UNLV Academic All-American Wants NFL Career, Then It’s Off To Dental School To Become A Surgeon
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Jackson Woodard is a decisive man with a clear career plan.
Train like hell to make an NFL team roster after he plays his final UNLV football game next week.
Then after the NFL gig is up, apply to dental school for a career as an oral surgeon.
Woodard — a hard-working academic wiz, UNLV’s top tackler and his conference’s defensive player of the year — spoke at Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum Wednesday. His panel talk: “What keeps you up at night? The student-athlete perspective.”
The Little Rock, Arkansas native needs to pick an agent and a spot to train for the NFL Draft. He’s considered one of the premier defensive players in the Group of Five after following his Arkansas defensive coordinator, Barry Odom, to UNLV two years ago.
When today’s panel leader asked the six-foot, 230-pounder what he does for fun, Woodard responded, “I’m pretty boring. I’m obsessed with football.”
Indeed, Woodard, a first-team academic All-American with his major in kinesiology, said he’s “putting all my chips in with football.” He has a great chance to be drafted.
His UNLV academic career includes a pre-dental program that involved taking classes like organic chemistry and microbiology. It all led to Woodard becoming UNLV’s first-ever finalist for the Campbell Trophy, considered the academic Heisman.
Woodard said the average NFL career lasts three years. No matter what happens with his NFL aspirations, after his football chapter ends he will take admission tests for dental school. Then, it’s four years of dental school and another four years of residency. He’s all in on that post-NFL, eight-year path to becoming an oral surgeon.
With a panel discussion title of “What keeps you up at night? The student-athlete perspective,” LVSportsBiz.com asked Woodard if a missed interception against Syracuse earlier in the season that could have clinched a potential win makes him lose any sleep. Syracuse ended up defeating the Rebels in OT at Allegiant Stadium in October.
“Nightmarish” was the way Woodard described letting an interception against Syracuse fall through his hands.
Woodard offered some common sense advice to college athletes like being careful with social media and thinking through decisions like entering the transfer portal.
“Have a vision. Have a goal,” Woodard said. He noted he poured himself into both his football and academic lives, saying his football life was “like working a job.”
With that in mind, Woodard supported NIL, which drew a lot of attention during Sports Business Journal’s two-day conference at the Cosmopolitan.
He wished his former coach, Odom, the best, saying he was a mentor and father figure. Odom is off to Purdue, where he signed a six-year, $39 million deal.
Woodard is set to play his final college game next week when UNLV travels to SoFi Stadium in Englewood in the Los Angeles area to play Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk Dec. 18. It’s the first time UNLV will play back-to-back bowl games, with Woodard being a key reason why.
