Brayden Wood is a junior and plays defensive tackle for the varsity football team. Wood has offers from Texas Tech, Arizona State, Kansas State, Syracuse, Missouri, Colorado State, Hawaii, Louisville, University of Nevada Las Vegas, UNLV, and potentially Stanford. Wood was one of the defensive players of the year, and was named to the All Conference team. He was previously named Team USA sophomore and Team USA freshmen. He got hurt Junior year so could not participate in the Team USA Junior team.  

Wood said that “we have a bond, […] just like a brother hood, as players and a strong dynamic, like we live with each other and grow as one.” 

Wood has motivation to play the sport of football, his sister and biggest veteran in the family.

Wood’s Grandpa played at CSU. His Uncle has played for the Dallas Cowboys. Even his dad has played for Baylor University. It’s a sports family. 

Wood’s sister had a massive stroke at birth that pushes Wood to become stronger and stronger everyday. Even when Wood is tired of lifting, his sister gives him motivation to make him stronger than ever. At 3rd down, when Wood is tired, he thinks about his sister and how that can encourage him to play better. At the end of the day, Wood and his team are brothers.

Wood is starting senior year and his team is off to a fresh start. 

“Everyone doubts us at the beginning of the year,” Wood said.

Wood is one of the biggest players on the team, but Wood thinks his team is special and has a strong bond. Quarterback Liam O’Brien is going to do some special things. Dillon Tarvis is returning for RB. Grant Page is WR, and defense is going to be special. There are also a lot of returnees like Que, Steven, Blake, Liam, Jake Barry and Even. 

“Stick with it, believe in yourself,” said Wood. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” 

At a 5A division, which is low division, football is a grind and football is a sport. You have passion just to play football, just to be on the team; then it’s going to hit you in the side of the head and you’re not going to be ready for it. Wood said games are really fast and sink in at the moment. 

“It’s just you and your brothers on that field,” he said.

3-2 mindset, always-save mindset, and a lot of fun.

Wood dropped baseball and basketball because he has high expectations for football; it might not be the biggest sport in Boulder, but Wood believes that it is very good at this school. Wood is proud of being a key player because of his hard work: six days of morning and late night lifts, meals and preparation, all the treatment on Wood’s body. 

When it starts to pay off is when Wood gets his college paid off. Wood dreams about going to the best school he can. 

Wood’s hard work has paid off. He has a lot to prove senior year. Wood wants to break records. Wood wants people to come out to the football fields. 

“Make the student section even bigger next year,” Wood said. “Come together, have support for every sport, not just football.”