Woodlands native Danny Amendola to be on Dancing With the Stars

THE WOODLANDS, TX – This season’s Dancing With the Stars – the long-running, toe-tapping popular ABC show – will feature a former Woodlands Highlander turned professional football player.

With the recent announcement of this year’s lineup, cheers were raised locally when NFL wide receiver Danny Amendola was named as a contestant. The 38-year-old led The Woodlands High School to its first-ever Texas state championship game under the tutelage of Coach Weldon Willig. He finished his senior season with more than 1,000 receiving yards, 129 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns.

After graduating as a Highlander, Amendola played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2004 to 2007 before signing as an undrafted free agent for the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. The next year, he made the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles but ended up signing with the St. Louis Rams instead. In 2013, he signed a five-year contract with the New England Patriots.

In 2018 at the end of that contract, Amendola played for the Miami Dolphins for one year and then the Detroit Lions for two. In 2021, he returned to his Lone Star hometown roots by playing for the Houston Texans. After one year there, he announced his retirement from professional football.

For this, the 33rd season of Dancing With the Stars, Amendola will be partnered with Witney Carlson. He will make his debut on the September 17 season opener, being cheered on by family, friends, and former teammates alike.