Eric Wood Eric Wood ( born March 18 , 1986 ) is an American football center for the Buffalo Bills . He was the team ' s second pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft ( 28th overall ) . After starting his team ' s first 10 games of the 2009 NFL season , he suffered a season - ending injury on November 22 , 2009 . Wood played his collegiate football at the University of Louisville . High school career . Wood attended Elder High School in Cincinnati , Ohio , where played both the tackle and guard positions . His team went 28 - 2 over the last two seasons , including two consecutive state titles . After playing tight end as a junior , Wood started all 15 games at offensive tackle in his senior year and earned first team All - League honors . Considered a two - star recruit by both " Rivals . com " and " Scout . com " , Wood was not ranked among the nation ' s top offensive line prospects . He chose Louisville over Bowling Green , Ohio , Cincinnati , Indiana and Columbia . College career . After redshirting his initial year at Louisville , Wood started all 12 games at center for the Cardinals in 2005 . He earned Freshman All - American honors by " Rivals . com " , " Sporting News " and " College Football News " . Also an excellent student , earned Academic All - Big East accolades as well . Wood remained Louisville ' s starting center in his sophomore and junior seasons , starting all 13 and 12 games , respectively . Led by quarterback Brian Brohm , the 2007 Cardinals offense ranked sixth nationally with an average of 488 . 0 yards per game . Wood earned All - Big East honors in both years , and again in his senior season . He finished his career with 49 consecutive starts at center , the second - longest streak in school history behind Travis Leffew ( 51 , 2002 – 05 ) . Professional career . 2009 NFL Draft . Alongside Alex Mack , Wood was considered one of the best centers available in the 2009 NFL Draft . He has been compared to Brad Meester by " The Sporting News " , but his instincts and " nastiness " on the field had scouts comparing him to the NFL ' s old time centers like Mike Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tim Grunhard of the Kansas City Chiefs . Wood was selected with the 28th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills . With Mack being selected with the 21st pick by the Cleveland Browns , at marked the first time two centers were drafted in round one since the 1983 NFL Draft , with Dave Rimington and Don Mosebar . Buffalo Bills . Counted on to start at right guard , Wood joined a completely retooled Bills offensive line that was expected to feature two rookie starters — him , and second round pick Andy Levitre at left guard — and no players returning at the same position . On July 28 , 2009 , Wood signed a five - year contract with the Bills , reportedly worth more than $ 12 million . Wood immediately became the Bills starting right offensive guard next to center Geoff Hangartner , with Levitre at left guard . On November 22 , 2009 , in his 10th game , Wood sustained a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in the fourth quarter of an 18 – 15 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 11 , after Jaguars DT Montavious Stanley ran into Wood ' s leg . Wood underwent season - ending surgery in a Jacksonville hospital and did not return to Buffalo with the team . He was placed on the injured reserve list on November 24 , 2009 . On March 30 , 2010 , Wood told the Buffalo Bills that his leg was healing well and that he gave it an 80 % chance to be ready for training camp . He eventually started 14 games in the 2010 NFL season , missing only Steelers and Vikings games because of an ankle injury . The Bills were playing the same trio up the middle : Wood at right guard , Hangartner at center , and Levitre at left guard . In 2011 , Wood was switched to center , between Levitre and new starting right guard Kraig Urbik . These three have been instrumental in the resurgence in the Bills offense , led by Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Fred Jackson at running back . However , he was hurt in game 9 and did not play the rest of the year , replaced first by Urbik and then by Colin Brown .