Out of the shadows: NFL star, older brothers prepped Boise State defender for spotlight
Boise State defensive end Tavion Woodard is used to being overshadowed.
In high school, he followed his older brother, Maurice, who was a star running back at West Lafayette in Indiana and set program records for career rushing yards, points and touchdowns. Maurice went on to win two NAIA national championships at Marian University.
Woodard’s oldest brother, Aaron, was also a starting running back at West Lafayette when the team won a state title in 2009.
Woodard also played the same position at West Lafayette as Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis, who went to Purdue and was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Woodard wasn’t heavily recruited in high school. His only scholarship offer from an FBS program came from Ball State, even though he helped West Lafayette win a state title as a senior in 2018. He put together a productive career at Ball State, and now he’s determined to make his final season of eligibility a memorable one.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Indiana native joined the Broncos in January after five seasons at Ball State.
“This is a great program,” Woodard said Thursday. “They showed me love and treated me like family, and showed me that if I work hard and handle my business on and off the field, I’ll be able to contribute.”
Woodard benefited from being an underdog early in his career. He said chasing his older brothers around helped him develop the determination to chase quarterbacks. That mentality helped him post 83 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 42 games at Ball State.
“Every pass rush starts with the get-off,” he said. “It’s like playing chess with the offensive tackles. You have to play off of them and always trust and believe in yourself.”
Playing next to rising stars
Woodard also benefited from playing next to Karlaftis. He got the better of plenty of one-on-one matchups with blockers as a junior and senior at West Lafayette, while Karlaftis was double- and triple-teamed. Woodard posted nine sacks during his final two high school seasons, including one in West Lafayette’s 47-42 win over Evansville Memorial in the 2018 Class 3A state championship game.
“To be honest, Tavion was probably a better football player than George at the time,” West Lafayette coach Shane Fry said. “Tavion played most of his life, and George was still learning how to play the game. Tavion really found himself as an athlete and a leader his junior year, and he was a huge part of our state title run in 2018.”
Karlaftis was born in Athens, Greece, and grew up playing basketball and water polo. He didn’t start playing football until he moved to the United States as a teenager. It didn’t take him long to catch on, though. He finished his high school with 41 career sacks and posted 14.5 in three seasons at Purdue, despite playing in just three games in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Karlaftis finished his rookie season with the Chiefs with six sacks and racked up 10.5 last season while helping Kansas City win Super Bowl LVII. Woodard said Karlaftis helped make him the pass rusher he is today.
“I learned a lot of speed and power moves from him, and how to have that motor,” Woodard said. “He certainly keeps that motor going.”
Woodard is lining up this year next to another rising star who didn’t grow up playing football. Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein was born in the U.S., but he didn’t start playing football until he moved back from Egypt when he was 16.
Hassanein became the first Bronco to finish a season with more than 10 sacks since 2019, posting 12.5 last fall. He was named preseason co-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in July.
Even though Karlaftis and Hassanein both have bright futures despite getting to the sport late in life, Woodard said they’re completely different on the field.
“Ahmed has a different animal in him,” Woodard said. “His leadership stands out, he’s a hard worker and he’s proven he’s accountable.”
Boise State needs a pass rusher to emerge this season as a complement to Hassanein, and Woodard is at the top of the list, head coach Spencer Danielson said.
“Tavion learned and grew a lot in the spring, and he had a great summer,” Danielson said. “I tell the guys all the time, ‘You are what you put on tape,’ and Tavion has certainly put the work in.”
‘He’s not a big talker’
Woodard may have moved across the country to join a new team this year, but he’s quite familiar with one of Boise State’s newest coaches. He followed former Ball State defensive coordinator Tyler Stockton to the Gem State. Stockton was hired as the Broncos’ safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator last December.
“We built a great relationship,” Woodard said. “He’s always been there for me, always just a call away.”
Stockton said the most impressive thing about Woodard is his tireless work ethic.
“He’s not a big talker,” Stockton said. “He puts his head down and just works, and he really fits this program.”
Stockton also said Woodard is a complete defender, not just a pass rush specialist.
“He showed in flashes at Ball State that he can be physical against the run,” Stockton said. “When we needed a big stop or to get after the quarterback, he showed he’s capable of doing that as well.”
