aul Woody grew up reading the columnists in his hometown newspaper in Roanoke.
“They were clever, they could be biting, they could be insightful, they could be sympathetic,” said Woody, who earned two degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“You read those guys, and you read the way they do things and approach things, and you think, ‘If I’m going to be in newspapers, ultimately, that’s what I want to do.’”
Long story short — 40 years long, that is — Woody got his wish, writing a sports column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch from 2008 until his retirement in 2019.
This month, he was among nine inductees to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, which commemorates individuals who have made significant contributions to athletics in the state.
Woody is no stranger to accolades for his work — he has 15 awards from the Pro Football Writers of America, 10 from the Virginia Press Association, three from the Associated Press Sports Editors and two from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. But this one is different.
“It was an unexpected honor and one that was a flattering culmination to a long and enjoyable career,” Woody said. “Illustrious? I don’t know. But it was certainly enjoyable.”
