Kassidy Woods started playing football in eighth grade and he grew up watching videos of Jerry Rice, whose style of play he grew to admire, and Julio Jones, his idol and favorite receiver in the NFL. His first inspirations, however, were his dad and his two older brothers. His dad, John, taught him everything he knows about football and basketball.

"We lived in such an impoverished place at that time our parents didn't want us to go outside so we had to stay inside," Wood said. "When I got the chance to play football it was just amazing, just something fun to do, something to be around my other friends."

Woods entered McKinney Boyd High School his freshman year and later transferred to GreenHill High School, a private school in Addison Texas. He played wide receiver and his brother, Konnell, was quarterback.

Woods said he chose Washington State because he wanted to go far away from home. He felt like WSU was family oriented and the guys seemed to like being around each other.

"It was a real tight-knit family," Wood said. "I really like the openness and the honesty from the coaches and players."

When he arrived on the Palouse, Woods played on special teams and at wide receiver. He said Easop Winston Jr. and Dezmon Patmon took him underneath their wings and supported him during his first season.

To say busy outside of football, Woods became the team's barber. His mother, Jerline, is a cosmetologist so Woods watched her cut hair throughout his childhood and she inspired him.  He said he communicates with his family regularly through FaceTime to stay close.

Woods is majoring in communication and minoring in human development. He said he wants to become a motivational speaker and own his own barber shop in Texas. But first plans to pursue a career in the NFL.

"I would love to put myself in position to play in the NFL," he said. "That is one of my dreams and goals, but I am trying to take care of college first."