Editorβs note: The Star is counting down the 22 best high school football players in Southern Arizona leading into the season.
Name: SaβKylee Woodard
The rundown: Woodard is a 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound freshman at Canyon del Oro.
Who he is: Dustin Peace lost count of how many Division I players heβs coached in his time as CDOβs head coach.
βSomewhere in the teens,β he said.
Blake Martinez, KaβDeem Carey, Jared Tevis, Josh Robbins, John Jackson and David Catalano were a handful of names that instantly came to Peaceβs mind. But none of them were instant starters as freshmen like Woodard, whoβs expected to play defensive tackle and on the offensive line for the Dorados this season.
βHeβs probably the first-ever player to get the nod from the beginning and know that heβs going to be a starter,β Peace said. βWeβve had other freshmen start the year with us, but they were more halftime players. I have a feeling SaβKylee will play as much as he can.β
Woodard β born and raised in Tucson β played for the Tucson Falcons throughout most of his Pop Warner career before one final season with the Oro Valley Dolphins. Woodard emulates his game after All-Pro NFL defensive tackle Aaron Donald, βbecause heβs a god,β but the Los Angeles Chargers fan grew up watching highlights of running back LaDainian Tomlinson and linebacker Junior Seau.
β(Seauβs) one of my favorite players, because I loved the way he hit and thatβs what made me fall in love with football,β Woodard said.
Woodard, whoβs easily the Doradosβ biggest player, is expected to be an impactful player. But going from playing against kids his age to varsity competition with players that are two or three years older than him will be a challenge.
βI canβt let me playing varsity affect the way Iβve been playing. I have to stay aggressive and confident in my game,β Woodard said. βI just have to keep executing and be the best version of SaβKylee.β
Proof heβs good: In Woodardβs last season playing Pop Warner, he was selected by former Mountain View head coach Bam McRae to represent the West in the American Youth Football All-Star game in Florida.
Woodard was one of four players from Arizona on a team that had players from California, Texas and other states in the West.
βIt showed us where we were as football players and what we needed to work on,β Woodard said. βMe being as big as I am, I wasnβt expecting to see kids my size. We donβt really have that in Tucson. It was one of the greatest experiences.β
He said it: βUsually when youβre a freshman and youβre that big and that heavy, youβre tripping over your own two feet. Heβs very athletic to go along with that size and the strength. Heβs going to break every freshman lifting record that we have once we get a chance to get in the weight room.β β Peace