View source for David Woodley

{{Short description|American football player (1958–2003)}}
{{for|the Australian actor|David E. Woodley}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = David Woodley
| number      = 16, 19
| position    = [[Quarterback]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1958|10|25}}
| birth_place = [[Shreveport, Louisiana]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2003|5|4|1958|10|25}}
| death_place = Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 2
| weight_lb   = 204
| high_school = [[C. E. Byrd High School|C. E. Byrd]] (Shreveport)
| college     = [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] (1976–1979)
| draftyear   = 1980
| draftround  = 8
| draftpick   = 214
| pastteams   =
* [[Miami Dolphins]] ({{NFL Year|1980}}–{{NFL Year|1983}})
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ({{NFL Year|1984}}–{{NFL Year|1986}})
* [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{NFL Year|1987}})*
| highlights  =
* [[Pro Football Writers of America NFL All-Rookie Team|PFWA All-Rookie Team]] ([[Pro Football Writers of America NFL All-Rookie Team#1980|1980]])
| statlabel1  = Passing completions
| statvalue1  = 687
| statlabel2  = Passing attempts
| statvalue2  = 1,300
| statlabel3  = Completion percentage
| statvalue3  = 52.8
| statlabel4  = [[Touchdown|TD]]–[[Interception|INT]]
| statvalue4  = 48–63
| statlabel5  = Passing yards
| statvalue5  = 8,558
| statlabel6  = [[Passer rating]]
| statvalue6  = 65.7
| pfr         = WoodDa00 
}}

'''David Eugene Woodley''' (October 25, 1958 – May 4, 2003) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[quarterback]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[Miami Dolphins]] (1980–1983), and the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (1984–1985).<ref name=exqbwd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dw8hAAAAIBAJ&pg=1180%2C901492 |newspaper=The Hour |location=Norwalk, Connecticut|agency=Associated Press |last=Wine |first=Steven |title=Ex-QB David Woodley dies at age 44 |date=May 7, 2003 |page=B4}}</ref><ref name=sppdwbct>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sxovAAAAIBAJ&pg=4754%2C1824266 |newspaper=Beaver County Times |location=Pennsylvania |title=Sports people: David Woodley |date=May 7, 2003 |page=D2}}</ref><ref name=senset92>{{cite news |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-06-28/sports/9202160755_1_david-woodley-liver-locker-room |newspaper=Sun Sentinel |location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida |last=Hyde |first=Dave |title=A scrambling quarterback |date=June 28, 1992 |access-date=January 19, 2016 |archive-date=May 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509141452/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-06-28/sports/9202160755_1_david-woodley-liver-locker-room |url-status=dead }}</ref> He played [[college football]] for the [[LSU Tigers football|LSU Tigers]].

==Early life==
Born and raised in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]], Woodley was the fifth of seven children of attorney John Woodley and Hazel (Iles) Woodley.<ref name=miwlltll>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j0YsAAAAIBAJ&pg=4942%2C4913522 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal |location=South Carolina |last=Marks |first=Michele |title=Michele will tell: David Woodley |date=March 20, 1983 |page=16, TV }}</ref> He was a three-year starter and all-state quarterback for [[C. E. Byrd High School|Byrd High School]] in Shreveport and graduated in 1976. Woodley played college football at LSU in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]] under longtime head coach [[Charles McClendon|Charlie McClendon]], sharing playing time with the more popular [[Steve Ensminger]] of Baton Rouge.<ref name=espnlzmrl>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3209245 |work=ESPN.com |title=Super Bowl XVII starter Woodley's life drifted after football |first=Elizabeth |last=Merrill |date=January 23, 2008 |access-date=January 19, 2016}}</ref>

In his final college game as a senior in December [[1979 LSU Tigers football team|1979]], he led the [[1979 LSU Tigers football team|Tigers]] to a 34–10 victory over [[1979 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest University]] in the [[1979 Tangerine Bowl|Tangerine Bowl]] and was named the game's Most Valuable Player; LSU finished the season at 7–5.<!-- He was inducted into the [[Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame|LSU Hall of Fame]]. when? http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=177326 -->

