Pitt DB A.J. Woods has grown, wants more

With 13 minutes, 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter Dec. 4, Pitt was closing in on its first ACC championship. The Panthers led 31-21 against Wake Forest.

On third-and-13, Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman wanted to connect with wide receiver A.T. Perry on a four verticals route.

Pitt defensive back A.J. Woods read the play and let his instincts take over, intercepting the pass.

The interception was just the beginning. Woods showed off his track and field skills and returned the ball 73 yards, just shy of a touchdown. It was the longest interception return in ACC championship game history.

Pitt went on to win their 11th game of the season 45-21, but Woods’ interception was a turning point.

“We broke it down back in January right after our 2020 season. We didn’t want to be a Pitt team that repeated 7-5 or just an average team or above-average. We wanted to be one of the greats,” Woods said. “Every time after a workout or every time after practice it would be ‘ACC champs on three,’ and we would break it down and we really were able to manifest that goal.”

His path to Pitt wasn’t straight. Woods initially committed to James Madison but impressed the coaches at a Pitt camp before his first college season.

“I did really well, and I ended up getting a scholarship (at Pitt) a little bit later in July,” Woods said. “I decided that it would be my best option to play Division I FBS football.”

In his senior season at Northwest High School, Woods was a track and field star who won multiple region and state championships in indoor and outdoor seasons.

He said track and field helped him adjust to the speed of the game, but he said everybody in the ACC and in Division I is fast. He said players change gears and manipulate his techniques with theirs.

His first camp was difficult for him. With him being the only cornerback in his class, he had to stay out for four plays while the offense rotated every two plays. Nevertheless, this helped Woods grow as a player.

“It was tough getting adjusted, but once you get adjusted a little bit, it’ll start to slow down with every rep that you get,” Woods said. “By the end of that season, I felt a lot more comfortable and I was able to build on it into going into my sophomore season.”

In his sophomore year, Woods became a key player in Pitt’s defensive back rotation after starting against Austin Peay early in the season. His and Brandon Hill’s work came to fruition, and they both got the start at Florida State on Nov. 7, 2020.

“I remember the Florida State game, we were talking right before the game and we were like, ‘This is what we’ve been talking about,’ ” said Woods.

“This was a game where we were both starting, and we both got picks in that game. It’s an amazing feeling to have that chemistry with B Hill and Erick (Hallett).”

Woods got his first career pick against the Seminoles and finished the season with 17 tackles. The Panthers finished 6-5.

Last year, the Panthers bounced back and had their first 10-win regular season since 1981 after defeating Syracuse. Woods tallied 26 tackles on the season and notched one forced fumble.

Woods attributes his success to his father, Tony, his coaches and his former teammates who are now in the NFL. Damarri Mathis, Dane Jackson, Jason Pinnock and Damar Hamlin are just a few names Woods said helped him.

The Panthers attained a successful year defeating the likes of Tennessee on the road, Clemson, and Wake Forest in the ACC championship. Pitt also made the Peach Bowl but was defeated by Michigan State. Nonetheless, the Panthers finished 13th in the nation and posted an 11-3 record.

Woods believes the team can continue its success this season. Although it lost Jordan Addison to the transfer portal and Kenny Pickett and Mathis to the NFL Draft, Woods said transfer linebacker Shayne Simon from Notre Dame, quarterback Kedon Slovis from USC and wide receiver Konata Mumpfield have adjusted quickly.

With the majority of the defense returning, along with the entire offensive line, Woods has high hopes for the team this season. For himself, he wants to make a bigger impact. In the offseason, Woods has focused on reducing minor mistakes. He also wants to get his hands on the ball more, along with getting better breaks to the ball.

“I’m just focusing on the little things,” Woods said. “A lot of the times when I’ve talked to people that have gone to the NFL, or that are still in the NFL, they stress on the details, being able to do all the things that we’ve always done at DB, like backpedal, open up, breaks all that stuff, being able to do it on an elite level is what you have to do in the league.”

Woods trains with Kabote Sikyala, also known as DB Sensei, over the offseason. Sikyala is also from Maryland and played for Middle Tennessee in the early 2000s.

One day in training, he and Woods noticed Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs arrived at the field. Sikyala urged Woods to focus on his drills and practice, but Diggs made his way over and asked if they were interested in doing one-on-one drills. Sikyala gave Woods the nod, and Diggs warmed up and began running routes against him.

“He was teaching me after the routes, what I could do better here and how he’s trying to manipulate my technique here,” Woods said. “It was just a good teaching moment where I learned a lot, but mostly it was able to build confidence in what I can play and that I could play at that level.”

Woods admitted he was starstruck at first, but after breaking up the first pass, the butterflies went away.

“I was able to get his number, and he told me to text him to ask him questions if I ever needed anything,” Woods said.

He and the Panthers have goals to repeat as ACC champions, and Woods believes they have the ability to accomplish that feat. Woods also has his own personal goals.

“Just to be an even better player than I was last year,” Woods said. “I always say just double the stats, or definitely get more picks, more tackles and I feel like I’ll be able to do that this season. I just can’t wait for it to get started.”

Football is his number one priority, and he eventually wants to play in the NFL. However, Woods has a focus off the field on assisting athletes and the community. He wanted to become a physical trainer, but now he wants to focus on the mental health of athletes.

“A lot of us have family back home that we can’t visit because we’re here a lot of the time,” Woods said. “Most come from bad neighborhoods and are faced with a lot of loss, and it’s hard not being able to talk to somebody that’s been through or been in our shoes before, so I always wanted to be somebody that can help athletes with that.”

Woods wants to continue to grow as a person.

“I think I’ve grown a lot,” Woods said. “I think my mindset has really changed whereas a high schooler, my career option was different, but now just experiencing life in college and what people really talk about, and what affects them, it’s made me do kind of a 180-ish turn for what I want to do and how I want to help people that have been in my shoes.”