Brandon Woods (right) is competing for playing time at safety.

It took all of one day and one drill for then-wide receiver Brandon Woods to make up his mind: maybe defense was more his style. The drill, in football parlance: “bull in the ring.” The result, to hear Woods tell it, not pretty. Suffice to say, it was no “bull market” that afternoon.

Virginia coach Al Groh and his staff took notice as well. Later during the fall of 2005, the former 2-way star at Durham’s Southern High School converted to safety. He’s been there ever since, re-defining his instincts and communication skills to evolve into a dependable member of the UVa secondary.

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