METAIRIE, La. ― Al Woods sat back two years ago and watched LSU teammate and fellow Louisianan Glenn Dorsey get selected by Kansas City despite home state team New Orleans’ need for a defensive lineman.
So, when the 2010 NFL Draft rolled around, Woods rolled outside, staying away from the television set that would show each and every selection to his parents at their Elton, La., house.
And then the phone rang.
And then Woods’ dreams were realized.
He was going to New Orleans to be a Saint.
“I thought it was a one in a million shot,” Woods said. “I watch people like Glenn Dorsey, who played in Louisiana, went to college literally 20 minutes from his house, then was shipped off to Kansas City.
“I was like, ‘OK, I know my chances are super slim. So, I’m going to just sit back and see what happens.’ I got the call and it was the greatest feeling in the world.”
Woods was tagged pre-draft as a possible third-round pick and the 11th-best defensive tackle in the draft.
New Orleans eventually drafted him in the fourth round, giving him a chance to prove his critics wrong close to home.
He came out of high school as one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country, making list after list of best player lists from national publications, including ESPN.com, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Mobile Press Register.
But according to some observers, he failed to produce at LSU, where he finished with 73 tackles after starting just 16 of 41 games over four seasons.
Yet, when talking with the 6-foot-4, 311-pounder, you get the sense that he takes what people say personally.
His voice strengthens. His back straightens. And he doesn’t blink.
“To be honest, it doesn’t really matter what people say about me,” Woods said. “I’m just a guy that’s doing what’s best for my team. And what was called on for me at LSU for my team, that’s what I’ve done.
“Whatever anybody has said about my measurements and my potential, go ahead. Knock yourself out. I’ve done what was best for my team. My role for my team was to hold my blocks, let the linebackers make the tackle. That’s what I was told to do and that’s what I’ve done.”
He added, “I’m not going to sit up there and tell the coach no, I’m going after tackles and the he benches me. That’s not how it works. I did what I was told and I got a shot to play ball.”
So far, he has done what has been asked of him. Head Coach Sean Payton credited Woods for jumping into the fray during rookie mini-camp the first weekend of May.
Payton also said Woods was someone was “continuing to get better.”
For now, though, Woods realizes that his future isn’t set. He has to earn his way onto the team even if the Saints used a draft pick on him.
“I’m going to do the best I can and do what I can within the scheme of the defense they give us,” Woods said. “I’m not trying to do more to put teammates out of position. I’m going to do what I’m told in the scheme. If they like what they see, they’ll keep me.”
With an attitude like that, he’s well on his way to sticking around.
