Woody Baron
Woody Baron is an American professional football defensive lineman. He previously played in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Early life
Baron attended Brentwood Academy. As a senior, he received his second straight first-team All-state selection, after tallying 40 tackles and 8 sacks.College career
Baron accepted a football scholarship from Virginia Tech. As a true freshman, he appeared in all 13 games as a backup defensive tackle. He collected 8 tackles.As a sophomore, he appeared in 12 games with 2 starts, making 7 tackles, and a half sack.
As a junior, he appeared in all 13 games with 5 starts. He registered 28 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
As a senior, he started all 14 games, posting 56 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He had 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks against the University of Miami. He was part of a defense that ranked second among Power Five squads in third-down defense, fourth in tackles for loss and fifth in opponent completion percentage.
He played in 52 games, starting in 21 of them, where he had 99 tackles, 9 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Baron was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2017 NFL draft on May 2. However, he was released at the end of training camp on September 2, 2017.Montreal Alouettes
On March 19, 2018, Baron signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He made the team's active roster following training camp and played in his first professional game on June 16, 2018, against the BC Lions, where he had two defensive tackles. He played in all 18 regular season games in 2018 where he recorded 28 defensive tackles and four sacks.In 2019, Baron again played in all 18 regular season games where he had 27 defensive tackles and one sack. He made his post-season debut in the team's East Semi-Final loss to the Edmonton Eskimos where he had two defensive tackles and his first career interception. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season. He played in all 14 regular season games in the shortened 2021 season where he had 16 defensive tackles and a career-high six sacks. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022.
BC Lions
On February 14, 2022, it was announced that Baron had signed with the BC Lions. However, his debut with the Lions was delayed due to complications following surgery for his ankle and he began the season on the six-game injured list. He played in his first game with the Lions on September 24, 2022. He played in just six regular season games where he had seven defensive tackles and one sack.In 2023, Baron played in 17 regular season games where he had a career-high eight sacks along with 22 defensive tackles, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble, and a blocked kick. He was then named a CFL Division All-Star for the first time in his career. Despite his productive season, Baron was released by the Lions on February 8, 2024.