Woody's newest goal: playing for Cyclones

AMES – See it, believe it, do it.

That's how Jeff Woody goes through life and how the walk-on running back is climbing up Iowa State's depth chart. He's hoping his daily visual aids can help him carve out a spot on the field for the Cyclones this fall.

“There's a list of goals that I have,” Woody, who enters Saturday's spring game as the No. 2 tailback behind Alexander Robinson, said this week. “I write them down and paste them on my wall right before I leave my room every day.”

The approach stems from a sports psychologist brought in years ago by his baseball coach at Southeast Polk.

Creating a short- and long-term goal list has done wonders for Woody's athletic and academic performance. He's been operating this way since his junior year of high school.

“When you have a goal that u see every day,” Woody says, “you are going to subconsciously know that is what I'm doing and all your actions are going to be based on achieving that goal. Putting those on my mirror constantly reminded me that was what I was going for.”

His goals then were to earn all-state honors in football and baseball and be a straight-A student. Done.

These days the redshirt freshman is aiming for a 4.0 grade-point average and working to find how he best fits in ISU's offense. Coach Paul Rhoads sees the redshirt freshman being able to line up in a couple of different places in the backfield and on special teams.

“Jeff Woody will be in a position to help our football team in 2010,” Rhoads said.

The 5-11, 234-pounder made his living at Southeast Polk as a battering ram. He's working on his shiftiness, but would rather run over a defender than go around him.

“Considering I can't really outrun anyone, yes,” Woody said.

Sophomore Beau Blankenship and James White, another redshirt freshman, also are competing for the backup tailback spot. Robinson, who rushed for 1,195 yards last season, isn't going to be beaten out.

“Yeah, that A-Rob guy is alright,” Woody said.

Linebacker A.J. Klein has been impressed by Woody's effort and physical running style.

“I won't say he won't make you miss in space, but he'll come and try to run you over,” Klein said. “I know he's been getting lots of reps. He's going to continue to improve and is going to be a person to watch out for.”

Another item on his goal list...scholarship. Time will tell with that one.

He's not stressing about it, and was reminded by his girlfriend not to feel sorry for himself on that front.

“She said, ‘If you are playing for a scholarship and playing for money, you are playing for entirely the wrong reasons,'” Woody said. “That snapped me back to reality. What I have to do is just worry about Jeff Woody is doing.”