The University of Akron Athletics
2017 Akron Football Roster

Jersey Number 4
Thomas Woodson
- Position:
- QB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 224
- Hometown:
- Monroeville, Pa.
- High School:
- Gateway Senior HS
As a Senior (2017): Played in 10 games with nine starts … went 159-of-278 for 1,777 yards and 14 touchdowns … with his 286 passing yards in the win over Buffalo, moved into second place on the Akron career list … finished his collegiate career with 6,864 passing yards, surpassing James Washington (1997-00) who had 6,699 yards … stands No. 2 in career passing TDs (53) … in the MAC Championship game against Toledo, saw his first action since the win against Buffalo … finished 5-of-14 for 35 yards … did not play against Kent State … suspended for the Miami and Ohio games for a violation of team rules … in the win over Buffalo, went 21-of-29 for a season-high 286 yards and three touchdowns en route to MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors … at Toledo, went 18-of-33 for 205 yards and two touchdowns ... in the win at Western Michigan, went 13-of-24 for 127 yards and a touchdown ... in the win over Ball State, threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-30 … in the MAC win at Bowling Green, rushed for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give UA a 27-23 lead … the rushing TD was the fourth of Woodson’s career and his first since 2015 … went 13-of-24 for 168 yards and two touchdowns ... at Troy, went 20-of-40 for 268 yards and a touchdown … against Iowa State, went 25-of-40 for 240 yards and two touchdowns … in the 52-3 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff, went 15-of-20 for 166 yards and a touchdown … also rushed for 16 yards … in the season opener at No. 6 Penn State, went 12-of-23 for 71 yards … lettered … preseason fourth-team All-MAC by Athlon Sports.
As a Junior (2016): Started eight games … went 146-of-242 for 2,079 yards and 18 touchdowns, surpassing his mark for passing TDs (16) from 2015 … against Bowling Green, played the first series before leaving the game with an injury … finished with 316 yards passing and two touchdowns on 17-of-33 throwing against Toledo … opened the game with a 91-yard touchdown pass to junior WR Jerome Lane on the Zips’ very first play of the game … the pass play was the longest of the season and the second longest in school history (record was 92 yards against Indiana State in 1974) … went 18-of-42 for 178 yards and a touchdown at Buffalo … missed three games due to injury … returned to the starting line-up in the win at Ball State … finished with two touchdowns on 27-of-40 throwing for 338 yards … trailing 17-7 at halftime, guided the Zips to 21 unanswered points to open the second stanza … had a career-high 31 completions on 43 attempts for 353 yards and three touchdowns against Appalachian State … in the win at Marshall, went 21-of-32 for 379 yards and four passing touchdowns while running for a three-yard score of his own … went 9-of-19 for 108 yards at No. 10 Wisconsin … in the season opener against VMI, went 23-of-32 for a career-high 407 yards and a career-best and school record six touchdowns en route to MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 5) honors … finished with 420 yards of total offense … switched to jersey #4 after wearing #13 for two seasons … College Sports Madness MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18) … Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Month (Sept.) … named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List … preseason fourth-team All-MAC by Athlon Sports … named co-Offensive MVP following spring drills … lettered.
