{{Short description|American football player (born 1991)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Cierre Wood | image = CierreWood (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Wood during his collegiate career with Notre Dame | number = 20, 41 | position = Running back | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|2|21}} | birth_place = Bloomington, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lbs = 226 | high_school = Santa Clara {{avoid wrap|(Oxnard, California)}} | college = Notre Dame (2009–2012) | undraftedyear = 2013 | pastteams = * Houston Texans ({{NFL Year|2013}}) * New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2013}})* * Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2014}})* * Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|2014}})* * Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2015}}) * Hamilton Tiger-Cats ({{CFL Year|2017}})* * Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2017}}) * Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2018}})* | highlights = | statlabel1 = Rushing yards | statvalue1 = 12 | statlabel2 = Rushing average | statvalue2 = 2.4 | statlabel3 = Receptions | statvalue3 = 1 | statlabel4 = Receiving yards | statvalue4 = -6 | pfr = WoodCi00 }}
'''Cierre Marcelle Wood''' (born February 21, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was convicted of murder. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
Wood played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans in 2013. In 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of his girlfriend’s five-year-old daughter.
==High school career== Wood attended Santa Clara High School in Oxnard, California.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritter |first=Ken |date=June 25, 2019 |title=Cierre Wood, girlfriend indicted in Vegas child death case |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/sports/2019/06/25/cierre-wood-girlfriend-indicted-vegas-child-death-case/1563803001/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mack |first=Justin L. |title=Ex-Notre Dame running back, girlfriend charged with murder in exercise death of 5-year-old |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2019/04/22/cierre-wood-amy-taylor-charged-murder-exercise-death-5-year-old/3536763002/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref> He rushed for 1,632 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught eight passes for 182 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. During his junior year, he had 2,612 yards rushing with 34 touchdowns. Wood was a ''USA Today'' All-American in 2008. He was also selected to play in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Considered a four-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', Wood was listed as the No. 8 running back in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Cierre-Wood-64433 |title=Cierre Wood – Yahoo! Sports |access-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120010617/https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Cierre-Wood-64433 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He chose to attend Notre Dame over USC, UCLA, and California.
==College career== After redshirting in the 2009 season, Wood emerged on the depth chart as the No. 2 running back in 2010. He was used sparingly over the first few games, but after an injury to starter Armando Allen, he started the final six games where he recorded 603 yards on 119 carries and three touchdowns, and 20 receptions for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his junior year, he took over the starting role. He recorded 1,102 yards on 217 carries (5.1 AVG) and 9 touchdowns, and 27 receptions for 187 yards. In 2012, Wood had been suspended for the opening two games, against Navy and Purdue, for violating team rules.<ref>{{cite web|title=Notre Dame suspends starting RB Cierre Wood|url=https://news.yahoo.com/notre-dame-suspends-starting-rb-cierre-wood-184501033--spt.html|publisher=Yahoo Sports|access-date=August 27, 2012}}</ref> In the final 11 games, he rushed for 742 yards on 114 carries (6.5 avg) and four touchdowns after splitting carries with classmate Theo Riddick.
==Professional career== In January 2013, Wood decided to forgo his final year of eligibility, entering the 2013 NFL draft.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2013/story/_/id/8842875/notre-dame-fighting-irish-rb-cierre-wood-enter-nfl-draft-cites-family |title=Notre Dame Fighting Irish RB Cierre Wood to enter NFL draft, cites family |work=ESPN.com |date=January 14, 2013 |first=Joe |last=Schad }}</ref>
{{nfl predraft | height ft = 5 | height in = 11 | weight = 213 | dash = 4.46 | ten split = 1.56 | twenty split = 2.52 | shuttle = 4.29 | cone drill = 6.87 | vertical = 37.5 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 4 | bench = 18 | wonderlic = | arm span = | hand span = | note = All values from NFL Combine }}
===Houston Texans=== Wood went undrafted and was signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans hours after the draft.<ref name="SBNation">{{cite news | last =Bien | first =Louis | title =Undrafted Free Agents 2013: Collin Klein Among 23 New Texans Post-Draft | newspaper =SB Nation| date =April 28, 2013 | url =https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/4/28/4278260/2013-nfl-undrafted-free-agents-houston-texans | access-date =April 29, 2013 }}</ref> The Texans released Wood, along with two others players, on October 21, 2013, for unspecified violations of team rules prior to a game in Kansas City.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9859855/houston-texans-cut-sam-montgomery-cierre-wood-willie-jefferson | title=Sources: Pot reason Texans cut 3 | first=Tania | last=Ganguli | date=October 21, 2013 |work=ESPN.com | access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref>
===New England Patriots=== The New England Patriots signed Wood to their practice squad on November 5, 2013. He was released by the Patriots on December 26.
