Jaylond Woods (Photo: Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Jaylond Woods’ athletic ability on the football field caught the eye of coaches from the University of Tennessee to Clemson, but the wide receiver/defensive back committed to the Vols.
The three-star athlete should be vying this year for playing time in Neyland Stadium. Instead, the 20-year-old Woods is behind bars facing prison time on a carjacking charge.
Loudon County Sheriff’s Office deputy Craig Brewer found Woods on Thursday night in Dixie Lee Junction at a fireworks stand along Kingston Pike just outside Knox County. According to court records, Woods was wearing a leg brace, supported by crutches and claimed his name was Carter Johnson.
Records show Brewer handed Woods over to Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who took Woods to Cool Sports, 110 South Watt Road. Two assault victims and a witness at Cool Sports identified Woods as one of two men who attacked them at about 10:45 p.m. Thursday.
The victims said Woods and his accomplice beat them on the head and face causing cuts to both of them, records show. Woods allegedly used his crutches in the assault.
The victims had driven to Cool Sports to meet the witness for dinner, and authorities said the two were attacked while getting out of their vehicle.
Woods allegedly got into the victims’ vehicle and sped off. Authorities said no one saw where the second assailant went, and that man has not been arrested.
The victims got into the witness’ vehicle and followed Woods, who drove toward Farragut High School on Kingston Pike. Woods appeared to lose control of the vehicle and was heading west on Kingston Pike when he turned back onto South Watt Road, records state.
Woods struck a curb, rupturing a tire on the stolen vehicle, records show. He then left the disabled vehicle in the road and fled west toward Lenoir City on foot, according to court records.
Woods on Saturday was being held in the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility in lieu of $32,000 bond. He faces charges of carjacking, robbery and two counts of assault. He is slated to appear Nov. 21 in court.
Woods had been a standout football player at Lenoir City High School, where his film highlights showing his quickness and speed had impressed college football coaches.
After Woods committed in 2013 to Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, he left Lenoir City High School and enrolled at Clinton High School. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, however, deemed him ineligible to play for Clinton. Online petitions and representation by attorney Gregory P. Isaacs failed to sway the TSSAA.
In 2014, it appeared the 5 foot 11 inch, 170-pound Woods was no longer a UT commitment. Academics may have been involved for the home-schooled Woods, who obtained his GED.
Woods last year said he hoped to revive his football stock by playing at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Miss. He said he had enrolled in the junior college that regularly fields top-rated teams and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, Camion Patrick. Patrick also had been a UT commit whose high school football career included Clinton and Lenoir City.
But Woods’ name is not listed on the football roster for EMCC for 2015 or 2016.
