Schools
From Sears to the Pittsburgh Steelers: Edmonds-Woodway Star Signs Pro Contract
Eric Greenwood played four years at the University of Idaho, where he caught 11 touchdown passes. E-W coach John Gradwohl call his former star an impact player and leader.
There’s good news and bad news for fans of Edmonds’ own Eric Greenwood, a star wide receiver for Edmonds-Woodway High School who played four years for the University of Idaho Vandals.
Greenwood, 22, on Tuesday was one of 18 undrafted rookie free agents who came to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s good news for Greenwood, but not-so-good for Puget Sound football fans who put the Steelers as enemy No. 1. In 2006, the Steelers beat the Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL in a game many thought the Seahawks could have won if not for a few questionable calls from the officials.
If Greenwood becomes a star with the Steelers, however, he will certainly win over numerous fans in the area who have watched his progress on the field.
No one is happier for Greenwood’s good news than John Gradwohl, current head coach for the Warriors who saw Greenwood’s career first-hand for four years.
“He’s 6’6,” athletic, but besides that he’s just a great kid who was a great leader,” said Gradwohl, who spoke to his star athlete on Tuesday before Greenwood flew to Pittsburgh. Greenwood, says Gradwohl, first had to quit his job at Sears in Lynnwood. “I basically said congratulations, make the best of it and first and foremost have fun. He’s really got his head on his shoulders and he has it all in the proper perspective.”
Greenwood had a stellar career with the Warriors. In his senior year, in 2006, he helped lead No. 1-ranked and undefeated E-W to the 4A semifinals at the Tacoma Dome. Although Greenwood caught a late 74-yard touchdown pass, the Warriors fell to Bothell 28-14, finishing 12-1.
“He made a lot of great catches for us, and was obviously an impact player,” said Gradwohl. “I think my favorite moment was versus Curtis. We substituted a man on the kickoff return team, and he returned the kick for a touchdown. That was a really close game, and that was a huge play. He was just a playmaker.”
At Idaho in 2010, Greenwood was a second-team All-WAC selection after leading the team with 46 catches for 741 yards and six touchdowns. He finished his career with 89 catches for 1,246 yards and 11 touchdowns in 39 games.
According to the Steelers, Greenwood ran a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash during his pro-day workout on March 11.
Whether Greenwood will actually play for the Steelers may be beyond this control.
“It’s tough,” said Gradwohl. “You’ve got to stay healthy, and more than anything you’ve got to be someone they want. Sometimes you don’t fit what they’re looking for. It’s hard to say from the standpoint of what receivers they have at Pittsburgh, what the competition is. But I know he’ll perform at the highest level he can. I don’t know how fast he is compared to those guys, but I know he can catch the ball. And he’s tall. I would think that that would be something people would be interested in.”