31–23 win at the

. Woodyard was inactive for the Broncos' Week 14 victory at the

due to an ankle injury he sustained the previous game. In Week 16, he collected eight combined tackles and a season-high 1.5 sacks as Denver defeated the

34–12. He finished the 2012 season with a career-high 117 combined tackles (73 solo), six pass deflections, 5.5 sacks, and a career-high three interceptions in 15 games and 14 starts. The Broncos finished the 2012 season atop the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...

with a 13-3 record, clinching a playoff berth and first-round bye. On January 12, 2013, Woodyard started in his first NFL playoff game and recorded seven solo tackles in the Broncos' 38-35 loss to the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

in the AFC Divisional round.

2013 season

Woodyard entered training camp slated as the starting weakside linebacker. On August 20, 2013, starting strongside linebacker

Von Miller Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and ...

was suspended for the first six games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Defensive coordinator

Jack Del Rio Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a linebacker at the University of South ...

shifted middle linebacker

Nate Irving Nathaniel Irving (born July 12, 1988) is a former American football inside linebacker. He played college football at NC State Wolfpack football, North Carolina State University and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2011 ...

to Miller's strongside linebacker position and had Woodyard take over as the middle linebacker. Head coach John Fox officially named Woodyard the starting middle linebacker to start the regular season, along with outside linebackers Nate Irving and

. Woodyard suffered a neck injury during the Broncos' Week 5 win at the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

and was unable to play in the next two games (Weeks 6–7). On November 24, 2013, Woodyard recorded a season-high 15 combined tackles (seven solo) during a 34–31 loss at the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

. The following week, he collected five solo tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

during their 35–28 victory at the

. After a string of poor performances, Woodyard was benched in favor of veteran

Paris Lenon Paris Michael Lenon (born November 26, 1977) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2000, then chosen by the Memphis Maniax in the XFL Draft in the ...

for the last four games of the season. He finished the season with 84 combined tackles (48 solo), four pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in 14 games and ten starts. The Broncos selected him for the team's

Walter Payton Man of the Year Award The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called s ...

for 2013. The Broncos finished atop the AFC West with a 13-3 record, clinching a first-round and home-field advantage. They went on to

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...

after they defeated the

in the AFC Divisional Round and the

in the AFC Championship. On February 2, 2014, Woodyard made three combined tackles as the Broncos were routed 43-8 to the

2014 season

Woodyard became an unrestricted free agent in 2014 and attended visits with the

and

, while also receiving interest from the

and

. He stated that his original intent was to stay with the Broncos, but Woodyard did not receive a contract offer from them.

Tennessee Titans

On March 14, 2014, the

signed Woodyard to a four-year, $15.75 million contract that included $4.75 million guaranteed and a $3 million signing bonus.

2014 season

Head coach

Ken Whisenhunt Kenneth Moore Whisenhunt (born February 28, 1962) is an American football coach and former tight end who is currently an offensive analyst for Penn State. He played college football at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the twelfth round of the 198 ...

named Woodyard the starting left inside linebacker opposite

Zaviar Gooden Zaviar Gooden (born August 31, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Missouri. Early years Gooden was born in Austin, Texas ...

and along with outside linebackers

Kamerion Wimbley Kamerion Wimbley (born October 13, 1983) is a former American football outside linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft with the 13th ove ...

and

Derrick Morgan Derrick Morgan (born 27 March 1940)Walters, Basil (2012)A New Day – Songs heralding JA’s Independence", '' Jamaica Observer'', 3 June 2012, retrieved 3 June 2012 is a Jamaican musical artist who was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He worke ...

. Woodyard made his Titans debut in their season-opener at the

and recorded five solo tackles and sacked

during a 26–10 victory. On September 27, 2014, Woodyard recorded a season-high nine combined tackles, broke up two passes, and intercepted a pass by

Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his c ...

during their 41–17 loss at the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

. He finished the season with 94 combined tackles (53 solo), three pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 16 games and starts.

2015 season

Throughout training camp, Woodyard competed against

Avery Williamson Avery Milton Williamson (born March 9, 1992) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky. High schoo ...

Zach Brown Zachary Vinzale Brown (born October 23, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at University of North Carolina and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...

