Robert Thomas Woods (born April 10, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He previously played for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans.
Early years
Woods was born in Gardena, California on April 10, 1992. He first attended Killian Elementary and Alvarado Intermediate. He then attended and played high school football and ran track at Junípero Serra High School in Gardena, California, where he was a teammate of George Farmer and Marqise Lee. In his junior year, in 2008, Woods had 81 receptions for 1,378 yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with 15 carries for 124 rushing yards on offense. He also had 87 tackles, seven interceptions, and one fumble recovery on defense.
In his senior year, in 2009, Woods caught 66 passes for 1,112 yards, had five carries for 70 yards, and had 96 total tackles along with eight interceptions and a forced fumble on defense for the Serra Cavaliers. In his senior year, his team won the CIF Northwestern Division Championship defeating west coast power house Oaks Christian, ending their winning streak at 34. His team would then play and beat Marin Catholic 24–20 to win the CIF Division 3 state championship and complete the season undefeated 15–0. They ranked fifth in the West according to USA Today. Following his senior season, Woods was recognized as a USA Today high school All-American and played in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
As an accomplished sprinter, Woods was a 2010 All-USA high school track & field selection by USA Today. He recorded personal bests of 21.04 seconds in the 200 meter dash, and 46.17 seconds in the 400 meter dash. Woods' 400 meters time of 46.17 ranked him #11 on the 2010 World Junior list, #4 in the USA. At the 2010 CIF California State Meet, Woods finished runner-up in the 400 metres to Joshua Mance in a photo finish. He placed third in the 200 metres, behind Remontay McClain and Davonte Stewart. He had career-bests of 21.04 seconds in the 200 metres and 46.17 seconds in the 400 metres. He graduated in 2010. Scout.com rated him as the No. 11 prospect overall and No. 1 wide receiver prospect. Rivals.com listed him as the nation's No. 6 overall recruit, and the No. 1 ranked athlete. He accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California.
College career
Woods played college football for the USC Trojans football from 2010 to 2012 under head coach Lane Kiffin.
2010 season
Woods was an immediate contributor for the Trojans as a freshman. In his first collegiate game, at Hawaii, he had four receptions for 46 receiving yards. On September 18, against Minnesota, he had his first collegiate touchdown on a 97-yard kickoff return. On September 25, against Washington State, he had his first collegiate receiving touchdown, a 11-yard reception from quarterback Matt Barkley. On October 9, he had a breakout performance with 12 receptions for 224 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns against Stanford. In his next game, he had seven receptions for 116 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns against California. Overall, he finished his freshman season with 65 receptions for 792 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. In addition, he was a prolific kickoff returner, finishing first in the Pac-10 that year in kickoff returns with 38 and kickoff return yards with 971.