===Baltimore Ravens=== Wood was signed by the Baltimore Ravens to a reserve-future deal on January 15, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-sign-running-back-cierre-wood-after-initial-contract-disapproved-20140115,0,4778311.story |title=Ravens Sign Wood |access-date=January 18, 2014 |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122173544/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-sign-running-back-cierre-wood-after-initial-contract-disapproved-20140115,0,4778311.story |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Ravens released Wood on August 25.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Trim-Roster-Down-To-75/393025cc-1a69-4134-95a2-c2e561131580?mobile-id=848248&media-type=N |title=Ravens Trim Roster Down To 75 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828173348/http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Trim-Roster-Down-To-75/393025cc-1a69-4134-95a2-c2e561131580?mobile-id=848248&media-type=N |archive-date=August 28, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Seattle Seahawks=== Wood was signed by the Seattle Seahawks to their practice squad on November 12, 2014.<ref>[http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20141111/SPORTS/141119749/1172/Out-for-the-season Seahawks' defensive tackle Mebane goes on IR]</ref>
===Buffalo Bills=== The Buffalo Bills signed Wood to their roster on August 19, 2015.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=634011191090782208|user=RapSheet|title=The #Bills signed free agent DL Red Bryant and RB Cierre Wood, addressing depth issues from injuries<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> On September 4, he was released by the Bills.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Leodis-McKelvin-to-ReserveNFI-as-Bills-release-16/df61b241-ef1d-456a-a22a-cd06ea2c309f |title=Leodis McKelvin to Reserve/NFI as Bills release 16 |last=Brown |first=Chris |date=September 4, 2015 |website=BuffaloBills.com |access-date=September 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917072835/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Leodis-McKelvin-to-ReserveNFI-as-Bills-release-16/df61b241-ef1d-456a-a22a-cd06ea2c309f |archive-date=September 17, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On September 6, the Bills re-signed Wood to their practice squad.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-add-C-Gabe-Ikard-to-53-man-roster-Five-signed-to-practice-squad/8e534eab-b78e-48db-88c6-857e9eb9d158 |title=Bills add C Gabe Ikard to 53-man roster; Five signed to practice squad |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=September 6, 2015 |website=BuffaloBills.com |access-date=September 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908194409/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-add-C-Gabe-Ikard-to-53-man-roster-Five-signed-to-practice-squad/8e534eab-b78e-48db-88c6-857e9eb9d158 |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Wood was promoted to the Bills' active roster on Friday, October 2. However, in Week 5, Wood tore his ACL, ending his season.
===Hamilton Tiger-Cats=== Wood signed with the Canadian football team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on March 9, 2017.
=== Montreal Alouettes === On May 1, 2017, Wood was traded to the Montreal Alouettes along with defensive end Denzell Perine, in exchange for defensive back Khalid Wooten.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/ticats-acquire-wooten-from-alouettes-1.739620|title=Ticats acquire Wooten from Alouettes – Article – TSN|date=May 1, 2017|work=TSN|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref> He was released on May 1, 2018.
==Personal life== Wood and his girlfriend, Amy Taylor, were arrested on April 10, 2019, by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on charges of first-degree homicide and child abuse, after the death of the girlfriend's five-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Davis, who was found with extreme bruising and trauma.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/sports/2019/05/29/cierre-wood-pleads-not-guilty-vegas-child-death-case/1274556001/|title=Cierre Wood pleads not guilty in Vegas child death case|date=May 29, 2019|website=amp.vcstar.com|access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref> Wood was additionally accused of forcing the child to participate in extreme exercise routines as a punishment for being overweight.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/mom-ex-nfl-player-used-exercise-to-punish-las-vegas/article_09b66642-5fd4-11e9-a5a2-1fb121612d46.html|title=Mom, ex-NFL player used exercise to punish Las Vegas child, report says|last=Emerson|first=Elaine|date=15 April 2019|work=KVVU-TV|access-date=17 April 2019}}</ref> On August 13, 2024, Wood was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 12 years and four months, after entering an Alford plea to second degree murder and child abuse.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-13 |title=Ex-RB Wood sentenced to life in 5-year-old's death |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40851340/ex-nfl-rb-cierre-wood-sentenced-life-5-year-old-death |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110617031346/http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wood_cierre00.html Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Cierre}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Oxnard, California Category:American football running backs Category:Canadian football running backs Category:Players of Canadian football from California Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Category:Houston Texans players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:New England Patriots players Category:Baltimore Ravens players Category:Seattle Seahawks players Category:Buffalo Bills players Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Category:Montreal Alouettes players Category:Child murder in Nevada Category:Child filicides in the United States Category:Perpetrators of filicide Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Category:American murderers of children Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Nevada Category:People convicted of murder by Nevada Category:21st-century American murderers Category:American male criminals Category:Incidents of violence against girls in the United States Category:Criminals from California Category:American sportspeople convicted of murder