small_Woodard_Germany_04Former Lincoln wide receiver Maurice Woodard has signed a professional contract with the Elmshorn Fighting Pirates, a member of the German Football League 2.

Woodard is Lincoln’s career receptions leader, having caught 143 passes in his four years as a Blue Tiger. Woodard’s best season came in 2012, when he made 68 receptions for 705 yards, with both marks ranking as the second-most in single season by a Lincoln receiver. This year, Woodard caught a team-high 48 passes for 372 yards and a score. In his LU career, Woodard, an all-MIAA honorable mention last season, has scored seven touchdowns and has amassed over 1,200 receiving yards.

Woodard played his first game with the Fighting Pirates on Saturday (June 28), catching four passes for 49 yards, including a long of 25. Woodard also returned two kickoffs for 52 yards and added three more yards on a punt return. His 100 all-purpose yards ranked second on the team, though Elmshorn ultimately lost to the Cologne Crocodiles, 51-20.

The German Football League 2 consists of 16 teams divided into norther and southern divisions. The league, originally formed as the 2nd American Football Bundesliga, has been playing competitively since 1982.