At the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 20, former University of Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside found himself surrounded by a wealth of knowledge.

His quarterback coach that week was Jon Kitna, a longtime NFL quarterback, and his head coach was Mike Martz, the former head coach who oversaw the “Greatest Show on Turf,” with the St. Louis Rams.

In the week leading up to the game, Woodside had an NFL-style playbook to learn and had to adjust to playing under center rather than in the shotgun, like he did during his career at Toledo. Woodside tried to soak in as much as he could from the entire experience and especially playing for Martz.

“He was very knowledgeable,” Woodside said. “Anything he said, I just tried to write [it] down because I knew it was going to be valuable stuff for me, not only in the game but later on, leading into the combine, and the start of my career.”

After the game and watching Woodside in practice, Martz came away impressed.

"I think Woodside is going to play in the NFL,” Martz told reporters after the game. “He's further along than any quarterback we've had at this time.”

That game was, in effect, the start of Woodside’s preparation for the NFL Scouting Combine, where workouts begin Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Woodside and the quarterbacks will have their workouts for NFL teams Saturday.

Woodside, who left Toledo as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, has been training at EXOS in Pensacola, Fla., under the watch of David Morris, founder of the quarterback training company QB Country.

Morris, a former Ole Miss quarterback, said he first noticed Woodside at the Manning Passing Academy before the 2017 college football season.

“He was a kid that really stood out among the group that was down there,” Morris said. “And the group that is down there every year is usually the best of the best in college football. Logan caught my eye then as just a polished passer. When you see him on film, he is really confident. He knows where to go with the football and can make all the throws. And he’s a kid that plays on time. Very rarely is he late.”

Woodside, a noted hard worker at Toledo, has continued that in his training with Morris and the strength and conditioning coaches at EXOS.

“He’s one of those guys that you have to slow down,” Morris said. “You almost have to say, ‘Hey. Today is an active recovery day. We don’t need to throw 150 balls or hit the weight room quite as hard.’ He doesn’t really know what a recovery day is. He wants to go.

“Part of this process is letting these guys understand that those days and the rest and recovery is just as important as the training. And in fact, it is part of the training. He’s a grinder. He’s a worker. He’s a kid that always wants to do more. He just loves to work. It’s one of the things that as a coach, it affects you a little bit. It’s infectious.”

Woodside said during the build up to the combine, he is not putting too much pressure on himself or creating unrealistic expectations.

“I’m just going to go up there and show them what my abilities are,” he said. “Whatever team is willing to give me that chance, whether that is in the draft or not drafted, it doesn’t matter to me as long as I get a chance to show a team my skill set on and off the field. Hopefully, somebody will take a chance on me.”

Morris thinks Woodside, who started the past two seasons at UT, can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He cites Woodside’s accuracy, anticipation, and confidence as his defining qualities as a quarterback.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a lot of good ones,” Morris said. “I think the future is very bright for him. I think he can be a starter in the NFL. Who knows what will happen or where he will be taken or whether he will be an undrafted free agent. You never know.”

Woodside understands this is a tough process, but he’s embracing the challenges.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time and trying to get better each and every day,” Woodside said. “I’m taking it very seriously and just trying to improve. It’s a stressful process, but then again I’m enjoying it. I went through a lot of things at Toledo that have helped me get to this point and that are going to help me continue to be successful moving forward.

“I definitely have a lot of confidence that I can make a team and play at the next level.”

Contact Brian Buckey at: bbuckey@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @BrianBuckey.

First Published February 26, 2018, 8:00 p.m.