Woods recognized for play, not just hair

By Drew Champlin

Published: September 1, 2008

TROY — People are starting to recognize Bear Woods around Troy’s campus now, and it’s not just because of his hair.

The Trojan junior linebacker made his first start in Troy’s 31-17 win over Middle Tennessee last Thursday and had the biggest game of his career, finishing with 14 tackles, three for a loss, and two sacks.

Walking around campus the next day, it was clear that his fellow students had paid attention to the game. Woods, who grows his red hair long for “Locks for Love,” was making plays all over the field with the long hair sticking out under his helmet.

“They actually know my name,” Woods said. “It’s nice to be recognized, but more of the fact that people are watching the games and supporting us.

“People are stopping on the side of the road and congratulating me. One guy gave me an escort across the street. He said, ‘Be careful on that thing (scooter). We need you on the field.’”

But he didn’t even get Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors. That went to Arkansas State’s Ben Owens, who had a key fumble recovery and interception late in the Red Wolves’ upset at Texas A&M.

That might have cost him a dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s from close friend and teammate Boris Lee.

“If he got (the award), I was going to take him out to a steak dinner,” Lee said.

“I’ll probably still do it since he played a great game.”

Game update: Hurricane Gustav made landfall Monday as a Category 2 hurricane, appearing to head right towards Baton Rouge, where LSU is supposed to host Troy Saturday at 7 p.m.

LSU and Troy officials are in contact and as of Monday afternoon, both teams hope to play the game. If it has to be rescheduled, the teams have a common off date Nov. 15.

That’s not something Troy head coach Larry Blakeney, who already wasn’t in favor of his team’s schedule layout, wants to do.

“I don’t know why we need to foul this schedule more than it already is,” Blakeney said. “That’s just one of my open Saturdays.”

Road trip mishap: The bus carrying Troy’s defensive players and coaches broke down near Birmingham on the way home early Friday morning from Middle Tennessee.

“It definitely goes down as the worst experience ever on an away game,” Woods said. “I was trying to fall asleep and I kept feeling the bus jerk. I thought it was a bridge, but thought this bridge is a little too long. I looked up and saw we were going about 8 miles per hour.”

Problems always seem to happen to the defensive bus. Last year, on the way to the Florida game, a car hit it, but the bus kept moving and no one was hurt. In 2005, the air conditioning went out about an hour and a half away from South Carolina.

Woods said the players were spread out among several vans and buses, most of which carried students in the band. He said he got home Friday at 5:45 a.m.

“I sat by a guy (in the Sound of the South) named Robert,” Woods said. “I didn’t ask him what he plays. He had his headset on so he looked pretty tired. I just let him sleep. I couldn’t sleep.”

Third down woes: The one thing that concerned Troy offensive coordinator Neal Brown the most was Troy’s 4-of-13 performance on third downs. Two of those came on Troy’s last drive.

“We had seven makable third downs that would have continued drives and we only had 64 plays,” Brown said. We averaged 81 last year.

“If we make four of those seven, we’re at 75-80 plays and we’ve probably got a 45-point effort instead of 31.”