During his tenure with the Virginia football team, fifth-year senior safety Brandon Woods has learned important lessons about teamwork, dedication and cooperation on and off the field. Now, Woods can apply these values to another aspect of his life: marriage.
When the Cavaliers had a bye-week three weeks ago, Woods and his high school sweetheart, Khama Deleston, tied the knot in an official ceremony in Charlottesville. Deleston, who the safety started dating during his freshman year of high school, currently serves in the U.S. Air Force and works at the nearby Virginia Military Institute.
It is a rare occurrence that a player should hold such a momentous ceremony midseason as the couple chose to do. Woods made sure to discuss his plans for an in-season exchanging of vows with Virginia coach Al Groh, however, and not only did Groh give Woods his blessing, but he also him gave some invaluable marriage advice.
"We definitely talked about it," Woods said. "He knew I was making the right decision. It was a personal life decision, on a bye-week. Yeah, it was during the football season, but it was on a day of not having practice, so, that was better - that was much easier. He gave me a couple tips on being a married man."
Woods said his teammates were very happy for him and his new bride. He and his wife plan on going to the Bahamas for their honeymoon - but not until after the completion of the 2009 football season, of course.
On the field, Woods' final season with Virginia also has been marked by personal triumphs with a return to a starting position on the defensive side of the ball.
After the first three games of the 2008 season, Woods was benched in favor of then-freshman teammate Corey Mosley. Groh said Woods handled his demotion "admirably" and continued to work hard in hopes of helping the team as a whole, regardless of the amount of personal playing time he received.
"As football players, we all wanna play," Woods said. "But I take the team mentality - whatever we can do to win is what I want to see."
After working hard in the offseason and during training camp, Woods has seen time in all five of the Cavaliers' games this season. Woods eventually returned to his starting role on Virginia's stalwart defense in the team's first two wins of the season, against ACC rival North Carolina and non-conference opponent Indiana, and is listed first on the depth chart for this Saturday's game against Maryland.
As a starter, the Durhamn, N.C. native has made six solo tackles and has been an integral part of a Virginia secondary that has allowed only an average of 162.5 passing yards per game in the two Cavalier victories.
Woods could have opted not to return to Virginia for a fifth season, but his decision to play one final year with the Cavaliers has paid off - not only for him, but from a team aspect, as well.
"I love U.Va.," Woods said. "I love the coach that I have. I never had any doubts about coming back. I love to come back and play with my teammates another year"
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