Logan Woodside Q&A with Hustle Belt
How did he progress from season to season? Especially after being asked to red-shirt a year?
“Woodside saw his first legitimate playing time as a sophomore in 2014, taking over for the injured Phillip Ely. He led the team to a 9-4 record and a GoDaddy Bowl win over Arkansas State in a decent season as the team’s starter. He took a redshirt upon Ely’s return in 2015, returning to the field at the start of 2016. Toledo head coach Jason Candle ran a pass-happy offense in his first year on campus, and Woodside thrived in it. An improved Woodside eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark and led the FBS in touchdown passes with 45. His numbers slightly dipped in 2017, but he still performed well enough to clinch the MAC Offensive Player of the Year award and lead the Rockets to their first conference title in over a decade. He entered the bowl game with an outstanding 28 touchdowns and two interceptions, a testament to his high-level decision-making skills. It’s hard to pinpoint where the peak of Woodside’s career was, but he exhibited greatness at the collegiate level in both 2016 and 2017.”
What does he have to improve to start in the NFL?
“Woodside needs to work on his mobility and his movements around the pocket. He was never a runner in college, but learning how to escape the pressure of NFL defensive ends is a necessity. I believe he can develop a stronger arm over time, especially working with NFL coaches. There weren’t too many concerns surrounding Woodside until his performance in the 2017 Dollar General Bowl, his final collegiate game, where he tossed three interceptions and didn’t look like his usual self in a 34-0 upset loss to Appalachian State.”
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Was Woodside a leader in the locker room?
“Woodside was a leader in the locker room and seemed to make his teammates around him better. Toledo’s receiving corps last year performed excellently with Woodside under center. Once the team’s leading receiver Cody Thompson suffered a season-ending injury against Eastern Michigan, Woodside had no problem running the same high-octane offense with a new and inexperienced set of receivers. He managed to appear in three bowl games in three years as a starter and led Toledo to a long-awaited conference championship that many talented Rockets teams in the past decade have not been able to claim. His confidence on the gridiron is also an attribute of his that teammates can rally around.”