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Robert Woods from USC to the Super Bowl

A hometown product, Robert Woods has lived the LA dream. From being a high school football and track star, to playing at USC, Woods is now preparing for his first ever Super Bowl. Here is a summary of his journey.

By nathan.hyun
NFL: NFC Championship Game-Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Born in Gardena, California on April 10, 1992, Robert Woods has been a star athlete ever since his high school years. Attending Junípero Serra High School, Woods would win the CIF Division 3 Championship and lead his team to a perfect 15-0 record in his senior year. In addition, Woods was an accomplished track athlete, ranking No. 4 in the United States in the 400 meters in 2010. Coming out of high school, Woods was rated as the No. 1 athlete in the United States, leading him to accept an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California.

Between the years of 2010 and 2012, Woods played for the USC Trojans under head coach Lane Kiffin. Woods came to USC after the departure of Pete Carroll, who created a dynasty in his eight years at USC. In what many expected to be a string of low years for the Trojans, Woods led the Men of Troy to an 8-5 record in his first season, a 10-2 record his second season, and a 7-6 record in his third season.

Colorado v USC

In his three years at USC, Woods racked up a total of 2,930 receiving yards, 32 receiving touchdowns, and only missed one game. Furthermore, in 2011, Woods was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award (most outstanding receiver in the nation) and Maxwell Award (college football player of the year). Also, during his college tenure, Woods was named to the First-team All-Pac-10 and be named All-American.

After his junior season, Woods declared for the NFL draft. Ultimately, Woods would be drafted in the second round (41st overall) in the 2013 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. In his rookie season, Woods finished with 587 receiving yards in 14 games played.

Due to his four-year contract, Woods would continue playing for the Bills until the 2016 season, battling through a number of injuries. Then, prior to the 2017 season, Woods was signed by the Los Angeles Rams to a five-year contract.

In the 2017 season, Woods entered as the No. 1 wide receiver. A big part of the Rams offensive scheme, Wood led the Rams to a 11-5 finish and a NFC West title. After not making the playoffs in his first five years, Woods started his first playoff game in the Rams loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

He repeated similar successes in the 2018 season. In 2018, Woods reached 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his career and helped the Rams make the Super Bowl. In what has been a long waiting game, a former Trojan finally has one more step to check off his list: win the Super Bowl.

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