Hall of Fame Class of 2003
When one thinks of Oklahoma State’s great football tradition, names like Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas immediately come to mind. Between these two former Stillwater teammates we have a Heisman Trophy, multiple Super Bowl appearances and both have been enshrined in Canton, Ohio. However if we’re going to discuss great Cowboys over the years, then we must consider the Big XII’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receiving scores, the same pass catcher who owns the NCAA single-game record for touchdown receptions.
Why:
Rashaun Woods spent four years in Stillwater, and when it was time to move on, he held every major receiving record at the school. He teamed with current ChiSox 3rd baseman and one-time OSU quarterback Josh Fields to shatter records left and right. Woods surpassed the 100-yard barrier in 20 of his collegiate games, and he played on some bad Cowboys teams his first two years before reaping the rewards of Les Miles’ time at OSU. His final two campaigns saw him as the major contributor to campaigns of 8-5 and 9-4, two seasons that culminated in bowl appearances. Oklahoma fans will not forget Woods either, as he caught touchdown passes in 2001 and 2002 as the Cowboys shocked the Sooners both years to win the Bedlam Rivalry. The 2001 Woods’ score is especially painful for those who pull for the team in Norman.
The numbers:
Woods caught 29 balls as a freshman, 80 as a sophomore, 107 as a junior and 77 in his senior campaign. For his career he caught 293 footballs for 4414 yards and 42 scores. If it weren’t for that darn Taurean Henderson, Woods would own the Big XII record for career receptions. As it stands he does hold the conference record for receiving yards and scores in a career. He had receiving games of 232, 226 and 223 yards. He has two of the top five season receiving totals in conference history and he’d have the number one season were it not for one Michael Crabtree.
Signature moment:
The 27,000+ people who were present probably didn’t think they’d see anything more than a blowout before sitting down to see Oklahoma State tackle the hapless SMU Mustangs on September 20, 2003. Josh Fields’ seven touchdown passes were impressive in their own right, however the fact that Rashaun Woods caught all of them is what put this otherwise forgettable contest into the record books. Oklahoma State scored 52 points, and save for a field goal and extra points, Woods scored all of them. And he took it easy in the fourth quarter. The fantasy owner who was forced to attend a second cousin’s wedding was quite pleased when he checked the Sunday box score to find his stud receiver had gone for 13-232-7.
Final thought:
Woods has struggled to make a mark in the professional ranks, and following his June release by the Hamilton Tiger Cats, his opportunities may be coming to an end. However for four seasons there was no better college fantasy football receiver, and he’ll forever be mentioned around Stillwater in the same breath as those aforementioned Hall of Fame running backs.
Career stats: 293 catches, 4414 yards, 42 TDs receiving