{{Short description|American soccer player}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Daniel Woolard | image = DanielWollard.JPG | image_size = 160 | fullname = Daniel Woolard | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|5|22}} | birth_place = Bedford, Texas, United States | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}} | position = Defender | currentclub = | clubnumber = | collegeyears1 = 2003–2006 | college1 = Midwestern State Mustangs | years1 = 2005–2006 | clubs1 = DFW Tornados | caps1 = 16 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2007–2009 | clubs2 = Chicago Fire | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2010 | clubs3 = DFW Tornados | caps3 = 3 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2010 | clubs4 = Carolina RailHawks | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2011–2013 | clubs5 = D.C. United | caps5 = 69 | goals5 = 2 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = October 4, 2013 | ntupdate = | totalgoals = 3 | totalcaps = 116 }}
'''Daniel Woolard''' (born May 22, 1984, in Bedford, Texas) is an American former professional soccer player.
==Early career== Woolard played college soccer at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, earning First Team All-American honors during his senior season. During college, he spent two seasons with the DFW Tornados in the USL Premier Development League.
==Professional career==
In 2007, Woolard was drafted in the fourth round, 47th overall, by the Chicago Fire in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft, and spent the next three seasons in Major League Soccer, appearing in 16 first team games including 8 starts and scoring one goal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/player/daniel-woolard |title=Daniel Woolard |work=Major League Soccer |publisher=mlssoccer.com |accessdate=19 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301050556/http://www.mlssoccer.com/player/daniel-woolard |archivedate=1 March 2011 }}</ref>
After his release from Fire in February 2010, and having been unable to secure a professional contract elsewhere, he returned to play for the DFW Tornados in the PDL in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/934453.html#ROSTER |title=United Soccer Leagues (USL) |accessdate=2010-05-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429060910/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/934453.html#ROSTER |archivedate=2010-04-29 }}</ref>
Woolard signed with the USSF D2 Carolina RailHawks in September 2010, and he started his first league match with the RailHawks against Crystal Palace Baltimore on September 3]. While with the RailHawks he played for the full duration of every match.
On January 6, 2011, Woolard returned to the MLS after being signed by D.C. United. Woolard impressed with DC, and became a starter as the season went by.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2011/01/dc-united-re-signs-midfielder-kurt-morsink |title=D.C. United re-signs midfielder Kurt Morsink |date=6 January 2011 |work=D.C. United |publisher=dcunited.com |accessdate=19 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615123551/http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2011/01/dc-united-re-signs-midfielder-kurt-morsink |archivedate=15 June 2011 }}
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Finding a home with the Black and Red again in 2012, Woolard started 20 games on DC's backline. Woolard tallied his third [http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/05/highlight-woolard-diving-header-from-najar|third MLS goal]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} <ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/05/highlight-woolard-diving-header-from-najar| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120510010711/http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/05/highlight-woolard-diving-header-from-najar| archive-date = 2012-05-10| title = Highlight: Woolard diving header from Najar {{!}} D.C. United}}</ref> and contributed two assists in 1,754 minutes on the pitch. Woolard upheld his reputation as a constant performer on the back before suffering a concussion in August which left him sidelined until he was cleared during the 2012 MLS Playoffs. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/dc-united-news-and-notes-daniel-woolard-sidelined-with-concussion-dwayne-de-rosario-has-sore-shoulder-andy-najar-returns-from-olympics/2012/08/07/138f9212-e095-11e1-a19c-fcfa365396c8_blog.html Woolard Concussion 2012]
Woolard was cleared of his concussion symptoms during the 2012 Playoffs,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/11/monday-training-notes| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131214185058/http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/11/monday-training-notes| archive-date = 2013-12-14| title = Monday training notes {{!}} D.C. United}}</ref> and continued his stay as one of the most consistent players on the backline for DC United in 2013. Since joining the Black-and-Red on Jan. 6, 2011, Woolard has never played less than 20 games in each his first three seasons. In 2013, he played and started 27 games and dished out one assist while logging the fourth most minutes on the team (2,235).<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dcunited.com/news/2013/11/chris-pontius-and-daniel-woolard-undergo-surgery| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131231021501/http://www.dcunited.com/news/2013/11/chris-pontius-and-daniel-woolard-undergo-surgery| archive-date = 2013-12-31| title = Chris Pontius and Daniel Woolard undergo surgery {{!}} D.C. United}}</ref>
He was released following the 2013 season and retired from professional soccer thereafter.
== Personal life == Woolard is the son of Marvin and Jane Woolard. He is married to Emily Woolard, and they have a pet Vizsla. Woolard is an avid Bowhunter and bass fisherman. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
After retiring from professional soccer, Woolard enrolled in law school at Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor in May 2019 and obtaining his State Bar of Texas license in October 2019. He and his wife operate their own business ''Savvy Wool''.<ref>[https://www.savvywool.com/ Savvy Wool]</ref> He currently resides in Texas.
==Honors==
===D.C. United=== *'''Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1):''' 2013
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{MLS player|daniel-woolard}} * {{Twitter|woolard21}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolard, Daniel}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Latter Day Saints from Texas Category:American men's soccer players Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Businesspeople from Dallas Category:Chicago Fire FC draft picks Category:Chicago Fire FC players Category:D.C. United players Category:DFW Tornados players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:Midwestern State Mustangs men's soccer players Category:North Carolina FC players Category:People from Bedford, Texas Category:Soccer players from Texas Category:USL League Two players Category:USSF Division 2 Professional League players