The UAlbany football team is a program in somewhat of a flux. After finishing first in the CAA in 2023, the team went 4-8 last season. They also lost 11-year head coach Greg Gattuso, who went to his alma mater Penn State. Replacing him is offensive coordinator Jared Ambrose, who’s currently only the interim head coach – with no certainty on his future with the program. Yet one player who will look to turn things back around for the Great Danes this season is UAlbany running back Griffin Woodell. Speaking to the running back, he talked about his journey to UAlbany, his mindset entering 2025, and much more.
Player Spotlight: Griffin Woodell
While Griffin Woodell found himself at UAlbany, his path to get there was all but certain. Coming from Glens Falls, New York, the running back wasn’t highly recruited in high school despite being a successful four-sport athlete.
“Coming out of Glens Falls I didn’t really have great recruiting, or, much recruiting at all honestly,” began Woodell. “I went to a few camps but that didn’t really do much. Luckily one of my coaches Jeff Bennett, he knew Coach Gattusso. He reached out for me and they offered me a roster spot on the team … I think [recruiting] has to do a lot to do with their high school coaches and if they’re trying to help you. If they’re not going to help you then it doesn’t work out … I remember the recruiting process, trying to figure out what to do. [I was] sending emails to coaches and stuff. Sometimes it works, but sometimes [it doesn’t].”
Overlooked to OROY
Yet despite the lack of recruiting, Griffin Woodell became an impact player for the Great Danes in his first season of action. The UAlbany running back won the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023. He had 1147 (rushing and receiving) yards with 12 total touchdowns. Woodell accomplished that feat despite not becoming a starter until the fifth game of the season.
While Woodell acknowledged his size and talent difference at the high school level, he knew that college football completely levels the playing field.
“It’s funny – I’m not the biggest, strongest, fastest guy anymore. There’s a lot of things you can’t control. But there’s a lot of things you can control like effort, work, and attitude … I rose to the top slowly in a battle between good running backs, you know. I didn’t start that season until five games in … [When I got into the game] for the first time obviously I was very nervous. But after that first time it’s go time, it’s football. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
Working Through Adversity
Yet despite the running back’s early success, adversity came just as quickly. After suffering numerous shoulder separations (as well as having surgery), Woodell suffered a torn labrum in the 2024 season. However, instead of missing the season, he opted to continue playing. While statistically his numbers took a hit, that type of grit at the game’s most taxing position is something to admire.
“Earlier in the season I had my shoulders pop out all the time. It was whatever, the pain went away in a little bit so it was fine – I’d put on some shoulder braces. But then I tore my labrum and didn’t [finish] the game against Maine. I came back the next week and have heard plenty of guys playing through [torn] labrums. I took a few hits to see where I was at, and I was fine. So, it kind of just was like, I’m good. I couldn’t life my arms too high, but that didn’t matter.”
Yet through that adversity, Woodell grew as a leader. With Coach Ambrose moving from the offensive coordinator to the head coach, it put a larger burden of responsibility on members of the offense. The running back stated that becoming a leader of his unit and the team has been the biggest change in Ambrose’s promotion within the program.
With that in mind, what Woodell is most looking forwarding to showcasing this year is not just his playmaking ability – it’s his leadership on the team.
“As a team obviously you want to win as many games as possible. For myself, I’m just trying to be a better leader. I’ve won awards in the past, and they don’t mean squat right now. I didn’t play for about half the season last year because of the injury … Whatever I can do to help our team to win, that’s the goal. Whether it’s on the bench cheering my team on or scoring touchdowns … We have a lot of good running backs on the roster, and I think we’re going to have a good year in the backfield.”
Entering 2025, Woodell is primed to lead the UAlbany running back room. And, if his freshman year was any indication, putting the ball in his hands will do wonders for the Great Danes this season.
UAlbany will open the 2025 season on the road against Iowa on August 30.
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