Julius Wood, the thumping run-stopper

(Editor’s Observe: As a part of the preparation for coaching camp, this collection will introduce 25 gamers who’re new to the Cowboys’ roster, rookies and veterans alike. We proceed with Julius Wooden.)

How He Obtained Right here: Initially from Columbus, Ohio, Wooden didn’t generate any faculty curiosity out of Walnut Ridge Excessive College as he as a substitute opted to attend Blinn Junior School in Brenham, Texas. His two years within the JUCO ranks supplied a possibility for him to develop each bodily and on the sphere the place he blossomed right into a dependable run-stopping security presence. He then transferred to East Carolina the place he accounted for 174 tackles, 5 go deflections and 4 interceptions in his final two seasons with the Pirates. Wooden went undrafted within the 2024 NFL Draft, and Dallas rapidly swooped in to land one of many extra bodily, hard-hitting safeties in all the draft class.

What’s Subsequent: The protection room has some intriguing younger depth with gamers like Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell, however it was clear that Cowboys vp of participant personnel Will McClay wished so as to add some run sport knacks to the place when he added a pair of safeties within the undrafted class in Wooden and Emany Johnson. Wooden will enter coaching camp as one of many larger, extra bodily safeties on the roster at 6-foot-1, 193 kilos which might give him a bonus within the run sport in addition to on particular groups the place he might earn his stripes as early because the preseason. The Cowboys have made good use of undrafted expertise all through the staff’s historical past, and Wooden is definitely one participant to not look previous on this 12 months’s class.

Did You Know: Regardless of being a local of Ohio, Wooden’s journey to the Dallas Cowboys can be his second cease in Texas throughout his soccer profession after taking part in in junior faculty at Blinn in Brenham.

Quotable: “I really feel prefer it was the state of affairs, the roster facet — that was a very powerful — with the ability to compete. Actually, it got here all the way down to the place I really feel like was one of the best match…I felt just like the Cowboys, in my coronary heart, was the place I wanted to be at.” – Julius Wooden to The Holton Ahlers Present on why he selected the Cowboys over different post-draft gives