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QuickTake:
Gerald Woodyard never liked Autzen Stadium during his time at Long Beach State. Nearly 40 years later, his son – Oregon safety Peyton Woodyard – is changing his dad’s opinion.
Until recently, Gerald Woodyard didn’t have many fond memories of Autzen Stadium.
The father of Oregon Ducks sophomore safety Peyton Woodyard, Gerald was a wide receiver for Long Beach State from 1988-1991, a span that saw the 49ers make a pair of trips to Eugene for blowout losses.
In 1988, it was 49-0 Ducks. In 1989, it was 52-10.
“The fans were horrible because I was on the other side,” Gerald said. “It was cold as heck. I don’t know why they say it never rains in Autzen Stadium, because it was raining that day and it was brutal.
“I’m an old man now, but I remember getting our butts whooped. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
The experience has gotten better for Gerald 36 years later. On Saturday, Gerald and his wife, Nora, watched from the stands and found themselves on the right side of a 69-3 result. Even better, they got to see Peyton — who played in 14 games as a true freshman and has worked his way into a contributing safety role in 2025 — come down with his first career interception. He returned it 30 yards for a touchdown for the final score of the game.
“Just following my rules on the play,” Peyton said. “I was on the tight end, the tight end blocked and I sunk back. Our D-line — coach Tosh Lupoi has been talking about rushing coverage — and they were all up in the quarterback’s face, and he just threw it and it ended up in my hands.”
Thanks to an assist from Oregon equipment director Kenny Farr, the ball was in Gerald and Peyton’s hands after the game. Because Woodyard’s first career touchdown was off an interception, the football technically belonged to Oklahoma State — on offense, teams supply their own balls. But knowing the meaning of the moment, Farr made his way over to the opposing sidelines after the game and secured the ball.
“He surprised Peyton big time,” Gerald said. “He had no idea he was getting the ball and Kenny was waiting for him when he entered the locker room. Kenny and Peyton have a special relationship — though I’m sure he has that same special relationship with a lot of kids on the team.”
Gerald and Peyton took a picture together with the ball — though Gerald said it’s not just his football background that put his son in the right place. While Gerald played football, Nora was a Division I softball pitcher at United States International University.
“She’s the one who really pushed Peyton to work on his craft,” Gerald said. “She was a pitcher. There were no off days for her. She tells me stories all the time about her dad making her take her glove with her on vacation so they could get work in.”
Gerald and Nora passed their athleticism and work ethic to their three children: AJ, who played baseball at Hope International University, Lauren, who played soccer at Nevada, and Peyton, who played a little of everything as a kid but flourished into a four-star, hard-hitting safety at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California.
Peyton initially signed with Alabama in December 2023, but he elected to enter the transfer portal after Nick Saban’s retirement. Having developed a relationship with Oregon coach Dan Lanning during his recruiting process, Peyton said Eugene was an easy choice.
“It was definitely a no-brainer, just because of the system that Coach Lanning and Coach Tosh run over here,” Peyton said. “It’s very similar to Saban, and I definitely wanted to stay in a defense like that. I think it suits me well and it’s gonna get us prepared for the next level.”
Peyton played in all 14 games at Oregon as a true freshman — primarily on special teams — and finished 2024 with nine tackles. Two games into 2025, he already has seven tackles and has impressed veteran teammates like Dillon Thieneman.
“It was so awesome that Peyton got a pick,” Thieneman said. “I’m so happy. We were all running over the field — I was like, yo, we’re probably going to get a flag.
“But that’s awesome that he got the ball. He made a great play. He was just out there being a football player.”
Gerald’s football days are long behind him. He’s now a deputy chief with the Los Angelese Police Department — and the football program he played for in college no longer exists. There’s not a whole lot he can relate from his playing experience compared to his son’s — though, whether with the Ducks or against them, he knows how hard you have to work to play at Autzen.
“To play on a team that’s ranked, I think that’s a different experience for Peyton,” Gerald said. “But I can relate to understanding that it’s a grind, that there’s certain things you need to do to prepare for a game. We’ve always put him in situations where you have to earn your opportunities on the field. And when you get an opportunity, take advantage of it. He’s had to fight and claw with his older siblings. They never let up on him.”
