In three years at Oregon State, Storm Woods racked up over 2,000 rushing yards and added nearly 1,000 more through catches. He had seen enough success at the Division I level to believe his cuts and his jukes packed adequate pizzazz.
That was before running backs coach Telly Lockette arrived in Corvallis as part of Gary Andersen’s new staff.
“When I used to watch film before he came, I thought I was making some good moves,” Woods laughs. “He was like, ‘naw man. We can’t have that. You look stiff. You’re not loose.’”
Before long, Lockette prescribed some quick stop drills, and Woods has been hammering away at them ever since. The fresh regimen is designed to improve his footwork, his vision and the fluidity of his hips.
“[Lockette’s] a running backs guru,” Woods says. “He’s helping me so much with my reads and my ankle mobility. He’s teaching us new concepts of speed, depth and hole location.”
Andersen’s new regime is making its presence felt at Oregon State, and it’s clear that Woods is embracing change on both an individual and a schematic level.
“The faster you buy in, the faster you’re successful,” he says. “As a leader, I understand that message.”
Woods’ first three seasons at Oregon State have all featured healthy production, but the stars may now be aligning for him to post a truly eye-popping 2015 campaign. Terron Ward, who split carries with Woods in the past, has exhausted his eligibility. Sean Mannion, the Pac-12’s all-time passing leader, is gone too. So if there were ever a year in which Woods might be expected to shoulder the Beavers’ offensive load, this is it -- Andersen, after all, is the coach who let Melvin Gordon run wild to the tune of 2,587 yards at Wisconsin last season.
There’s one more development that’s particularly appealing to Woods: The Beavers return all five of their starting offensive linemen.
“It’s a dream come true,” the senior says.
Woods is quick to note that he’s watched junior tackle Sean Harlow “grow since he was a baby,” and he believes that the chemistry which comes when a group naturally meshes together over time will pay dividends in 2015.
“Our offensive linemen have developed experience and maturity, and it’s led to a beautiful mindset,” Woods says. “The biggest thing I appreciate is that they come out with a pissed-off mentality every single day at practice. Whether they give a great block or if they get beat, they’re fighting until the end of the whistle, and that’s all you want as a running back.”
For the Beavers to rebound from last season’s disappointing 5-7 record (they dropped six of their last seven Pac-12 games), Woods and the veteran line will have to foster the development and integration of a new quarterback. Mannion was at the controls for four seasons so this is expected to be a full-scale overhaul for Oregon State, especially since new offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin is installing an up-tempo offense to replace the pro-style days of the past. Seth Collins, Luke Del Rio, and Nick Mitchell are the three finalists battling for the quarterback spot.
“I have to be a big brother to the quarterback, because all of them are young and don’t have a whole lot of experience,” Woods says. “We’re going to take them and make sure they don’t get too high or too low -- stay even keeled.”
Containing excitement may prove challenging given the high-output track record of Baldwin-led offenses in previous stops at Michigan State, New Mexico, Utah State, and Colorado State. Last season, Baldwin’s Rams were the only FBS team to feature a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,700-yard receiver and a 1,200-yard rusher. Woods says that a quick look at those numbers has helped fuel his adaptation to a demanding new system.
“You definitely have to be in better shape,” he says. “And you have to learn the offense inside and out. When the play is signaled, you have a five-second span where you get your assignment and you have to know every single concept, every single formation, where the wide receivers are, and where the offensive line is blocking.”
The pace may have been frenetic at first, but the challenge of corralling it has infused the senior with a newfound sense of energy and optimism as he enters his final go-round.
“I want to lead my team to 11 victories and win the Pac-12,” Woods says. “I have big dreams and big goals like that. Hard work speaks for itself. I want to end my career with a bang and let the young guys learn from that.”
Woods is aware that the realization of lofty dreams is born in small initial steps so it’s clear that his focus isn’t fixated on the destination, but rather the details of the journey to get there -- and those start with the drills that Lockette has prescribed to make him a more limber and explosive runner.
“If I had that kind of success in the Pac-12 being stiff, I can only imagine how I’ll feel when I’m loose,” he says.
