Size is just one part of the equation when it comes to contact sports.

But when it comes down to the crunch, heart supersedes it every time.

Terry Fox Ravens' Mason Woods is an example of a dedicated athlete who has plenty of both assets.

The six-foot-nine, 325-pound offensive lineman and basketball forward from Maple Ridge will take his skills to a new level come September, after inking a scholarship with the University of Idaho to play football.

"It just felt right," the 17-year-old said. "When I went on my visit the coaches all stressed family, how they believe in a close-knit group, how it's a mindset with the team and with the college."

With sister Mae at the University of Houston on a basketball scholarship, Woods' athletic makeup was a big plus for recruiters.

"Mason Woods is the type of player a program builds upon," Fox co-coach Tom Kudaba noted. "He will become the consistent, dominant, and hard-working lineman that coaches can rely on for a long time."

Woods liked that the Div. 1A school was not far from home, and that the coaches there envisioned a plan for the 325-pound teen that included red shirting his freshman year and grooming him for a big role for his junior and senior seasons. However, Woods is eager to speed up that process through his own hard work and dedication.

"I'm going to take Idaho's strengthening program and combine it with the one I'm doing here. My goal is to show up at (the first) camp and win a spot on the team."

His track record shows that big challenges aren't obstacles for Woods. In community football, he ended up quitting for two years before finding a new comfort zone in Langley Minor Football.

Two years later when it came time for high school, he transferred from Samuel Robertson to Terry Fox for football in 2010, helping the Ravens to an 11-1 record and second place at the provincials.

"I was rough coming in (to Fox) but I learned so much playing at a high calibre with our team and our coaches," Woods said. "I had to develop so fast."

He was named to the 2011 High School provincial all-star team.

A two-time member of Team B.C., the Fox lineman said he's gained so much from attending the Port Coquitlam school.

"I think the biggest thing for me is my strength and my football IQ. So much of that has come from working hard, listening to the coaches," he said. "I like basketball a lot and its really good for my footwork and cardio."

While he played both defensive and offensive the past year, Woods says playing a role on the offensive line is where he's happiest.

"My passion is to protect the quarterback's blind side. It's a perfect position for me and that's where I'm very comfortable."