Josh Woods reinforces representation ahead of Asian Heritage Month

Vicki Hall

CFL.ca

@vickihallch

At six-foot-one, 234 pounds, Josh Woods is a menacing force at middle linebacker for the BC Lions. He hits hard, closing in on opposing running backs with speed and ferocity.

The UCLA product credits his grandmother for teaching him, through example, the importance of high standards, determination and grit.

“My dad is African American, and then my mom is half Chinese and half white,” Woods said on the eve of Asian Heritage Month from his off-season home in Loma Linda, Calif. “My grandma was born in China, migrated to Taiwan and then married my grandfather. Now, she lives in North Carolina.

“She’s really an incredible woman — very smart, very honest. She definitely doesn’t hold back and demands excellence from everybody in my family. She’s really a powerhouse of a woman.”

LB Josh Woods has 112 total tackles in four seasons with the BC Lions (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

Given his mixed-race background, Woods feels his Asian heritage is often overlooked — or missed altogether — by those watching his gridiron pursuits.

The 27-year-old is proud of his Asian roots and strives to serve as a role model for Asian kids with dreams of playing pro.

According to the 2021 census, 19.6 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents are Chinese, 14.2 per cent are South Asian and 5.5 per cent are Filipino.

“There’s such a big Asian population — I feel like that should be almost our biggest fan base,” Woods said. “It’s really important to see someone who looks like you doing it. Then you can be like, ‘Even if my family hasn’t had a history of playing the sport — or I don’t see many people in my community playing — I can still get into the sport myself.’”

Like many West Coast kids of his era, Woods grew up idolizing the late Kobe Bryant, of the L.A. Lakers. To this day, he sees Bryant — his hard work, his tenacity, his leadership — as the ultimate blueprint for any professional athlete.

But he also looks for inspiration from Asian-American football icons like legendary Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

“Coaching is one of the things I want to get into when I’m done playing,” Woods said. “So seeing coach Freeman take his team to one of the highest stages of the sport is really inspiring.

“And he’s doing it at such a young age. He’s such a great coach and a great father at the same time.”

Like Woods, Freeman – whose dad is Black and mom is Korean — takes pride in his heritage.

“I want to be a representation, but also more than that, I want to be a demonstration,” wrote Freeman, back in 2021, for The Players Tribune. “I want to be a demonstration of what someone can do, and the level they can do it at, if they are given the OPPORTUNITY. Because that’s what is needed: opportunity.”

Woods seizes every opportunity that presents itself to educate people on the real meaning of inclusion and the detection of covert racism.

“Sometimes I hear a joke and people don’t know what race I am,” he said. “I can tell people, `Hey that’s not cool. I’m Chinese. That’s not a funny joke — don’t be saying stuff like that.’

“I hear jokes for both sides, from both sides. It’s not cool. It’s unfair. I guess people try to find humour in things, but…”

Ever curious about the world around him, Woods majored in sociology at UCLA with a minor in film, television and media studies. He even interned in the writing room for the CBS show S.W.A.T starring Shemar Moore.

“I got to see how they come up with shows, how they plan the season out, how to do character development – I just learned from some great people,” he said. “It was a really great experience.”

Woods dedicated this off-season to recovery from knee surgery and will report to training camp next week in Kamloops, B.C.

“I don’t know the exact timeline for when I’ll be back on the field, but it will be sometime during the summer,” said Woods, who collected 21 defensive tackles in four games last season before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. “It’s a new regime, it’s a new staff. There’s kind of uncertainty of what to expect.

“But after talking to everybody, seeing the new people we brought in, I’m excited to hopefully win the Grey Cup.”

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