page_title: Danny Woodhead
section_title: New England Patriots
hierarchical_section_title: Danny Woodhead / Professional career / New England Patriots
caption_attribution_description: Danny Woodhead and Deion Branch
context_page_description: Daniel Jacob Henry Woodhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Chadron State and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
  Woodhead set several NCAA college football rushing records, including the single season rushing and all-time rushing records. In 2006 and 2007, he won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the best player in NCAA Division II, making him the third player to win the trophy twice in its history. On October 6, 2007, Woodhead became the NCAA all-time, all-division leading rusher. Woodhead held this record until it was broken by Mount Union running back Nate Kmic on December 13, 2008. With the Patriots, Woodhead made his lone Super Bowl appearance in 2011. He finished the game with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 18 yards, but the Patriots fell to the New York Giants 21-17.
context_section_description: Woodhead was signed by the New England Patriots on September 18, 2010, one day before the team's Week 2 matchup against the Jets. The team had an open roster spot for Woodhead after the trade of Laurence Maroney; Woodhead was inactive for the game, which saw longtime Patriots third-down running back Kevin Faulk go down for the season with a knee injury. On September 26, making his Patriots debut as well as his first career start, Woodhead had a 22-yard touchdown run against the Buffalo Bills, his first NFL touchdown. In Week 4, Woodhead added an 11-yard touchdown reception in a win over the Miami Dolphins. Against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11, Woodhead had a 36-yard touchdown run in a Patriots win.
  On November 19, 2010, Woodhead signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots, through the 2012 season.
  Woodhead finished the 2010 season with 3 starts in 14 games played. He had 97 carries for 547 yards (5.6 yard average), and 5 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 379 yards and one receiving touchdown. Woodhead was part of the Patriots postseason roster until the team lost 28–21 to his former team, the New York Jets, in the divisional round.
  In the 2011 season, Woodhead had 77 carries for 351 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with 18 receptions for 157 yards. The Patriots finished with a 13–3 record and won the AFC East. In the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, he had four carries for 25 yards in the 45–10 victory. In the AFC Championship, he had six carries for 18 yards and a seven-yard reception in the 23–20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. On February 5, 2012, he made a catch in the second quarter of Super Bowl XLVI to score the first touchdown in the game for the Patriots. New England would eventually lose the game to the New York Giants 21–17. Woodhead finished with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 18 yards.
  In the 2012 season, Woodhead had 76 carries for 301 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 40 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns.
caption: Woodhead with the Patriots in 2011.
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