National Football Foundation

An intense competitor on the field as well as in the classroom, Blake Wooden gained a reputation as a physical presence while playing safety at American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla. A team captain his senior year, he led the Patriots to a perfect 14-0 season and the 5A state championship in 2016. A three-year letterman, Wooden guided American Heritage to a 10-2 record and a district title as a junior and was a member of the 2014 state title team as a sophomore.

In the classroom, Wooden distinguished himself as an excellent role model, graduating with a weighted 5.56 GPA. A National Merit finalist his senior year, he was named the 5A Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Junior Orange Bowl Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Earning AP Scholar with Distinction honors, he notched high honor student accolades all four years of high school.

Amassing more than 326 community service hours, Wooden volunteered with Feeding South Florida, the pediatric oncology unit at Broward General Hospital and the Enstein Medical Center. A two-time captain and all-district selection in lacrosse, he was also a member of the National Honor Society, the Pre-Med Society and Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society.

Currently enrolled in the highly selective Columbia College at Columbia University, Wooden has appeared in all three of the Lions’ games so far this season as a defensive back. His father, Shawn, played football at Notre Dame and in the NFL.