To say the first three years of Asiantii Woulard's college football career did not go the way many envisioned is an understatement.  With a fresh start and a positive outlook, there is no reason it can't have a happy ending.
 
In 2013, Woulard was a four-star recruit at Winter Park High School, one of the best athletes in one of the country's most fertile regions for high school football talent.  ESPN and 247 both had him ranked as the top dual-threat quarterback in the nation as a senior, and when it came to his college prospects, he was spoiled for choice by the long list of Division I FBS suitors.  He eventually settled on UCLA, eager for the chance not just to play football but also to become the first in his family to earn a college degree.
 
Woulard redshirted during his freshman year, but when his family  in Florida was beset with injury and other difficulties,  he decided to return home.  He transferred to South Florida in nearby Tampa in 2015, sitting out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer rules and priming himself for the chance to get on the field in 2016.
 
However, Woulard never got that chance.  He suffered a broken right foot late in training camp, a problem that would linger for much of the year.  Disappointed, he tweeted at the time of the injury that he felt he was "being tested."  Despite that disappointment, though, he said he never gave up hope.
 
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," Woulard said.  "I don't dwell on the problem, I just move forward and start looking for the solution."
 
Whether or not to stay in school was never a question for Woulard.  The first person in his family to attend college, he was determined to succeed not only for himself but also because he recognized that he was a role model to so many.
 
"Where I'm from, going to college is a big deal," Woulard said.  "We normally don't have the money to go to school.  It was unreal to me that I could go to college, period, because that's something I wasn't accustomed to seeing growing up."
 
He paused, then continued.  "It's more than just football for me.  It's an opportunity for life.  I want to be an example for the next generation, and try to make going to college a standard in my family.  I want kids who don't believe they can go to school look at me and believe that they can achieve amazing things."
 
Woulard wanted to get on the field, and was willing to travel to do it. He decided to take a chance on a school far from his Florida home, committing to Clarion early in the year.  And while not many would confuse Clarion with Winter Park, he was not deterred.
 
"It's different, and I've always been interested in living in different situations, learning different cultures," Woulard said.  "What I really like here is that it's a small town with a lot of history.  There's a lot of nature around.  I can definitely see a future here."
 
As far as football goes, Woulard said he expected a relatively easy transition, saying "the offense is very familiar to me.  The terminology is different, but a lot of the concepts are similar to what I was doing before.  It's definitely a quarterback-driven offense, and I hope I have the opportunity to contribute to that."