Woodhead leaves mark at Chadron

By Jim Holland, Journal staff | Monday, December 31, 2007

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Danny Woodhead left a lot of indelible marks over the course of his stellar football career.

Starting as a youngster in North Platte, Neb., when he used a permanent marker to map out a football gridiron on the living room rug,  to this year, as a senior tailback for the Chadron State College Eagles capping a phenomenal four-year run with a slew of records, including the career rushing standard for all of college football.

Woodhead earned a second consecutive Harlon Hill Trophy, the NCAA Division II equivalent of the Heisman, and became the first CSC athlete, male or female, to have a jersey number retired.

For those accomplishments, Woodhead has been named the Rapid City Journal’s Sports Person of the Year for 2007.

“All that stuff is an honor,” he said in a telephone interview from his home last week. “The individual things haven’t really sunk in yet. What I’ll remember most is all that the team has accomplished, more than anything in these last two years. It’s so good to have been a part in helping to turn the team around,” he said.

Woodhead drew national attention to Chadron State when he started working his way through the all-time NCAA football records.

On Oct. 6, Woodhead became the most prolific rusher in the college game with a five-yard run early in the third quarter against Western New Mexico University.

That 15 foot gain eclipsed the old mark of 7,353 yards set by R.J. Bowers of Div. III Grove City College of Pennsylvania from 1997-2000.  

Woodhead ended his career with 7,962 rushing yards. His marks of 9,479 all-purpose yards and 654 career points scored rank second all-time, and his 109 career touchdowns ties the NCAA record. He also owns the record for the number of games exceeding 200 yards rushing (18).

The numbers would have been even higher, had Woodhead not suffered a foot injury and sat out three games late in the year.

Chadron has always been supportive of the college and the Eagles’ men’s and women’s sports teams, Woodhead’s assault on the record books has taken that support to another level.

An estimated 5,000 fans, close to the overall population of Chadron itself, jammed CSC’s Don Beebe Stadium at Elliott Field on many a Saturday afternoon to witness his march to history. 

“I remember when I was a freshman and sophomore, the crowds were always good. The stands were always nearly full. The last two years were just insane. We couldn’t find enough seats for people. That’s just awesome. It makes for such a fun atmosphere,” he said.

As a boy, Woodhead painted jersey numbers on toy figures. “I turned them all into football players,” he said.

He could have ended his career before it started after using a marker to transform the family living room carpet into his own personal gridiron.

“Lines and all,” Woodhead recalled with a chuckle. “My mom (Annette) wasn’t too happy with me about that.”

His desire to be a player was also fueled with Friday night’s spent at North Platte football games as a ball boy. His dad, Mark, is an elementary school teacher and also serves as an assistant high school coach.  

Woodhead said another highlight was playing in the Nebraska state Class A high school championship game with his brother, and also named Chadron State’s win over NCAA Div. I Montana State in 2006 and the Eagles first-ever playoff win over West Texas A & M that same year.

Then there was this year’s wild 76-73 triple-overtime win over Abilene Christian University on Nov. 24.

The Eagles rallied from 29 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 56 at the end of regulation.

After holding ACU to a field goal in the third overtime, Eagle quarterback Joe McLain somersaulted into the end zone from the 12-yard line to clinch the win.

Woodhead carried 39 times for 188 yards, ran for three touchdowns and caught a McLain pass for another score.

The 149 points by both teams was an NCAA playoff record.

The scoring onslaught ran a local National Guard unit out of blank ammunition for a ceremonial cannon shot fired after each Eagle touchdown.

“That was crazy,” he said.

Woodhead will don a helmet and pads one more time when he joins top college players from across the nation at the Hula Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 12.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I’m still training and hopefully that will help me out,” he said.

While Division I programs shunned Woodhead because of his size (He’s listed at 200 pounds and an optimistic 5-9). Eagle fans will wait and see if the NFL will make the same miscue.

Frank Cooney’s NFL Draft Scout web site lists Woodhead 26th out of 182 running back prospects.

Watchers say Woodhead, in spite of his small frame, could be a threat as a third-down running back or a kick returner.

If a pro career doesn’t beckon, Woodhead said he’ll make do and move on. He’s making plans to marry his high school sweetheart, Stacia Ries, on July 5.

“I’ll finish up my degree and become a teacher and a coach,” he said.

Looking back on his college career, Woodhead said he’ll remember his Eagle teammates and coaches more than the awards and numbers.

“There were so many good times together with the guys that you become so close to, I can’t really pick any one of them out,” he said.

He also hopes fans will look beyond the records.

 “More than anything,” he said. “I’d like to be remembered as a pretty good guy who did things right.”

That sentiment is probably already written in permanent ink.