==Professional career==

===Miami Dolphins===
As quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, Woodley is best known as the bridge between the eras of [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|hall of famers]] [[Bob Griese]] and [[Dan Marino]]. Despite being an eighth-round selection in the [[1980 NFL draft]] and initially fourth on the depth chart, he was elected the team MVP for his rookie season in [[1980 Miami Dolphins season|1980]]. That year, he set the Dolphins' team record for most pass completions (176) for a rookie quarterback, later broken by [[Ryan Tannehill]] in [[2012 Miami Dolphins season|2012]]. In {{nfly|1982}}, he became one of the few NFL players to score touchdowns passing, running and receiving in an NFL season. Woodley at one point split time with backup [[Don Strock]] so evenly that the quarterback tandem was often referred to as "WoodStrock".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/s/2003/0506/1550062.html | title=ESPN Classic - Woodley played four seasons with Dolphins }}</ref> Woodley started for the Dolphins in the [[Epic in Miami|1981 playoff game]] versus the [[1981 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]]. After Miami fell behind 24–0, Strock led the Dolphins back into the game, though the Chargers ultimately won in overtime.

In the strike-shortened [[1982 Miami Dolphins season]], Woodley handled the lion's share of the time at quarterback en route to Miami winning the [[American Football Conference]] title. The Dolphins went on to face the [[1982 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] in [[Super Bowl XVII]]. At 24 years and three months of age, he was the youngest quarterback to start a [[Super Bowl]] at the time. Despite starting the game well with a 76-yard touchdown pass to [[Jimmy Cefalo]], Woodley and the entire offense then struggled, with no completions in eight attempts in the second half. The Redskins won, 27–17.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XVII - Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins - January 30th, 1983 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198301300mia.htm |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

Woodley began the [[1983 Miami Dolphins season]] as Miami's starting quarterback, but the Dolphins' offense continued to underperform. The ongoing struggles prompted coach [[Don Shula]] to insert Marino, then a rookie, into the lineup midway through a 17–7 road loss to the [[1983 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] in week five. By the next week, Marino was named the starter for the remainder of the season.

===Pittsburgh Steelers===
The [[1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] acquired Woodley in February 1984 by trading a third-round draft pick to Miami.<ref>{{cite web | last=Defeo | first=Tony | title=TBT: The Steelers trade for David Woodley in 1984 | website=Yahoo! News | date=2016-06-30 | url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/tbt-steelers-trade-david-woodley-210405294.html | access-date=2025-08-02}}</ref> He would compete with [[Mark Malone]] for his new team's starting quarterback job, as elbow problems had forced [[Terry Bradshaw]] to retire and [[Cliff Stoudt]] had left for the [[United States Football League|USFL]]. Infamously, this came ''after'' the Steelers passed up [[Oakland (Pittsburgh)|local native]] Marino for [[Gabriel Rivera]] (who played in six NFL games before a drunk-driving crash left him paralyzed) in the [[1983 NFL draft]].<ref name=wslawfbs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FMIRAAAAIBAJ&pg=4635%2C331757 |newspaper=Gainesville Sun |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |last=Robinson |first=Alan |title=Woodley sees light away from Bradshaw shadow |date=October 1, 1984 |page=7, Sports Extra}}</ref> Woodley split the starting quarterback duty with Malone during both the [[1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1984]] and [[1985 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1985]] NFL seasons.

Notified by head coach [[Chuck Noll]] that Malone, and not he, would be the starter for the upcoming [[1986 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1986]] season,<ref name=pgqbwfdp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vtcVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5395%2C225718 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |last=Sauerberg |first=George |title=Packers get quarterback Woodley for draft pick |date=July 1, 1987 |page=1, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=wccbwpckr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bqNdAAAAIBAJ&pg=1330%2C61205 |newspaper=Observer-Reporter |location=Washington, Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |title=Woodley continues comeback with Packers |date=August 1, 1987 |page=B2}}</ref> Woodley abruptly retired in June<ref name=wdwfbpp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FrUqAAAAIBAJ&pg=6449%2C2280897 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |last=Cook |first=Ron |title=Woodley 'done with football' wife says |date=June 2, 1986 |page=C1 }}</ref> despite being the Steelers' highest-paid player ([[United States dollar|$]]500,000).<ref name=speindp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6-cLAAAAIBAJ&pg=2520%2C741095 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Evening Independent |location=Florida |agency=wire reports |title=Woodley's wife says he's retiring |date=June 4, 1986 |page=2C }}</ref>

