How Clemson Built Peter Woods Into a First Round NFL Draft Pick

Ever since he stepped foot on Clemson’s campus, Peter Woods wanted to be pushed. Now, the efforts have gotten him to be the Tigers’ 20th first-round pick under head coach Dabo Swinney.

He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 29 pick, joining historic defensive coordinator Steve Spanguolo’s unit that features the likes of All-Pro Chris Jones at his position. However, the work is far from done, and Woods wants to continue his trajectory that features plenty of upside.

Although that began at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, the coaching from his time at the Tigers helped complete the mold of the second-team All-American this past season. That’s not enough for the defensive tackle, who wants to be the best at the position, period.

“I want to be great, you know what I’m saying?” Woods said to the Kansas City media on Thursday. “ I want to be the greatest at my position, whatever it takes from a coaching standpoint. I’m not any type of player to shy away from no action or anything like that, so I’m ready for whatever it is.”

While the college level to the NFL is a tremendous jump, Woods said that he’s been prepared since when he arrived on campus in 2023. He said that it was a credit to Swinney’s staff, including defensive tackles coach Nick Eason, who motivated him with each day that he was in the room.

“To be honest, when it comes to a training camp or a preseason, I don’t think I’ll ever go through anything harder than what I went through at Clemson,” Woods said. “Like, we do it different.”

That’s how his performances on the field ended up feeling: different. He finished his Clemson career with 99 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles in 35 games played for the Tigers. If Kansas City is looking to have a jumbo package, Woods can play that role as well, having multiple rushing touchdowns this past season.

Getting to the NFL is a dream come true, and the same goes for the former Tiger. However, words of wisdom from his mother, Deven, remain at the cornerstone of his motivation.

One of the most important pieces he’s received? “Don’t get away from the things that got you here.”

“‘Don’t forget that little five-year-old kid who had the dream of being here,’” Woods recalled, “‘and the dream of not just getting there, but was old enough and mature enough to know that I had to have the dream to succeed when I got there.”

A new summer waits for the Clemson product, but he’s not changing the person that he is because he hit a major milestone. Woods is looking to stay the course, using his previous three seasons with the Tigers to build on the athlete and person that he’s become.

“I’m super excited to be a Chief, but the goal is, you know, Super Bowls, rings, being productive, being the best teammate and player for my team,” he said. “That’s what I’m shifting my focus to.”

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