Ickey Woods turning personal loss into mission for asthma awareness

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For many, Ickey Woods is still the face of the “Ickey Shuffle,” a touchdown celebration that helped define a breakout NFL career.

But decades after his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Woods is using that same visibility for something far more personal.

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Woods will host a celebrity golf tournament on Monday at Southshore Country Club in Henderson, raising money for the Jovante Woods Foundation — an organization created after the death of his son from an asthma attack.

“I can use my name to give back and raise money for my son’s foundation,” Woods said.

The cause stems from a loss that reshaped his understanding of a condition he once lived with himself.

“I suffered with asthma when I was coming up as a kid and didn’t know asthma could kill until it took my baby from me,” Woods said.

His son, Jovante, was 16. Woods said the impact of his life became clear in the days after his passing.

Ickey Woods

“He was only 16 years old and he was able to save four lives with his organs and help countless others with his tissues,” Woods said.

Through the foundation, Woods focuses on education, awareness and access to better treatment — areas he believes are often overlooked.

“We don’t want families to go through the pain and suffering that we went through ... With asthma, it’s all about education,” he said.

The mission has only deepened in recent months.

“December 5th, I lost another one of my kids to cancer. ... So we’re making it through it. We’re just grinding,” Woods said.

Ickey Woods

His daughter died at 36, leaving behind five children. Woods is now helping raise them — a responsibility he says keeps him grounded.

“My son’s foundation, my grandbabies, when I come home, them grandbabies jump on me and everything is good,” he said.

The golf tournament, which will feature several former professional athletes, is part of a broader effort to expand the foundation’s reach beyond Cincinnati to places like Las Vegas, where Woods played college football at UNLV.

For Woods, the goal is simple and bigger than football.

“I just want to be remembered for helping people and that’s the main thing,” he said.

You can learn more about the foundation here.