In [[1987 Green Bay Packers season|1987]], the [[1987 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] acquired Woodley from the Steelers for a draft pick,<ref name=pgqbwfdp/><ref name=wccbwpckr/> but his stay was short, and his playing career officially ended when he was released in late August.<ref name=pcwpp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WoMcAAAAIBAJ&pg=4463%2C93485 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=wire services |title=Packers cut Woodley |date=September 1, 1987 |page=C3}}</ref>

Woodley is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history, along with [[Ken Stabler]], to have a career winning percentage above .600 while throwing at least 10 more interceptions than touchdowns. Woodley's career record was 34–18–1 ({{winning percentage|34|18|1}}), despite throwing 63 interceptions against his 48 career touchdown passes.

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}

===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="3"| Games
! colspan="9"| Passing
! colspan="5"| Rushing
! colspan="2"| Sacks
|-
! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! {{abbr|GS|Games started}} !! {{abbr|Record|Record as a starter}} !! {{abbr|Cmp|Passes completed}} !! {{abbr|Att|Passes attempted}} !! {{abbr|Pct|Completion percentage}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Passing yards}} !! {{abbr|Y/A|Yards per passing attempt}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest pass completion}} !! {{abbr|TD|Passing touchdowns}} !! {{abbr|Int|Interceptions}} !! {{abbr|Rtg|Passer rating}} !! {{abbr|Att|Rushing attempts}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Rushing yards}} !! {{abbr|Avg|Yards per rushing attempt}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest rushing attempt}} !! {{abbr|TD|Rushing touchdowns}} !! {{abbr|Sck|Times sacked}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Yards lost due to sacks}}
|-
! [[1980 NFL season|1980]] !! [[1980 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| 13 || 11 || 6–5 || 176 || 327 || 53.8 || 1,850 || 5.7 || 61 || '''14''' || '''17''' || 63.1 || 55 || 214 || 3.9 || 17 || 3 || 17 || 127
|-
! [[1981 NFL season|1981]] !! [[1981 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| '''15''' || '''15''' || '''11–3–1''' || '''191''' || '''366''' || 52.2 || '''2,470''' || 6.7 || 69 || 12 || 13 || 69.8 || '''63''' || '''272''' || 4.3 || 26 || '''4''' || '''24''' || '''191'''
|-
! [[1982 NFL season|1982]] !! [[1982 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| 9 || 9 || 7–2 || 98 || 179 || '''54.7''' || 1,080 || 6.0 || 46 || 5 || 8 || 63.5 || 36 || 207 || '''5.8''' || '''29''' || 2 || 10 || 82
|-
! [[1983 NFL season|1983]] !! [[1983 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| 5 || 5 || 3–2 || 43 || 89 || 48.3 || 528 || 5.9 || 64 || 3 || 4 || 59.6 || 19 || 78 || 4.1 || 15 || 0 || 10 || 80
|-
! [[1984 NFL season|1984]] !! [[1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season|PIT]]
| 7 || 7 || 3–4 || 85 || 156 || 54.5 || 1,273 || '''8.2''' || '''80''' || 8 || 7 || '''79.9''' || 11 || 14 || 1.3 || 7 || 0 || 10 || 67
|-
! [[1985 NFL season|1985]] !! [[1985 Pittsburgh Steelers season|PIT]]
| 9 || 6 || 4–2 || 94 || 183 || 51.4 || 1,357 || 7.4 || 69 || 6 || 14 || 54.8 || 17 || 71 || 4.2 || 13 || 2 || 13 || 84
|-
! colspan="2"| Career !! 58 !! 53 !! 34–18–1 !! 687 !! 1,300 !! 52.8 !! 8,558 !! 6.6 !! 80 !! 48 !! 63 !! 65.7 !! 201 !! 856 !! 4.3 !! 29 !! 11 !! 84 !! 631
|}

