He played quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs football team during the 1907 and 1908 seasons before taking a year off from school to travel around the United States and Mexico.

Woodruff was the third former Georgia player to become the Bulldogs' head coach, preceded by Ernest Brown and Marvin D. Dickinson.

Woodruff brought to Athens the Notre Dame offensive scheme as well as assistant coaches Frank Thomas and Harry Mehre, who were Knute Rockne's disciples.

His son reported that Woodruff would call Dwight D. Eisenhower, cursing at him, telling him to get Georgia players out of the Army.

Woodruff Hall stood on the site of the current Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.