Eric Wood life and biography

Eric Wood is an American football guard for the Buffalo Bills.

PRO:
Drafted with the team’s second pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft (28th overall)…first player taken by the Bills from Louisville in the first round.

2009:
* At NE (9/14): Made NFL debut, starting at RG… joined fellow 2009 draft selection LG Andy Levitre as the first two true rookies to start for the team in a season-opener since 1970 (9/20/70 vs. DEN)… joined fellow rookie, LG Andy Levitre and first-year player LT Demetrius Bell, as the first three offensive linemen to start an NFL game for a team without playing in an NFL game since the 1981 Washington Redskins… provided critical lead block along with C Geoff Hangartner on a RB Fred Jackson 3rd-and-15 conversion in the fourth quarter on a series producing a touchdown.
* Vs. TB (9/20): Started for the second straight week at RG… helped pave the way for RB Fred Jackson’s 163 yards rushing performance.
* At JAX (11/22): Started his 10th game at RG… left the game with a leg injury.
* Placed on Injured Reserve on November 24, 2009.

COLLEGE:
Consecutive start string of 49 ranked second in school history…49 starts were the sixth-longest streak among active NCAA players…For his career, Wood registered 328 knockdowns and 46 touchdown-resulting blocks... allowed just two quarterback pressures and one sack on 882 pass plays.

2008:
All-American third-team choice by The NFL Draft Report... All-Big East Conference first-team selection... Finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's premier center... Started all 12 games at center…recorded 78 knockdowns and 16 touchdown-resulting blocks…Did not allow any quarterback sacks or pressures on 391 pass plays.

2007:
All-Big East Conference first-team selection...Started all 12 games at center...Registered 86 knockdowns…Allowed one quarterback sack and two pressures on 491 pass plays.

2006:
Received All-Big East Conference second-team honors, as he started all thirteen games at center...member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List...Delivering 79 knockdowns for a unit that ranked second in the nation in total offense.

2005:
Freshman All-American first-team selection by Rivals.com and The Sporting News…earned second-team honors from College Football News…Academic All-Big East Conference recognition...Moved into the starting lineup at center, leading the team with 85 knockdowns.

PERSONAL:
Political Science major... Son of Diane and Randal Wood...Resides in Louisville, Ky, … Attended Elder (Cincinnati, OH) High School...Started every game over the course of his final two seasons...started at tackle and played tight end...Also earned a pair of letters playing on the basketball team, picking up All-League recognition in his final season.

COMMUNITY:
In 2009, Eric participated in the Toyota Rookie Club appearing at numerous community events throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario. The Toyota Rookie Club helps the franchises newest players become more involved in the Western New York community. Each month, Eric and all first year players did one community appearance as a group. The Toyota Rookie Club events included a visit to Dave & Buster’s to play video games and host a pizza party with pediatric cancer patients hosted by Brian Moorman’s PUNT Foundation, a visit to the Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute Panthers in Toronto, Ontario to discuss the importance of sport and activity with the student-athletes and to present the football team with $3,000 in new equipment for the school’s football program, and a trip to the Northwest Buffalo Community Center in November 2009 where the Rookie Club Members served Thanksgiving Dinner to approximately 300 children and families. In addition to serving food, the players introduced themselves to the community members during a brief ceremony, sat and ate with them, and signed autographs.

The final Rookie Club appearance of 2009 took place at the Annual Bills Holiday Party. The Rookie Club and Bills veterans hosted nearly 100 children from a number of different local community organizations. The Annual Holiday Party gives children from the organizations an opportunity to celebrate the holidays with the Bills players, Jills cheerleaders, Billy Buffalo, and Santa Claus. The children received a holiday dinner, pictures and autographs and gifts from a wish list that they had previously submitted.

Eric, along with fellow teammate Andy Levitre, also showed support for a local Playground Unveiling in Niagara Falls, NY. Through the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation, the school was granted a monetary donation for the playground to be built and the day after spring break the students were surprised to find their new playground completely built! Eric was there to help cut the ceremonial ribbon as well as sign autographs and take pictures with the students.

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