Bama's DB Justin Woodall (#27) is trading in the pigskin for the hardball
Since former Crimson Tide safety Justin Woodall didn’t get drafted or signed by any NFL team in 2010, he is moving on to baseball. The 2 year starter saw the 2010 NFL draft pass him by and the Chicago Bears did not sign him as a free agent when he attended mini-camp. However, during this time, the former high school baseball phenom was being scouted by several major league baseball teams. His athletic ability and reputation from high school was enough for the Tampa Bay Rays to select Woodall in the 26th round of last month’s MLB draft.
Even with a hiatus from baseball, Woodall is still hurling pitches at over 90 mph. Keep in mind, during his high school days, his fastball was reaching 96 mph (out of HS he was drafted by the Mets in the 19th round). His prep baseball coach even remarked that he was always a better baseball player than football player.
To fine tune his pitching mechanics, Woodall will be spending this summer playing baseball in Mississippi. Although, sources indicate that he hasn’t given up on his dream of playing professional football. During his final season at Alabama, he amassed 45 tackles in 14 games and took home a national championship ring. He is positive an NFL team can utilize his services in the secondary.
Woodall’s future will be more defined next month as the deadline for MLB teams to sign their draft picks is August 16th, a little after the start of NFL team training camps.
