Everyone knows about Taft. You just don’t know.
Next time you’re in the Los Angeles region, take a close look into the sky beyond the haze of smog that blankets much of the area some days. If you look closely, what appears to be a bridge has slowly begun to form above the path from William Howard Taft High School to the University of Southern California campus.
“Just wakin' up in the mornin' gotta thank God. I don't know but today seems kinda odd. No barkin' from the dog, no smog…” go the lyrics to one of the most popular rap songs in history. If it weren’t for William H. Taft High School, rapper Ice Cube may not have become known for these words that are now considered so dear to hip hop.
In regards to the bridge that looms above the horizon, the likes of Jeff Fisher, Steve Smith, D.J. Morgan, and Olympic Gold Medalist Quincy Watts have each taken the journey from Taft to the campus of Southern Cal.
For USC defensive coordinator and recruiting guru Ed Orgeron, it’s a good thing the bridge has endured years of traffic. In 2011, Southern Cal landed 6’1 325 pound interior defensive lineman Antwaun Woods, and he became the latest Trojan student-athlete to make the journey from across the city.
“It was just a decision of mine. It was based on everything. I saw the brighter side. I saw that we could use being under sanctions as motivation, and if we could respond to adversity that’d be a good feeling. That’s what we did this past season,” Woods says proudly. After making the decision to stick with the Trojans amidst the NCAA penalties that were handed down a few years back, Woods, along with his teammates, is ready to reap the benefits of perseverance.
In 2012, Woods seeks to supplant himself within the middle of defensive coordinator Ed Orgeron’s unit.
“When I was younger I wanted to be like Warren Sapp, but now I kind of try to play like Michael Patterson. He played at USC back in the day. He was part of the ‘Wild Bunch.’ Coach “O” said that I remind him of Michael Patterson. Now, I base my game around how he played,” Woods told CLA Sports.
When your style of play reminds your defensive line coach of a first team All-American, it’s a definite sign of good things to come. This season, as the Trojans part ways with senior defensive lineman DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou, Antwaun is ready to step into a leadership role.
“He (Tupou) mentored me a lot. He told me, ‘Don’t worry about nothing. Don’t worry about the depth chart, just take care of yourself and take care of your body, because if you worry about yourself and work hard, they have no choice’ but to play you,” said Woods.
After taking advantage of his redshirt season in 2011, Woods has become more prepared for the game, both mentally and physically. He told CLA Sports that, “seeing how they (Tupou & Harris) worked so hard and how they put so much time into the program, it just makes me want to do the same.”
Each level of the game is different in many ways, and comparing the high school game to the college level is where you’ll see the most distinction in terms of size and speed. Another level of differentiation when you compare prep football to the collegiate level, is the amount of film preparation.
As a student-athlete who has always been hungry for success, Woods has enjoyed the next level of competition, thus far.
“It’s way different, because in high school you watch practice film, but they’re not really on the details. On the next level, in college your coach is going to be on every single detail possible. You break down each play. You’ll spend five minutes on one play. You’ll keep rewinding it, and keep rewinding it, until you get it down pat,” he says.
Woods knows he won’t simply be handed the starting position at nose tackle, and he welcomes the competition.
“I mean, if you ain’t got no competition, what’s going to push you to become the best player you can be? So, I kind of encourage other D-lineman to come to USC just to compete with me. Whether I win a spot or not, they’re still making me be the best player I can be. I ain’t scared. That’s football.”
It’s clear that Antwaun Woods doesn’t lack confidence. How could one not be confident knowing you possess the strength of an NFL defensive lineman as a collegiate redshirt freshman? How could you not be optimistic going into the first BCS eligible season your team has had in the past three years, and a starting position is within your grasp? Woods is definitely ready.
“We’ve just been working hard. We can play in a bowl game. It’s not just play 12 games and we’re done. We’re more motivated because we have something to play for at the end of the season,” said Woods. “Nothing is going to change. We’re just going to play USC football and just compete each week, and hopefully get to the big game.”
Woods Amongst Upper Echelon of LA Region Prep Football Talent. Talks De'anthony Thomas & Oregon Matchup.
Antwaun is enjoying the college life. Even more so, he’s happy to be part of a Trojan football program that has become “like an all-star team of LA, basically,” he casually states.
Los Angeles is undoubtedly a hotbed for college sports recruiting, and Woods is accustomed to playing with “high-caliber” competition on the gridiron. When asked about childhood friend and Oregon Ducks 2012 preseason Heisman hopeful De’anthony Thomas, Woods expressed being proud that one of the guys he grew up close to is now dazzling a national audience.
“It was great (watching De’anthony). He’s not redshirted, so most of the time, while my team was away… I would make an effort to make sure I could watch the Oregon game so I could see what he was doing. He balled out. I was pretty impressed. I was really happy to see that I knew this guy and he’s on national TV ballin.’ He has to handle his business and I have to handle mine, but when we have free time we talk every now and then,” Woods said of Thomas.
It’s apparent that the grounds of the Rose Bowl may still need to be crop dusted with anti-venom after Thomas sunk his teeth into the turf earlier this year. That being said, on Saturday November 3rd 2012, Woods hopes to prevent De’anthony Thomas, aka the “Black Mamba,” from striking anywhere within the vicinity of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“You know, he’s a skill player so it’s going to be pretty hard for me to get him unless he lines up in the backfield, but the whole game I’m going to be trying to get him, so if I get him, you know I’ll have some bragging rights,” chuckled Woods.
As many people in the high school and college football world know, De’anthony Thomas was nearly a Trojan. Thomas’ decision to sign with the Ducks and play football for Head Coach Chip Kelly has left a sour taste for some, however, Woods wishes him all the best.
“At first I was kind of mad because I knew he was going to be real good, but it’s his decision. Life is about decisions, and you gotta make your own decisions. It looks like it was a perfect fit, so I can’t say nothing bad about that,” said Woods.
Woods and the Trojans know the bulls eye is getting larger on their backs.
USC sits atop several preseason Top 25 College Football polls. “It just puts a big target on our chest. Every game is not going to be a walk in the park. We’re the team to beat, so every team, no matter who we’re playing, it’s going to be their championship,” says Woods.
Look for Woods to help anchor a defense that returns the likes of Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Dion Bailey (DB/2010), local standout Hayes Pullard (LB/2010), and a total of 8 starters from last year’s defensive unit.
As a collegiate player, things aren’t always as bright as they may seem from the outside looking in. A commitment to education is essential to the success of student-athletes, and Antwaun understands this better than some. Today, Woods uses an academic hurdle he faced as a prep in order to stay motivated in the classroom.
“I just want to tell student-athletes in the high schools to take care of your academics. Don’t fall back, don’t slack. I had a little trouble with academics before coming here, and I had to do a lot. I had to take 9 classes as a senior just to get here.”
Antwaun “Twocka” Woods is ready to make his mark for the USC Trojans defense in the Pac-12, and CLA Sports is more than excited watch it all unfold.
