MOBILE, Ala. – Pressure isn't something University of South Alabama wide receiver Danny Woodson II relates to. He wants to make plays and expects to do so in any situation. That confidence, along with humility, are part of what makes him such a leader on the field and in the Jaguar locker room.

"I don't feel pressure. I never get nervous; pressure doesn't bust me," he explained. "When it's time and someone needs to make a play, you can throw it to me. I'm going to go get it and I am going to make the play."

You don't have to search too far back in the Jaguar history books to find an example. South Alabama entered last year's Homecoming matchup with Georgia State with a 3-2 overall record and 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. In a game that saw several lead changes, the Jags trailed 27-23 with five minutes left to play in the game. On a second-and-eight play from the GSU 18-yard line, quarterback Brandon Bridge completed a pass to Woodson II over the middle of the field. Woodson shed a tackle before reversing his field and making his way into the corner of the end zone for what resulted in the game-winning touchdown.

"The coaches put me in a great position to make a play, and I just made the play," Woodson said after the game. He then went on to thank the offensive line and Bridge for getting him the ball, withholding any remark about his individual effort to get the ball in the end zone.

Like any receiver, he wants the ball and wants to score for his team. But his goals this year, he said, are pretty simple:  win the conference championship and a bowl game.

Woodson II saw action in every game as a junior last season and made seven starts, finishing second on the team with 382 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His 30 receptions ranked third on the squad.

This year he wants to elevate his game to elite status, something football fans in Mobile are accustomed to seeing from the LeFlore High School product. Woodson II ranked among the top 150 prospects nationally in the ESPN.com rankings, and received a four-star rating from the organization as a senior at LHS. He was a two-time all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, and was named to the ASWA's Super 12 as a senior after catching 78 passes for 1,360 yards. He was an honorable mention selection on the Orlando Sentinel's all-Southern Team, and was 64th on the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120 and No. 6 on its Elite 18.

He scored 25 touchdowns as a junior at LHS to help the school advance to the quarterfinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association class 5A state playoffs. 

It was after his junior season at LeFlore that Woodson II would receive an offer to continue his education and playing career where he always dreamed of playing as a child.

"My junior year Alabama won the national championship, and I received my scholarship offer about three days after that," he said. "I'm a big Alabama fan because it has been in the family for a long time. I just got that offer and I was hyped about it."

Woodson's father, Danny Sr., played quarterback at Alabama in 1990 and '91, and passed along the lessons he learned during his time there to his son.

"He told me to just give your all, work hard at everything you do and respect others and it will take you a long way," he said. 

Woodson II appeared in six games in his final season at Alabama in 2012, after redshirting the 2011 campaign, when the Crimson Tide finished with a 13-1 record and captured its second straight national championship.

Following that season, Woodson II made the decision to transfer to South Alabama. 

"When I decided I was going to transfer from Alabama, I didn't know if I would be able to play right away," he said. "My grandfather passed away during the time I was transferring, and my grandmother was here by herself. So getting back home and being able to help her with stuff was a big factor in why I came to South Alabama. We applied for a hardship waiver with the NCAA in 2013, and they approved it."

Another factor in his decision to return to Mobile and finish his education and playing career dealt with not only the fact that he would be closer to family, but the positive impact he could have on young people within the community.

"I wanted to come back home and be able to play in front of the home crowd," he said. "Getting to play in front of my family was big because my grandmother doesn't like to travel much. It's not that far from our house to Ladd-Peebles Stadium, so I knew she would be able to come to the games and watch me play. And being back in front of the home crowd makes me want to set records. I want to be a better role model for the kids and some of the people who look up to me here in Mobile."

The opportunity to come back home and finish where he started is something that he remains humble about, but also thankful for as a leader on the team and within the community.

"It's bigger than me," he explained. "It feels good though knowing that people look up to me and want to be like me some day. I just try to set positive examples for the young kids and even some guys who are my age such as the incoming freshmen. Coach asked them one day who they looked up to, and some of the guys said my name. That kind of surprised me, but it made me feel good because they see what I'm doing and it is influencing them to be better than me. That's what I want."

Woodson II is focused on winning a 2015 Sun Belt championship and helping the program return to a bowl game after helping lead the Jags to their first-ever bowl last year, but he also has his sights set on playing at the next level.

"I want to play in the NFL," he said. "I'm trying to improve on watching film and understanding coverages, and learning better techniques on my releases. I'm building my speed and getting stronger, and I'm a better leader – just helping other guys out and not leaving anyone behind. It's a team effort."

Once his playing career is over, whenever that time may come, Woodson II wants to stay involved in the game that has given so much to him.

"I want to coach and be able to pass down what I have learned and be a positive role model," he said. "I have been coached by the best, and I want to be able to feed back to the young guys and let them know that if you want to do something then you can do it. I have been through a lot in my college career, and I have put myself in a lot of different situations. But I ended up persevering and working real hard to get myself out of those situations. It's paying off and wearing off on the younger guys. The guys in the room surprised me when they said they look up to me, so I just try to go hard every day."

Woodson II is scheduled to graduate from USA in December with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, but he will also take away valuable lessons learned that will serve him in life.

"You just have to stay grounded and do what you have to do – handle your business on and off the field and be on time to things. You have to be a leader on and off the field, because all eyes are on you no matter what you're doing. I just want to reach my highest potential to be a better man." 

He knows people are watching, not just in the stadium but within the community, and he is fine with that. He doesn't know pressure.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).