Simeon Woodard has always been playing for something more than himself.
When he first arrived at Montana State and was thrust into the starting lineup as a true freshman cornerback for one of the best teams in the country, he was playing for the seniors that left such a lasting imprint on the Bobcat football program. He did not want to be the weak link that derailed a potential playoff run.
Instead, he set a school record for interceptions in a single playoffs.
Over the last few seasons, he’s been the stabilizing force in a Montana State secondary that’s gone through several different position coaches and coordinators as well as a collection of players, all fighting for relevance aside the stalwart.
And this year, Woodard is playing to reach the potential his coaches have seen in him throughout his standout Bobcat career.
Ask around the Big Sky and Woodard is doing it. Most believe he’ll be an all-conference cornerback.
Along the way, Woodard has kept his family at the forefront of his motivation. He is quick to express admiration for their sacrifices that helped him reach this point.
That selfless attitude has helped him enter the stretch run of his senior year with all-conference aspirations. And more importantly to Woodard, the Bobcats have not lost a game yet in 2024.
“He’s playing really well and has become a complete cornerback,” Montana State fourth-year head coach Brent Vigen. “He’s played a ton of football for us, and he’s gone from a guy that played as a young player because he was smart and competitive to a guy who’s become a complete corner.
“He’s always been mature beyond his years, and now it suits him. I know his play on the field has reflected a guy that has continued to chase a higher level.”
Those around the Bobcat program have seen Woodard’s potential, ability and maturity since he first arrived on campus. Entering Saturday’s de facto Big Sky Conference title game at UC Davis, Woodard is fulfilling that potential and playing like one of the best corners in the league.
“I think Montana State has the best cornerbacks I’ve seen on film and No. 4 is leading the charge,” said UC Davis head coach Tim Plough, whose Aggies host Montana State in a Top 5 showdown with the outright Big Sky title on the line.
Woodard has been the best cornerback in a three-man rotation that’s been a key element of the Bobcats’ excellent defensive performance during the first 10-0 start in Montana State football history. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky Conference in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense.
Woodard’s savvy, aggressiveness and instincts have all contributed as MSU is giving up just 175 passing yards per game and opponents are converting just 33 percent of their third downs against the revamped Bobcat defense.
“He’s a four-year starter who’s improved every single season he’s been here and now he’s having his best season,” Montana State first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Daly said. “He is a very detailed player and excels in both zone and man coverage. I love to use Simi in run fits because he is an elite tackler.
“Along with being a great player, he’s an even better person.”
Daly’s second observation is what stands out about Woodard almost instantly. He’s humble, thoughtful, introspective and analytical. Talking to him, you’ll recognize an elevated level of maturity – a young man who is grounded in who he is.
That personality is what helped Woodard break into the starting lineup almost instantly as a true freshman four years ago. His positivity is best on display when the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder flashes a brilliant, shiny smile so big it makes his eyes squint a bit.
“He was a smart kid that wasn’t afraid, so as a true freshman, he fit right in as far as that older group went,” Vigen said. “Now he’s an older guy, but he’s playing his best football now, in part because he’s really worked at it. He overcame the ups and downs with the injuries and whatnot, and transitioned into becoming the player he is today.”
Woodard burst onto the scene by snaring four interceptions as a true freshman on a defense filled with stalwart seniors that led MSU to an appearance in the 2021 FCS national title game. He set the Montana State record by picking off three passes during the postseason. His interception against Tennessee-Martin helped the Bobcats secure a crucial victory in the first career start at quarterback for Tommy Mellott. The following week, Woodard’s interception helped Montana State shake up the bracket in a big way as the Bobcats went on the road and toppled top-seeded and defending national champion Sam Houston.
And Woodard’s pick against South Dakota State was one of many iconic moments in one of the most iconic wins in the history of Bobcat Stadium as MSU dominated SDSU after halftime on the way to a 31-17 win to book a ticket to the FCS national championship game for the first time since 1984.
The playoff performance was not a surprise to some of his older teammates, even though Woodard did not arrive in Bozeman until right before fall camp started ahead of his first collegiate season.
“It’s just a credit to him as far as coming into fall camp, not having much time for the first game and just learning the scheme that quickly,” Callahan O’Reilly, a former Bobcat captain, said in 2021. “It’s impressive to learn stuff that fast and adjust to college speed that fast.”
And to think just a year or so earlier, the native of San Antonio, Texas, had no clue about the state of Montana or Montana State University.
The message from former MSU secondary coach Kyle Risinger came through on Twitter. At first, Woodard was a bit confused.
Just exactly where was the state of Montana? How far was it from San Antonio, the beautiful river city in the heart of the Lone Star State? Was Montana State even Division I?
“I had never heard of Montana State, so I had to actually look them up and ask, Is Montana State D-I?” Woodard said with a laugh. “A few days later, Coach Kyle offered me, and then I really started doing my research and realizing it’s actually a big-time program, a big-time FCS program.”
It’s 1,620 miles from San Antonio to Bozeman (only a crazy person would drive) and the heart of the Gallatin Valley is an entirely different world than the 24th-largest city in the United States.
Even though Woodard didn’t know anything about Montana or MSU, he didn’t have doubts about the distance or the completely different environment. Once Risinger and the MSU coaching staff started telling him about sellout crowds every Saturday and the chance to compete for championships year in and year out, he was intrigued.
