Baylor family provides new home for injured former football star

In 1979, sophomore defensive back Kyle Woods fractured his neck and severely injured his spinal cord during football practice; the injury left him paralyzed. Thanks to help from Baylor friends and family, Woods was eventually able to go back to school, graduating from UT-Arlington in 1993. He has spent the past 13 years as a counselor at Mountain View College in Dallas.

In 2000, a former teammate recognized Woods’ need for a special van with a wheelchair lift, and funds were raised for a new Dodge Caravan that was presented to Woods during the 2000 Homecoming game. More than enough money was donated, and the overflow started what eventually became the Kyle Woods home project.

Earlier this month, Woods was presented with the keys to a new home, designed with his needs in mind. (Click here for a photo gallery.) Former head coach Grant Teaff gave a recognizable face to the project, while business professor L.M. Dyson oversaw the work. Countless former teammates and other Baylor friends stepped up to make the home happen.

This video report from Dallas’ WFAA gave me chills. For more, check out the Waco Tribune-Herald‘s excellent story on Woods and the home, complete with their own photo gallery. I liked what Woods had to say about the overwhelming response to the situation: “It’s kind of mind-boggling that people still care about you after all this time. I guess there’s just a bond that hasn’t been broken.”

Teaff agreed, noting, “I told (new Baylor football coach Art Briles), ‘You’ve stepped into a place that’s unique and special and different.’ Not once in 29 years has there ever been a separation of Kyle and his teammates and his coaches. Period. Think about that.”

Sic ’em, Baylor family!