===Playoffs===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="3"| Games
! colspan="9"| Passing
! colspan="5"| Rushing
! colspan="2"| Sacks
|-
! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! {{abbr|GS|Games started}} !! {{abbr|Record|Record as a starter}} !! {{abbr|Cmp|Passes completed}} !! {{abbr|Att|Passes attempted}} !! {{abbr|Pct|Completion percentage}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Passing yards}} !! {{abbr|Y/A|Yards per passing attempt}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest pass completion}} !! {{abbr|TD|Passing touchdowns}} !! {{abbr|Int|Interceptions}} !! {{abbr|Rtg|Passer rating}} !! {{abbr|Att|Rushing attempts}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Rushing yards}} !! {{abbr|Avg|Yards per rushing attempt}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest rushing attempt}} !! {{abbr|TD|Rushing touchdowns}} !! {{abbr|Sck|Times sacked}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Yards lost due to sacks}}
|-
! [[1981 NFL season|1981]] !! [[1981 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| 1 || 1 || 0–1 || 2 || 5 || 40.0 || 20 || 4.0 || 15 || 0 || 1 || 12.5 || 1 || 10 || '''10.0''' || 10 || 0 || 3 || 29
|-
! [[1982 NFL season|1982]] !! [[1982 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| '''4''' || '''4''' || '''3–1''' || '''46''' || '''76''' || '''60.5''' || '''625''' || '''8.2''' || '''76''' || '''5''' || '''5''' || '''81.3''' || '''16''' || '''92''' || 5.8 || '''17''' || '''1''' || '''8''' || '''72'''
|-
! [[1983 NFL season|1983]] !! [[1983 Miami Dolphins season|MIA]]
| 0 || 0 || colspan="17" rowspan="2"| ''Did not play''
|-
! [[1984 NFL season|1984]] !! [[1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season|PIT]]
| 0 || 0 
|-
! colspan="2"| Career !! 5 !! 5 !! 3–2 !! 48 !! 81 !! 59.3 !! 645 !! 8.0 !! 76 !! 5 !! 6 !! 74.4 !! 17 !! 102 !! 6.0 !! 17 !! 1 !! 11 !! 101
|}

==Death==
After football, Woodley returned to Shreveport and increasingly drank, causing several health problems.<ref name=senset92/><ref name=espnlzmrl/> Married in 1981 to Suzanne Pugh,<ref name=miwlltll/> the couple later divorced.<ref name=espnlzmrl/> At age 33, he underwent a [[liver transplant]] at Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport in March 1992.<ref name=gvewtlv>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xrUqAAAAIBAJ&pg=5287%2C144387 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |last=Dulac |first=Gerry |title=After given eight weeks to live, Woodley 'great' with new liver |date=April 1, 1993 |page=D1 }}</ref><ref name=wglslvr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KSghAAAAIBAJ&pg=5047%2C537803 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |location=Florida |agency=wire reports |title=Woodley gets life-saving liver |date=April 1, 1992 |page=3C}}</ref><ref name=wiatr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mthRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6750%2C1376488 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=local and wire dispatches |title=Woodley improves after transplant |date=April 2, 1993 |page=23 }}</ref><ref name=amamcle>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GboiAAAAIBAJ&pg=1359%2C470212 |newspaper=Allegheny Times |last=Joseph |first=Dave |agency=Knight-Ridder newspapers |title='Almost a miracle'  |date=April 3, 1992 |page=B2}}</ref> Eleven years later,  Woodley died from complications due to kidney and liver failure on May 4, 2003.<ref name=exqbwd/><ref name=sppdwbct/><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Pro Football Weekly |title=Woodley's death sad but powerful |url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/Miami/Features/2003/bikoff050703.htm |author=Bikoff, Ken |date=May 7, 2003 |access-date=September 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050702012304/http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/Miami/Features/2003/bikoff050703.htm |archive-date=July 2, 2005}}</ref> Twenty years after Super Bowl XVII, he became the youngest Super Bowl starting quarterback to die. Since Woodley's death, only [[Super Bowl XXXIV]] starter [[Steve McNair]], murdered in 2009 at age 36, died at a younger age. Woodley was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Shreveport, alongside his parents.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Footballstats |nfl=David-Woodley
|cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=WoodDa00 |dbf=WOODLDAV01|rotoworld=}}
*{{Find a Grave|88776097}}

{{Miami Dolphins 1980 NFL draft picks}}
{{Miami Dolphins starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback navbox}}
{{LSU Tigers quarterback navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodley, David}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in Louisiana]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Shreveport, Louisiana]]
[[Category:LSU Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Miami Dolphins players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in Louisiana]]
[[Category:C. E. Byrd High School alumni]]
[[Category:Liver transplant recipients]]