UNLV football’s leader ready to win LA Bowl, then chase NFL dreams

When Jackson Woodard was in elementary school — maybe kindergarten or first grade, he’s not sure — he was asked to draw and write about what he wanted to be when he grew up.

“I remember drawing myself on a football field in a Green Bay Packers uniform and saying I want to be an NFL player. And I remember that pretty vividly,” said Woodard, a senior linebacker at UNLV. “So yeah, I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time.”

Woodard was surrounded by reminders of his goal when he was honored as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy during the National Football Foundation dinner at the Bellagio on Dec. 10. The award is known as the “Academic Heisman,” and Woodard’s career-high 124 tackles this season were paired with a 3.77 GPA.

But before the festivities began, he was asked about the Rebels’ matchup with Cal in the LA Bowl on Wednesday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

There was uncertainty surrounding UNLV at the time. Coach Barry Odom had left for Purdue, while new coach Dan Mullen wouldn’t be hired for two days.

Woodard, despite all that, was resolute that he would play for the Rebels one last time.

“There are so many different reasons to stay or opt out,” Woodard, clad in a black tuxedo and bow tie, told reporters. “But I’m a football player. I love football. Any chance that I get to play football, I’m going to play.”

Winning everything

Seniors Jalen Catalon and Jacob De Jesus spoke Thursday about the importance of getting UNLV’s 11th win of the season in the LA Bowl.

No one understands that desire more than Woodard.

He’s been the Rebels’ spokesperson all year long. He’s been the leader of a team that appeared in the Mountain West championship game for a second straight season. Woodard had 10 tackles in UNLV’s 21-7 loss at Boise State on Dec. 6, when the team failed to win the conference title or earn a spot in the College Football playoff.

The defeat stung because of how passionate Woodard is about winning at everything.

For example, during the Campbell Trophy presentation Dec. 10, Woodard stood up and congratulated Jalen Milroe when the Alabama quarterback was announced as the award’s winner.

But Woodard couldn’t help but share his qualms with the selection process Thursday.

“First of all, I got snubbed a little bit,” he said when his 3.77 GPA was mentioned. “Because if they took my cumulative from Arkansas as well, it’d be like a 3.85.”

That’s the thing about Woodard — even in the losses, he finds a victory.

“You can’t be disciplined without a goal,” he said, explaining his philosophy for football and education. “If I went to school just wanting to go to school, why would I study? To have a vision, I think, in all of life, is huge. And that’s what I did.”

During the Campbell Trophy presentation, Woodard got to rub shoulders with players who were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

He’d already spoken on the phone with Archie Manning, who was the one that notified Woodard in October he was UNLV’s first-ever Campbell Trophy finalist.

Woodard met Manning on Dec. 10. He also shared the stage with quarterback Alex Smith and shook hands with defensive tackle Dan Hampton, both College Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 inductees.

Woodard’s parents, Tacy and Ernie, flew in for the event. Woodard said he’ll never forget seeing his father pointing out older Hall of Famers and making sure they met his son.

“I was able to pick their brains and understand what it takes to play at a high level and also still just remain humble, like they all have,” Woodard said. “And what it takes to be a stand-up leader and person in this world. That was really cool.”

What’s next

Woodard’s vision for his career is pretty air-tight.

He won an $18,000 scholarship just for being a Campbell Trophy finalist, and he plans to use that money towards his remaining courses. He’s a kinesiology major on the pre-dental track with aspirations of becoming an oral surgeon.

That means he needs to take a few more prerequisite courses outside of his major before he can apply to dental school.

Of course, after the LA Bowl, Woodard will prioritize training to make an NFL roster.

It’ll be hard for him not to think of Odom during that time. He was present for every step of Woodard’s collegiate career until now.

Woodard started out at Arkansas when Odom was working there as a defensive coordinator, safeties coach and associate head coach. When Odom was hired at UNLV, Woodard followed him.

Woodard is focused on going into oral surgery whenever his playing days are over. But he’s open to reuniting with Odom some day.

“I look at him as a father figure, a mentor in my life. I would be honored to be able to coach for him, really do whatever he needs me to,” Woodard said. “Hopefully I can play long enough in the NFL to where, you know, that could be a reality. And if I don’t choose dental school (afterward), then I would definitely just be honored to be able to coach for him. I’ll be with him for the rest of my life, whatever it is. Even if I’m not coaching, he’ll be in my life forever.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.