As a Sophomore (2015): Recipient of the Harry “Doc” Smith Award … MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 23) … MAC Offensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (Sept. 27) … Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 12, Sept. 28) … played in all 13 games with 10 consecutive starts at quarterback … Zips’ top quarterback, going 162-of-305 for 2,202 yards and 16 touchdowns … finished second in rushing with 600 yards and three touchdowns on 136 carries as well as a 14-yard TD reception … stands No. 12 on the career (3,008 yards) passing yards list … in the Potato Bowl win over Utah State, Woodson went 14-of-29 for 168 yards … team’s leading rusher with 47 yards on 16 carries and had a 14-yard TD reception. … in the shutout of Kent State, threw for 11-of-19 and 140 yards and a touchdown … in the win over Buffalo, threw for 17-of-30 and 258 yards and a career-high four touchdowns … in the win at Miami (Ohio), went 13-of-28 for 221 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 70 yards … in the win at UMass, went 15-for-27 for 174 yards and a touchdown … also rushed for 58 yards and a 15-yard TD run ... against Central Michigan, was 22-of-26 for 252 yards and a touchdown ... against Bowling Green, went 13-for-28 for 91 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 54 yards ... in the MAC win at Eastern Michigan, had a career-high four touchdown passes, all in the first half … finished 14-of-22 for 222 yards … in the MAC opener against Ohio, went 18-of-38 231 yards … moved into the starting role at Louisiana and he maintained the role for the rest of the season … In the win at Louisiana, finished the game at 13-of-29 for 238 yards and two touchdowns … his 72-yard TD pass to Jerome Lane was a career-long … was also the Zips’ leading rusher, finishing with a career-high 93 yards and 14-yard touchdown on eight carries … came off the bench in the win over Savannah State and guided the Zips to the endzone … finished the game 12-of-20 for 207 yards and a touchdown … also rushed 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown … played on a short-yardage play against Pitt but recorded no stats … rushed three times for 30 yards at No. 19 Oklahoma … lettered.
As a Redshirt Freshman (2014): Recipient of the Harry “Doc” Smith Award Outstanding Freshman Award (offense) … appeared in eight games with two starts at quarterback … was 76-of-143 for 806 yards and five touchdowns … also rushed 32 times for 131 yards … received the starting nod against Ohio … became the first freshman/redshirt freshman QB to start a game for the Zips since 2009 … also became the first freshman/redshirt freshman to make a road start since 2009 … playing the fourth quarter at Buffalo, went 4-of-6 for 33 yards … received his second start at Ball State … went 21-of-39 for 200 yards and a touchdown while throwing four interceptions … in his first complete game, finished 23-of-45 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs, at Ohio … was the leading rusher with 44 yards on 12 carries … in the win over Miami, played the entire second half … went 7-of-14 for 64 yards while rushing for eight yards … went 6-of-10 for 29 yards while rushing six times for 60 yards in the win over Eastern Michigan … in the win at Pittsburgh, played two series, going 2-of-6 for 20 yards … played the entire fourth quarter against Marshall … went 8-of-15 for 100 yards and a touchdown … saw his first game action off the bench in the win over Howard … went 5-of-8 for 92 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Austin Wolf … lettered.
As a Freshman (2013): Redshirted.
High School: Three-year varsity starter at Gateway Senior HS ... as a senior, completed 118-of-204 passes for a school-record 2,395 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions ... had 60 carries for 237 yards and three scores ... during his junior season, completed 93-of-202 passes for 1,362 yards and 12 touchdowns, and helped the Gators to a WPIAL AAAA semifinal finish ... had 118 carries for 469 yards and five touchdowns.
Personal: Born July 31, 1995 … parents are Thomas and Mia Woodson … has a brother Tomi and a sister Miya … construction engineering technology major.
As a Junior (2016): Started eight games … went 146-of-242 for 2,079 yards and 18 touchdowns, surpassing his mark for passing TDs (16) from 2015 … against Bowling Green, played the first series before leaving the game with an injury … finished with 316 yards passing and two touchdowns on 17-of-33 throwing against Toledo … opened the game with a 91-yard touchdown pass to junior WR Jerome Lane on the Zips’ very first play of the game … the pass play was the longest of the season and the second longest in school history (record was 92 yards against Indiana State in 1974) … went 18-of-42 for 178 yards and a touchdown at Buffalo … missed three games due to injury … returned to the starting line-up in the win at Ball State … finished with two touchdowns on 27-of-40 throwing for 338 yards … trailing 17-7 at halftime, guided the Zips to 21 unanswered points to open the second stanza … had a career-high 31 completions on 43 attempts for 353 yards and three touchdowns against Appalachian State … in the win at Marshall, went 21-of-32 for 379 yards and four passing touchdowns while running for a three-yard score of his own … went 9-of-19 for 108 yards at No. 10 Wisconsin … in the season opener against VMI, went 23-of-32 for a career-high 407 yards and a career-best and school record six touchdowns en route to MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 5) honors … finished with 420 yards of total offense … switched to jersey #4 after wearing #13 for two seasons … College Sports Madness MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18) … Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Month (Sept.) … named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List … preseason fourth-team All-MAC by Athlon Sports … named co-Offensive MVP following spring drills … lettered.
