The Remarkable Student-Athletes of Morehouse & Colgate: Jeff Woodward
Introduction
Archer’s Raiders is an organization that seeks to unify politically progressive fans, students, and alumni of Colgate University & Morehouse College through the passionate support of our sports programs. The namesake of this organization is Samuel “Big Boy” Archer Sr., one of the first Black football players to play for Colgate University and Morehouse College’s 5th President.
What follows this introduction is the second of many interviews I plan to host that are designed to showcase the nuance and intellect of current and former Colgate and Morehouse student-athletes. People often have the misconception that athletes are one dimensional; lacking the range to speak on different important issues facing the country today. But the fact is that pro and college level athletes are often intimately connected to their communities and the challenges facing them. These athletes have a unique platform to speak on these challenges and raise awareness about a host of important political issues.
Through these interviews and profiles, you will find that Colgate and Morehouse student athletes all have remarkable stories — and that each of them represents the values that our schools stand for in their own unique ways. Hopefully, the Colgate and Morehouse communities enjoy reading the profiles and watching the interviews as much as I enjoy putting them together.
Jeff Woodward
Audubon is a small, quaint town of roughly 9,000 people in the Southeast corner of Pennsylvania. The city is well developed with parks, restaurants, and shopping centers within close proximity to one another; easily accessible for all. The residents are kind and welcoming; the schools are held in high regard. All in all, it must be said that Audubon is a wonderful place to raise a family. The Audubon community is an intimate one; and the children of Audubon first forge the connections at the root of this community through the local recreational association.
The Audubon Recreational Association, or ARA, is a youth sports organization that is a cornerstone of the city of Audubon. They offer competition, camaraderie, and companionship to families via basketball, softball, and baseball. It was through the Association that young Jeff Woodward, a son of Audubon, Pennsylvania, would be introduced to the sport of basketball.
Jeff is a 20 year old center for the Colgate Raiders basketball team. He is the youngest child of Maggi, a healthcare worker, and Kevin, a retired computer programmer. As a boy, Jeff was fascinated by American history; a fascination he had ample opportunity to explore given Audubon’s proximity to Valley Forge National Park and Gettysburg. He absolutely loved learning about the great American wars: American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II. Growing up, Jeff was an avid reader who took a particular interest in astronomy, psychology, and politics. He was also a boy scout, and his persistence, leadership, and strength of character are evident in him achieving the rank of eagle scout — the highest rank a boy scout can earn. And, of course, like many children of Audubon, he was a basketball player with the Audubon Recreational Association.
Jeff’s basketball career started at the age of 7. Initially, as one would expect, the level of play was low and the games were disorganized. But, as time passed, Jeff grew in skill and in size. Today, Jeff stands 6 foot 11 and weighs 270 pounds; but he first realized he was bigger than his peers in 3rd grade when he began playing competitively in Travel Basketball. Travel basketball is basketball with stakes. No longer were the games disorganized, nor was the level low. Wins and losses are recorded; people start to take notice. While his 3rd grade team was not very good (Jeff recalls them winning 2 or 3 games), things began to take a turn for the better in 4th grade — a core of players developed that would stick together through middle school, and the team started to win.
By the time Jeff enrolled at Methacton High School in 2016, he began to see a future for himself in basketball beyond the youth level. He had always been bigger than the other children, but now he found that he was more skilled than them as well. From his sophomore to senior year in high school, the Methacton Warriors basketball team posted an 83–22 record with Jeff as the cornerstone of their success. During those 3 years he was named his team’s defensive most valuable player at the end of each season. Over the course of his high school career, he set school records for points scored, rebounds grabbed, and shots blocked. And, in his senior year, he was named Times Herald All-Area Player of the Year.
Perhaps Methacton’s most impressive single game performance of Jeff’s career came on the eve of December 18th of 2018, during his junior year, when Methacton upset Pennsylvania basketball powerhouse Neumann-Goritti. It is a night that Jeff remembers fondly to this day.
When Jeff began playing for Colgate in 2020, he was a bit surprised to find that his game immediately translated to the Division I college level. He knew he was big, and he knew he was good; but was he really that good? As it would turn out, Jeff Woodward was, indeed, that good. How good you ask? Well, after his freshman season at Colgate, Jeff was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team and was named Colgate Athletics Rookie of the Year. He was a key contributor on a team that won the Patriot League en route to recording the Colgate Raiders 4th ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
To the untrained eye, what makes Jeff Woodward an exceptional basketball player might go unnoticed. His sheer size and strength obviously stand out upon first viewing. His relentlessly high motor, and willingness to run the floor hard every time down the court is also plain for all to see. But it’s Jeff’s mastery of the little nuances of the game that really make him special. He is an exquisite playmaker from the post, as evidenced by his phenomenal assist-turnover ratio; and he is a vocal leader on the defensive end as well. There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything on the basketball court, and Jeff almost always seems to make the right play at the right time. He’s always thinking one step ahead in every phase of the game — he sees the off-ball cut a teammate should make before they make it; he knows where his feet, body, and hands must be in each pick-and-roll coverage to effectively deter an opponent’s move before they navigate the screen.
In spite of his unquestionably high level of play over the last two seasons, Jeff continues to strive to expand his game. With a new season less than 100 days away, he is now working on his perimeter defense and switchability so as to allow his coach to diversify their defensive schemes and give the team more lineup flexibility.
Outside of basketball, Jeff majors in Psychology while minoring in Philosophy. He first developed a passion for psychology through his AP Psych. class at Methacton. He is driven by the fact that there is so much room for new research and discovery within the field. Once his basketball career ends he wants to be a clinical psychologist, and he is especially fascinated by social psychology.
When Jeff isn’t playing basketball or studying for school he enjoys spending time with his friends, family, and girlfriend. He likes eating out, spending time at the beach, and going to the gym. This summer, he is working at a camp for kids with special needs. The specific population he works with is primarily made up of non-verbal autistic youth. The program is designed to give the children access to a traditional summer camp experience, including outdoor experiences like swimming and hiking, arts and crafts, and extracurricular activities like music production and dancing. Jeff greatly enjoys the camp and finds the work very rewarding.
Jeff is very much looking forward to his junior year academically, athletically, and socially. I’m grateful for how generous he was with his time, and I hope you enjoy listening to our discussion as much as I enjoyed speaking with him.
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For the first profile and interview of this series featuring Morehouse College basketball legend James Walker, click here.
For the third profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University basketball player Oliver Lynch-Daniels, click here.
For the fourth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Max Edelstein, click here.
For the fifth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Bobby Foose, click here.
For the sixth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Alejandro Coury, click here.
For the seventh profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Mason Pahule, click here.
For the eighth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University rower Noha Shahba, click here.
For the ninth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University rugby player Tommy McHale, click here.
For the tenth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Cason Stafford, click here.
For the eleventh profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Rory Brookhart, click here.