, and

for a job as the starting inside linebacker. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt named Woodyard the backup inside linebacker behind Avery Williamson and Zach Brown to start the regular season. During Week 2, Woodyard made two solo tackles, sacked quarterback

Johnny Manziel Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the FCF Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) and was also a mem ...

, and forced a fumble in a 28–14 loss at the

. He was promoted to the starting lineup ahead of Zach Brown prior to the Titans' Week 4 matchup against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. On October 18, 2015, Woodyard recorded a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and sacked quarterback

Ryan Tannehill Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a wide receiver until his junior year, an ...

during a 38–10 loss to the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

. On November 4, 2015, the Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt after they fell to a 1–6 record. Tight ends coach

Mike Mularkey Michael Rene Mularkey (born November 19, 1961) is a former American football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NF ...

was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Woodyard finished the season with 87 combined tackles (54 solo) and five sacks in 16 games and 14 starts.

2016 season

Woodyard entered training camp slated as the starting left inside linebacker after Zach Brown departed for the

in free agency. Defensive coordinator

Dick LeBeau Charles Richard "Dick" LeBeau ( ; born September 9, 1937) is a former American football cornerback and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was active with the NFL for 59 consecutive seasons, 14 as a player with the Detroit Lions and ...

named Woodyard the starting inside linebacker with Avery Williamson and outside linebackers

Brian Orakpo Brian Ndubisi Orakpo (born July 31, 1986) is a former American football outside linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, was recognized as a unanimous All-A ...

and Derrick Morgan. During Week 12, Woodyard recorded five solo tackles, a career-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

during a 27-21 victory at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. On January 1, 2017, he collected a season-high six combined tackles in a 24-17 victory against the

. He finished the season with 57 combined tackles (42 solo), five pass deflections, two sacks, and an interception in 16 games and ten starts. He shared time with

Sean Spence Sean Ryan Christopher Spence (born June 7, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami, where he was na ...

who started the other six games in place of Woodyard.

2017 season

On March 15, 2017, the Titans signed Woodyard to a three-year, $10.5 million extension that includes $2 million guaranteed. Head coach Mike Mularkey named Woodyard the starting inside linebacker after Sean Spence departed for the

in free agency. During Week 9, he recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles (nine solo) and broke up a pass in a narrow 23-20 victory over the

. During Week 15, he collected ten combined tackles (seven solo) and a sack in a 25-23 road loss against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. Woodyard finished the 2017 season with a career-high 124 combined tackles (84 solo), five pass deflections, and five sacks in 16 games and starts.

Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...

gave Woodyard an overall grade of 78.6, which gave him the 28th highest grade among all qualified linebackers in 2017.

2018 season

During a 34-10 Week 10 victory over the

, Woodyard registered 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. This effort earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Woodyard finished the 2018 season with 113 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in 14 games and starts.

2019 season

During Week 7 against the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

, Woodyard recorded six tackles and a forced fumble in the 23-20 win. Woodyard's forced fumble occurred late in the fourth quarter when he stripped the football from

Melvin Gordon Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first roun ...

on the goal line and teammate

Jurrell Casey Jurrell Juel Casey (born December 5, 1989) is a former American football defensive lineman. He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. In nine seasons with the Titan ...

made the recovery. Woodyard's role decreased in 2019 due to the emergence of second-year linebackers

Rashaan Evans Alan Rashaan Evans (born November 8, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played college f ...

and

Harold Landry Harold Antonio Landry III (born June 5, 1996) is an American football outside linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted by the Titans in the second ro ...

. He finished the season with 42 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection in 15 games and two starts.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Woodyard is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. He and his wife, Veronica, have four kids. In September 2016, Woodyard was part of a viral video. Woodyard, decked out in full uniform, picked up a young boy encouraging the Titans prior to the team's game against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

and carried him a few steps. The video has spread across social media and it was shown on

NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NFL ...

soon after. Regarding his kind gesture, Woodyard told Titans Online: "I have a son, and it just touched my heart, seeing the kid there. That’s the thing about this game of football, it allows us to bring each other together. It doesn’t matter about the skin color, race, or anything, money. We are all the same, we all enjoy Sundays, and to me that was special, seeing the kid in the tunnel.”

References

External links

Tennessee Titans bio

Denver Broncos bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodward, Wesley 1986 births Living people People from LaGrange, Georgia African-American Christians Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) American football linebackers Kentucky Wildcats football players Denver Broncos players Tennessee Titans players