Woody Baron

Woody Baron (born August 8, 1993) is an American professional gridiron football defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL), who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Virginia Tech.

Early years

Baron attended Brentwood Academy. As a senior, he received his second straight first-team All-state selection, after tallying 40 tackles (15 for loss) and 8 sacks.

College career

Baron accepted a football scholarship from Virginia Tech. As a true freshman, he appeared in all 13 games as a backup defensive tackle. He collected 8 tackles.

As a sophomore, he appeared in 12 games with 2 starts, making 7 tackles (one for a loss), and a half sack.

As a junior, he appeared in all 13 games with 5 starts. He registered 28 tackles (8 for loss), 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

As a senior, he started all 14 games, posting 56 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss (tied for the team lead) and 5.5 sacks. He had 6 tackles (4.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks against the University of Miami. He was part of a defense that ranked second among Power Five squads in third-down defense (27.5%), fourth in tackles for loss (113.0) and fifth in opponent completion percentage (50.1%).

He played in 52 games, starting in 21 of them, where he had 99 tackles (27.5 for loss), 9 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Baron was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2017 NFL Draft on May 2. However, he was released at the end of training camp on September 2, 2017.

Montreal Alouettes

On March 19, 2018, Baron signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He made the team's active roster following training camp and played in his first professional game on June 16, 2018, against the BC Lions, where he had two defensive tackles. He played in all 18 regular season games in 2018 where he recorded 28 defensive tackles and four sacks.

In 2019, Baron again played in all 18 regular season games where he had 27 defensive tackles and one sack. He made his post-season debut in the team's East Semi-Final loss to the Edmonton Eskimos where he had two defensive tackles and his first career interception. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season. He played in all 14 regular season games in the shortened 2021 season where he had 16 defensive tackles and a career-high six sacks. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022.

BC Lions

On February 14, 2022, it was announced that Baron had signed with the BC Lions. However, his debut with the Lions was delayed due to complications following surgery for his ankle and he began the season on the six-game injured list. He played in his first game with the Lions on September 24, 2022. On February 8, 2024, Baron was released by the Lions.

Personal life

Baron's uncle, James Baron, played in 12 seasons in the Arena Football League as a defensive lineman. In August 2018, he released a children's book that he co-authored with his uncle and Henry Taylor.