CONWAY -- Jonathan Woodard knows what his old friend from high school would tell him in preparation for his senior season.
"Just to ball out," Woodard said Monday. "This is your last year, don't leave anything in the tank."
Jonathan Woodard glance
SCHOOL Central Arkansas
POSITION Defensive end
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 6-6
WEIGHT 280 pounds
NOTABLE Preseason first-team All-Southland Conference and preseason first-team FCS All-American. … Recorded 10 sacks and 18 1/2 tackles for loss last season. … Woodard’s 25 career sacks are second all-time at UCA. Mike Hoffman’s 30 accumulated in 1979-1982 are the record. … Totaled 7 sacks in 2012 and in 2013. … Had a school-record 3 1/2 sacks in a victory last season at Stephen F. Austin.
Woodard, Central Arkansas' senior defensive end who has received Southland Conference and national accolades this preseason, won't hear those words directly from Payne Shanafelt, who died last Aug. 18 in Brentwood, Tenn. But Shanafelt won't be far from Woodard this season. Last spring, Woodard switched from wearing jersey No. 90 to No. 3, which Shanafelt wore as a wide receiver for Ravenwood High School
Woodard arrived at UCA in 2011, the same year Shanafelt went to West Liberty, an NCAA Division II school in Wheeling, W.V. Shanafelt played one season there before moving back home to pursue a career as a welder, and though he was out of football, he attended some of Woodard's games and served as a workout buddy and solid source of encouragement.
"When I came home to work out while on breaks he was always in the gym or on the football field with me," Woodard said. "He means a lot to me."
Woodard is poised for a season that would make his old friend proud. He added an extra 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and has his sights set on UCA's career sack record.
Woodard was the Southland Defensive Player of the Year after recording 10 sacks last season. His 25 career sacks trail Mike Coffman's 30 for UCA's all-time record.
Woodard enters this season having been named a preseason first-team All-Southland pick and a preseason first-team FCS All-American by STATS.
"I think it's just motivation," said Woodard of handling the preseason attention. "Because you have to go out and get those goals. You don't want to just be a preseason All-American who doesn't live up to those standards."
Coach Steve Campbell said he spoke to Woodard briefly this summer about handling such attention, but only as a formality. He makes a practice of doing it to every player who has his name mentioned so often in the summer months, but realized fairly quickly he didn't have to with Woodard.
"Jonathan doesn't think that way," Campbell said.
Campbell compared Woodard to three defensive linemen -- Terrance Cody, John Jenkins and Howard Green -- he coached at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College who went on to have good pro careers.
"None of them are were any better than Jonathan at this stage in their careers," Campbell said. "He can go as far as anybody."
First for Woodard is putting a fitting end to his UCA career, which began four years ago as an unheralded 225-pound defensive end. Woodard has gradually put on weight each offseason. He was 260 pounds two years ago but began camp last week at 280. He said Monday he never thought he'd get that heavy, but acknowledged it could make him even more attractive to NFL scouts who pass through Conway this fall.
It was a simple formula, Woodard said, consisting of a robust diet and a summer spent with strength and conditioning coach Robert Stiner.
"When I got here I thought I'd only get to 250," Woodard said. "Then I got to 260 and I didn't think I saw myself getting any higher. I'm at 280 now, and I feel fine. As long as it doesn't slow me down, I feel like I can add it."
It'll help him put a fitting cap to his college career, too, which will be played in memory of one of his best friends.
"He's always on my mind when I take the field," Woodard said. "I can look at my number and know I'm making him proud."
Sports on 08/11/2015