McDowell linebacker/tight end Bryce Wood signs with Youngstown State

Tom Reisenweber, Erie Times-News
·2 min read

Since the moment Bryce Wood first put on football pads, he has wanted to play at the highest level.

He took another step toward that goal Wednesday by signing with Division I Youngstown State.

“I've been playing this game since I was seven years old and have loved it ever since,” Wood said. “I want to go as far as I can. It really is a love for the game.”

McDowell linebacker/tight end Bryce Wood, tight end and linebacker, is shown during the preseason.
McDowell linebacker/tight end Bryce Wood, tight end and linebacker, is shown during the preseason.

Wood, a 6-foot 3-inch, 215-pound linebacker, finished his career at McDowell with an impressive senior season. As a tight end, he caught 20 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns and on defense he had 71 tackles, including six sacks.

“Bryce was a dominant player for us this year. His size, length, toughness and speed helped him become our leading tackler on defense and big playmaker on both sides of the ball,” said McDowell coach Brad Orlando. “Bryce was a team captain who came to practice every day with the same approach, including coachability, effort and the mindset to make himself and the team better.”

Wood is set to study criminal justice, but his football objective moving forward is to play in the NFL.

McDowell’s Bryce Wood hauls in a pass against Brashear on Sept. 3, 2021 in a non-region game at McDowell’s Gus Anderson Field.
McDowell’s Bryce Wood hauls in a pass against Brashear on Sept. 3, 2021 in a non-region game at McDowell’s Gus Anderson Field.

Youngstown State is a Football Championship Subdivision program that plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

“I chose Youngstown State because it's close to home and I wanted to go somewhere I am wanted and needed,” Wood said. “It felt like a family atmosphere, and it really felt like McDowell.”

Wood is an all-region tight end and all-District 10 and all-region linebacker, but his role with the Penguins is yet to be determined.

“I want to go in and make an immediate impact in any way possible,” Wood said. “I felt like I've always been a defensive player. When I have the ball in my hands I'm explosive, but I've always been a defensive guy.”

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Wood was one of the most dominant linebackers in District 10 this season as he lived in opposing backfields.

“To be a good defensive player you have to be fast and physical and fly around the ball to make plays,” Wood said. “Now that this is official and I signed on the dotted line, I'm ready to get to work.”

“Bryce will go down a one of the best linebackers to ever wear the blue and white,” Orlando said.

Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreisenweber.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: McDowell linebacker/tight end Bryce Wood signs with Youngstown State