The fastest player from the 2019 NFL combine has apparently decided that he doesn't want to play football anymore.
Former Ole Miss safety Zedrick Woods unexpectedly filed his retirement papers on Monday, the same day he was supposed to report to training camp with the Jaguars. Although Woods isn't exactly a household name, he turned a few heads at the combine earlier this year when he ran a 4.29 40-yard-dash, which was the fastest time of any player at the event.
Despite his impressive speed, Woods didn't get selected during the 2019 NFL Draft, which led him to sign with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
During Jacksonville's spring workouts, there was no indication that Woods might retire. Not only did the rookie attend each of the team's OTAs, but he was also in attendance for the Jags' three-day mandatory minicamp, which was held in June.
Apparently, Woods decision to retire came at the last second. On the day he was supposed to report to training camp, Woods sent a 6:30 a.m. text to his agent, Ron Butler, and let him know that he planned on retiring. According to Butler, Woods has been dealing with turf toe.
"I'm assuming he must have not been in a great place mentally in terms of the injury and decided this would be the best for him, his career and future," Butler told Jacksonville.com. ″He definitely has a foot injury, turf toe. I got a phone call from him after he did some soul searching on the whole thing. He loves football and I know he loved the opportunity that presented itself with the Jaguars. But whatever it was, it wasn't enough to keep him playing."
With an injured foot that likely hampered his speed, Woods probably felt like a long shot to make the roster, which may have contributed to his decision to retire.