“I was really open to everything, whether that was coming across the country to Montana or staying back in Texas,” Woodard remembers. “I just wanted to play for a good football program and have a good environment.
“Montana State fit that perfectly, and it was something different. I was able to get a completely new experience and grow, an opportunity that a lot of kids don’t get out of high school.”
Woodard’s high school resume was top notch. He picked off 10 passes during three years as a varsity starter at Veterans Memorial High School while also earning recognition from the National Honors Society.
Although the last four years have “flown by,” Woodard has relished just how new and different the experience has been. He’s gotten into hiking. He’s snowboarded a few times and plans on going again this winter once the football season is over.
“I’m so fortunate and so thankful that I was able to take this opportunity,” he said. “I think it’s put me in a great spot in my life right now, as far as becoming a man and figuring out what I’m going to do in the future. So I’m so thankful I came to Montana.”
Montana State is certainly happy Woodard came to Montana as well. Woodard followed up starting 14 games as a true freshman by starting 13 more as a sophomore in 2022.
He finished that second year with 49 tackles and four tackles for loss. He had an interception in MSU’s 55-7 win over William & Mary to extend his MSU record for career playoff picks.
As a junior, Woodard had to battle through injury. He missed three games and started seven of MSU’s 13 as the Bobcats endured a disappointing ending to a season filled with lofty aspirations.
This season, Woodard has been a stalwart for a secondary that is giving up just 174 yards per game. He has 12 tackles and a sack along with five pass breakups.
“He’s been consistent day in and day out, as far as bringing his hard hat,” MSU cornerbacks coach Bryan Shepherd said. “What you see right now is a young man that knows exactly what’s going on. In this defense, we have given Simeon the ability to do different things out there on the field, and he’s out there doing it. He’s having a high success rate, and he’s confident. I can’t say enough about his senior year right now.”
Montana State has often gotten off the field so quickly, and the Bobcats have so consistently blown out opponents, that no individual players have lofty statistics.
“He’s been doing a great job of shutting down the opposing top receivers,” Shepherd said. “And with us playing really good team defense, we might not have as many turnovers as we’d like, but we are getting teams off the field on third downs.”
The Bobcat secondary has made huge strides from last season, when the unit was vulnerable and disjointed. Woodard’s skill combined with his leadership have been crucial to that progress.
“Simeon’s best skill set is his instincts,” Shepherd said. “If I show him a formation or a skill set or this split, this happening, I can tell him once and he’ll remember that on game day and that’s showing up on game day big time for him.”
“He’s like a second coach. He’s coaching up the other guys. He’s always bringing a good attitude. He’s showing those guys how to show up and be consistent.”
To hear Woodard describe his experience, you’d almost think he’s from Montana given how much love he has for Bozeman and the Bobcats.
He relishes playing in front of 20,000 people every time his team plays at home. He is aware and appreciative of the numerous people who give generously to the Bobcat Club, the NIL collective and to Bobcat athletics in general. And he talks articulately about how he understands the network he is building in Bozeman will be a key element in his future success.
The finance major’s mature personality and his grounded nature certainly come from his background. His father is an attorney in San Antonio, while his mom was a special education teacher and cheerleading coach while he grew up and now works in HR for a tech company.
“Neither of them came from the best upbringings, which is why the respect level grows even more because they gave me a good childhood,” Woodard said. “Neither of them had the most money or nicest things growing up, and they still found a way to be successful.”
The opportunities provided and the support he’s received is a primary motivator for the senior.
“My motivation is knowing I have a family that’s counting on me to be successful in life. My dad and my mom, they instilled some good values and morals in me as a young kid to stay disciplined and stay in the fight, never quit,” Woodard said.
When Woodard first arrived in Bozeman, he said he had no clue what to expect but that he made a commitment to himself to “put my head down, work, don’t contemplate things I can’t control like when the snow was going to hit and keep an open mind.”
That attitude and that wisdom has carried him far. He is likely on an inside track to first-team all-conference honors. MSU will certainly make the playoffs for the fourth straight year and is on its way to one of the great seasons in program history. And if things play out like the Bobcats hope, MSU might claim its first national title in 40 years.
Woodard has already been a part of 42 wins with MSU on its way to Davis, California, for the de facto Big Sky Conference title game on Saturday.
Beyond the wins and the interceptions, it’s the personal development and acceleration that Woodard will take with him whenever his football journey ends.
“I’ve grown so much since I’ve got here,” Woodard said. “The way I think, the way that I view things, the way that I talk to people, see people, I think everything has shifted to where I realize I’m just this small creature in this giant world trying to make it, like everybody else.
“Through this journey, there’s also going to be so many challenges and hardships and ups and downs. And I’ve learned that through football. I’ve learned that off the field, with school, with relationships, and I’m still trying to figure this thing all out.
“But I know me coming to Montana, living on my own 1,800 miles across the country has allowed me to grow as a person and figure things out on my own, without my parents. For that, I’m so thankful.
“I want a national championship for us. I want to win. But more than that, I really want to keep cherishing all of these moments with my team and my brothers. I already realize I appreciate the relationships and the bonds, the laughs that come with this much more than the game itself. The locker room talks, the meetings, going to dinner, hanging out on the weekends, I just want to keep enjoying that and never, ever take any of that for granted.”
