gridironmike Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 http://www.cfl.ca/CFLPlayerSpotlight/home.html Pat Wood**** February 17, 2004 was a big day in the world of Pat Wood****. It was the day that Wood**** found out that, yes, you can come home. Following a three-year off and on stint that was split between the Montreal Alouettes and the NFL, the Kanata native signed a two-year deal with the Ottawa Renegades that allowed him to go full circle. Wood**** attended Holy Trinity High School in Kanata before earning a degree and enhancing his reputation as a receiver at Syracuse University in upstate New York. But it would be hard for him to have imagined he would one day be lined up on the field at Frank Clair Stadium. "I really had no idea," he offered The Insider. "Playing in Ottawa was something I dreamt of, but it was really hard to see that far into the future. Quite obviously, it is great to be home. To be able to do this is something I have thought about for a long time and so having it finally come to be is really amazing." Amazing, yes. But not impossible. Wood****'s unlikely journey started when he was signed as an undrafted free-agent by the New York Giants in 2001, along with fellow Ottawa native Jesse Palmer. He was waived at the beginning of the season after making the team in training camp. And, thus the trek back and forth between the CFL and NFL began for Pat. He finished the 2001 season with the Als as a special teams player. The 2002 season allowed Wood**** to devote his entire season to one team - the Alouettes. The heady season culminated with the Als winning the Grey Cup in Edmonton by a 23-16 score over the hometown Eskimos. Wood**** was named Outstanding Canadian in the game and was also a part of history by being on the receiving end of a Grey Cup record 99-yard pass and run play. The 2003 season saw Wood**** head south for another shot at the NFL that came to an end in August of that year. So it was back for another season in Montreal. Pat rang up 222 receiving yards in 6 games. Another trip to the Grey Cup closed out his season, this one a 34-22 loss to the Eskimos. But through it all, Wood**** has had the support of family and friends. And that is not lost on him. "My family has been a very important part of my life," he continued. "Their unwavering support of me and everything I have attempted to do has obviously meant a lot. In addition, they have all helped me to understand the importance of balancing dedication, hard work and the ability to spend quality time with family and friends." Wood**** has certainly made a few friends along the way, with all of the miles he has logged so far. But it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for another shot south of the 49th. "A return to the NFL is not something I am about to abandon just yet, but it is certainly on the back-burner. The constant travel and back-and-forth nature of my career the last few years got pretty tiring. I'm really looking forward to being in one place for an extended period, and really being able to concentrate on being the best player I can be. If an opportunity presents itself in the future, I will consider it then." One thing that won't have to be considered this year is an air of split allegiances in the Wood**** household. For the past two seasons the topic of football has been taboo in their household for good reason. Pat's wife is a member of the Renegades dance team so they decided it was in everyone's best interests to not talk football in the home. But that, too, has changed. "The opportunity for both my wife and I to remain in our house for the entire year will be a tremendous advantage, eliminating some travel, long-distance bills and things like that. Down side is that I will have to do more around the house." Small price to pay if it means more time on the homestead. Wood**** has certainly had his eyes opened wide by his journey to date. But not so wide that he hasn't taken the time to smell the roses and get an understanding of the possible pressures that may arise with Ottawa playing host to the 2004 Grey Cup. "Since coming back this past year, I have had two big thrills", he continued. "First, was returning to the Grey Cup. I think that will be a thrill no matter how many times I get the chance. The second big thrill was signing with the Renegades and having the opportunity to play in my hometown. Now, as far as the Grey Cup being in Ottawa this year, I am not sure if that creates any extra pressure, but there certainly is a buzz about the 2004 season. I think everybody, within the organization as well as the fans, are excited about our chances to be successful this year, and the Grey Cup is only adding to the excitement for football in Ottawa." Small guess, but it would be safe to say that thrill number three for Wood**** and family would be winning the Grey Cup in front of those hometown fans. The circle would, indeed, be complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickNick Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Oh I remember him, like it was yesterday. Glorious times those were, filled with hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridironmike Posted March 18, 2004 Author Share Posted March 18, 2004 Originally posted by SlickNick no? Tsk, tsk. Read on.... http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=11805 07/31/2003 The Redskins held a morning practice that ran for over two hours. The team does not have an afternoon session for the first time since training camp began on Monday. Washington is set to resume practicing Friday, with both morning and afternoon sessions. Here's a look at some highlights from the Thursday morning practice at Redskins Park.................... Player: Pat Wood****. The first-year Syracuse product is trying to make the team as a wide receiver. Despite his diminutive size--he stands at 5-9, 183 pounds--Wood**** has stood out at Redskins practices during training camp so far. On Thursday he continued to catch almost everything thrown his way, displaying his trademark quickness throughout the morning session. and..... http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/237269 http://www.canoe.com/Slam030911/cfl_mtl-cp.html Wood**** returns to Alouettes after being cut by Redskins MONTREAL (CP) -- Receiver Pat Wood****, the outstanding Canadian at last year's Grey Cup, returned to the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, less than two weeks after being cut by the Washington Redskins. "We're very happy to have him back," said Als general manager Jim Popp. "We were pulling hard for him to make it in the NFL, obviously from a financial standpoint. But I think he's at peace with it. He's ready to move on." Wood**** was among the final Redskins cuts on Aug. 31.......... P.S. It was only a lighthearted post.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallyG3 Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Ah yes, I remember.... Some of the greatest puns in Extremeskins history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickNick Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 oh its a joke. ah, I get jokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallyG3 Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 No dude, it's not a joke. Pat Wood**** is a real player. He was in camp last year but didn't make the cut. Things kept popping up, he kept getting beat, he started strong but would wither after a long workout, he had a lot of burst, he could go long, etc etc etc... Now Stinky Stemke, that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunClintonRun Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 Did a Google search and found this, so I apologize for bringing up such an old post, but I was in a "flea marketish" type store today and picked this up... game used... crazy that it was just sitting there in between a bunch of retail jerseys and he had it for an amazing price. I didn't know who was at the time, but you can't pass up a good deal on a gamer. Turns out he went to the CFL and won two Grey Cups. Good for him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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