MACON, Ga. — A big piece to the Northeast offense is returning to the football field.
"It was an incredible, hard challenge," senior Nick Woodford said. "It was a hard challenge."
The star running back is back after an eight-month absence. The Northeast Raider suffered a torn ACL and partial meniscus tear in his right knee.
"I was running like a stretch play and as I was stopping out of bounds a player jumped on my back and caused me to land un-proper," Woodford explained.
Despite being out for the season, Woodford was focused on finding ways to help his team off the field.
"Talking to them each and every day, sending them quotes just trying to connect with them - just not playing," Woodford said.
Woodford said the biggest challenge was working out on his own.
"I got to motivate myself," Woodford said. "Nobody can motivate me to do the work that I got to do on my own to be at my best so I can be able to play."
Head Coach Jeremy Wiggins said Woodford's high school career has been an interesting journey, but he's glad to have him back in the lineup.
"Whenever he gets on the field he's going to be a threat to anybody so we want to get the ball in his hand and let him do what he do," Wiggins said.
What he does is eat up yards and gets points on the board. Before his injury, Woodford had nearly 1,000 rushing yards in six games.
His sophomore season he rushed nearly 3,000 yards and scored 40 touchdowns.
"I love putting the ball in the end zone yards, I love the yards!" Woodford said. "When I put the ball in the end zone that hypes me up."
He was one of the players the Raiders relied on when they needed points, but he says putting on the uniform feels different this time around.
"When I suited up I was walking around checking myself out. I was like, 'I'm back in the pads. I'm back in the helmet, pants, put on the cleats,'" Woodford said. "I'm like, 'Oh man it's go time. It's go time.'"
When he goes he doesn't stop. In his first two games back, Woodford scored six touchdowns and with 345 rushing yards. That puts him at over 4,000 rushing yards in his high school career, but he wants more.
"Give me like 50. 50 touchdowns I'm going for a 50-ball," Woodford said.
The ultimate goal is keeping Woodford healthy, so he can reach an even bigger goal.
"Nick's got a good chance to be one of the guys that could go down as a legend at Northeast," Wiggins said. "I talk to him about that a lot. You know I mess with him and joke with him about me playing and I always tell him y'all got a long way before you catch me."