As a Sophomore (2015): Recipient of the Harry “Doc” Smith Award … MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 23) … MAC Offensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (Sept. 27) … Zips’ Student-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 12, Sept. 28) … played in all 13 games with 10 consecutive starts at quarterback … Zips’ top quarterback, going 162-of-305 for 2,202 yards and 16 touchdowns … finished second in rushing with 600 yards and three touchdowns on 136 carries as well as a 14-yard TD reception … stands No. 12 on the career (3,008 yards) passing yards list … in the Potato Bowl win over Utah State, Woodson went 14-of-29 for 168 yards … team’s leading rusher with 47 yards on 16 carries and had a 14-yard TD reception. … in the shutout of Kent State, threw for 11-of-19 and 140 yards and a touchdown … in the win over Buffalo, threw for 17-of-30 and 258 yards and a career-high four touchdowns … in the win at Miami (Ohio), went 13-of-28 for 221 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 70 yards … in the win at UMass, went 15-for-27 for 174 yards and a touchdown … also rushed for 58 yards and a 15-yard TD run ... against Central Michigan, was 22-of-26 for 252 yards and a touchdown ... against Bowling Green, went 13-for-28 for 91 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 54 yards ... in the MAC win at Eastern Michigan, had a career-high four touchdown passes, all in the first half … finished 14-of-22 for 222 yards … in the MAC opener against Ohio, went 18-of-38 231 yards … moved into the starting role at Louisiana and he maintained the role for the rest of the season … In the win at Louisiana, finished the game at 13-of-29 for 238 yards and two touchdowns … his 72-yard TD pass to Jerome Lane was a career-long … was also the Zips’ leading rusher, finishing with a career-high 93 yards and 14-yard touchdown on eight carries … came off the bench in the win over Savannah State and guided the Zips to the endzone … finished the game 12-of-20 for 207 yards and a touchdown … also rushed 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown … played on a short-yardage play against Pitt but recorded no stats … rushed three times for 30 yards at No. 19 Oklahoma … lettered.
As a Redshirt Freshman (2014): Recipient of the Harry “Doc” Smith Award Outstanding Freshman Award (offense) … appeared in eight games with two starts at quarterback … was 76-of-143 for 806 yards and five touchdowns … also rushed 32 times for 131 yards … received the starting nod against Ohio … became the first freshman/redshirt freshman QB to start a game for the Zips since 2009 … also became the first freshman/redshirt freshman to make a road start since 2009 … playing the fourth quarter at Buffalo, went 4-of-6 for 33 yards … received his second start at Ball State … went 21-of-39 for 200 yards and a touchdown while throwing four interceptions … in his first complete game, finished 23-of-45 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs, at Ohio … was the leading rusher with 44 yards on 12 carries … in the win over Miami, played the entire second half … went 7-of-14 for 64 yards while rushing for eight yards … went 6-of-10 for 29 yards while rushing six times for 60 yards in the win over Eastern Michigan … in the win at Pittsburgh, played two series, going 2-of-6 for 20 yards … played the entire fourth quarter against Marshall … went 8-of-15 for 100 yards and a touchdown … saw his first game action off the bench in the win over Howard … went 5-of-8 for 92 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Austin Wolf … lettered.
As a Freshman (2013): Redshirted.
High School: Three-year varsity starter at Gateway Senior HS ... as a senior, completed 118-of-204 passes for a school-record 2,395 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions ... had 60 carries for 237 yards and three scores ... during his junior season, completed 93-of-202 passes for 1,362 yards and 12 touchdowns, and helped the Gators to a WPIAL AAAA semifinal finish ... had 118 carries for 469 yards and five touchdowns.
Personal: Born July 31, 1995 … parents are Thomas and Mia Woodson … has a brother Tomi and a sister Miya … construction engineering technology major.
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