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Woodson_Rod_Getty_700
07/30/2009

The Pittsburgh Steelers used its first round draft pick in 1987 on Purdue All-America Rod Woodson. The multi-dimensional athlete not only played at safety and cornerback for the Boilermakers but saw action as a punt and kickoff returner, running back, and wide receiver. In addition, Woodson was also a two-time All-America selection in track.

He did not come to terms with the Steelers until late October of his rookie year. At one point during the contract negotiations, he contemplated training in track for the upcoming 1988 Olympic Games. Fortunate for the Steelers, Woodson signed his contract and after a two-week roster exemption joined the team on the field. At first, he was used as a nickel back and on kickoff returns.

By his third NFL game, Woodson showed exactly why he was the 10th player, and first defensive back, selected in that year’s draft. Listed third on the depth chart in a game against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals played at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium on Nov. 22, Woodson was inserted into the secondary during the first half. In the final minute of the second quarter, he recorded his first career interception when he picked off a Boomer Esiason pass. More importantly for Pittsburgh, once Woodson had the ball in hands he raced 45 yards for a touchdown to put the Steelers ahead 13-3 en route to a 30-16 win that day.

There were many more of those types of plays to follow. Fast forward three teams and 17 years later, and Woodson retired as the NFL’s all-time leader with 12 interceptions returned for touchdowns. 

Woodson’s career Int. by Qtr.
1 2 3 4 Total:
16 16 17 22 71
It was as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in a game against Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 2, 2001 when Woodson surpassed the career total of 9 interceptions returned for a touchdown first established by Hall of Fame safety Ken Houston. In that game, Woodson thwarted a late Colts comeback when he intercepted Peyton Manning and returned the interception 47 yards for his record-setting 10th return for a TD that sealed Baltimore’s win.


In all, Woodson picked off 71 passes and today ranks third all-time in that category behind two other Hall of Famers Paul Krause and Emlen Tunnell. Woodson recorded 38 interceptions with the Steelers, three as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, 20 while playing in Baltimore and 10 more in his last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

Eight times during his Hall of Fame career he had multiple-interception games. Interestingly, the first two times he picked off a pair of passes in the same game came during a regular season opener against a future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback. Woodson intercepted the Houston Oilers’ Warren Moon twice in the 1992 opener. One season later, he started another season with two picks, this time against Steve Young of the 49ers.

The 11-time Pro Bowler registered a career-high three interceptions in the same game twice. The first time came in his only season in San Francisco. In a game against the New Orleans Saints he picked off Heath Shuler twice in the first quarter and Danny Wuerffel in the third quarter.

His other three-pick day came during his first year in Oakland. Not at all showing his age, Woodson had a spectacular year in 2002. He shared the NFL lead with 8 picks, three of which came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. He intercepted Steve McNair once each in the first, third, and fourth quarters. His first pick came on the game’s second play that began a Raiders’ rout. The second one he returned 82 yards for a touchdown and eclipsed Tunnell’s career interception return yardage mark.

On Nov. 11, 2002, Woodson scored his 12th and final touchdown on an interception. Saving the best for last, it was the longest return of his storied career. He intercepted the Denver Broncos’ Brian Griese at the two-yard-line and raced 98 yards to the opposite end zone.

Woodson added two more interceptions to his career total during his final season. His last interception came on Nov. 16, 2003 against the Minnesota Vikings’ Daunte Culpepper. Like most of the 70 interceptions that preceded this one, Woodson’s stole the ball during a crucial moment of the game. Late in the fourth quarter with the Vikings trailing 21-18 and backed up to their own four-yard-line, Culpepper attempted a pass on 3rd down-and-10 but Woodson stepped in front of it at the 24 and returned the ball 13 yards to the Vikings’ 11-yard-line. Four plays later, the Raiders scored to put the game out of reach.

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Rod Woodson’s 71 career interceptions:
Bold indicates interception was returned for TD
No. Date Team Opp Quarterback Quarter Distance
1 11/22/1987 PIT CIN Boomer Esiason 2 45t
2 9/18/1988 PIT CIN Boomer Esiason 1 29
3 10/23/1988 PIT DEN Gary Kubiak 2 29
4 11/6/1988 PIT CIN Boomer Esiason 4 18
5 11/27/1988 PIT KC Steve DeBerg 4 22
6 10/29/1989 PIT KC Steve DeBerg 4 0
7 11/5/1989 PIT DEN John Elway 2 0
8 12/24/1989 PIT TB Joe Ferguson 2 39
9 9/23/1990 PIT RAI Marcus Allen 2 1
10 10/21/1990 PIT SF Joe Montana 1 29
11 11/4/1990 PIT ATL Chris Miller 3 3
12 12/9/1990 PIT NE Tom Hodson 2 0
13 12/30/1990 PIT HOU Cody Carlson 4 34
14 9/8/1991 PIT BUF Jim Kelly 3 20
15 12/8/1991 PIT HOU Warren Moon 4 41
16 12/15/1991 PIT CIN Boomer Esiason 1 11
17 9/6/1992 PIT HOU Warren Moon 1 16
18 9/6/1992 PIT HOU Warren Moon 4 57
19 10/25/1992 PIT KC Dave Krieg 4 0
20 12/27/1992 PIT CLE Mike Tomczak 3 17
21 9/5/1993 PIT SF Steve Young 3 3
22 9/5/1993 PIT SF Steve Young 3 1
23 9/12/1993 PIT RAM Jim Everett 2 0
24 9/27/1993 PIT ATL Billy Joe Tolliver 3 17
25 9/27/1993 PIT ATL Billy Joe Tolliver 4 0
26 10/17/1993 PIT NO Wade Wilson 1 63t
27 10/17/1993 PIT NO Wade Wilson 1 0
28* 12/13/1993 PIT MIA Steve DeBerg 4 54
29 9/11/1994 PIT CLE Vinny Testaverde 3 20
30 10/23/1994 PIT NYG Dave Brown 4 25
31 11/14/1994 PIT BUF Jim Kelly 1 37t
32 12/4/1994 PIT CIN Jeff Blake 4 27t
33 9/1/1996 PIT JAC Mark Brunell 3 28
34 9/8/1996 PIT BAL Vinny Testaverde 1 43t
** 9/16/1996 PIT BUF Jim Kelly 0 14
35 11/3/1996 PIT STL Tony Banks 2 0
36 11/10/1996 PIT CIN Jeff Blake 2 8
37 11/10/1996 PIT CIN Jeff Blake 3 24
38 11/17/1996 PIT JAC Mark Brunell 4 4
39 9/14/1997 SF NO Heath Shuler 1 0
40 9/14/1997 SF NO Heath Shuler 1 41
41 9/14/1997 SF NO Danny Wuerffel 3 40
42 9/13/1998 BAL NYJ Glenn Foley 3 16
43 9/13/1998 BAL NYJ Glenn Foley 4 60t
44 10/11/1998 BAL TEN Steve McNair 4 2
45 10/25/1998 BAL GB Brett Favre 3 10
46 11/8/1998 BAL OAK Donald Hollas 1 18t
47 12/6/1998 BAL TEN Steve McNair 2 2
48 10/31/1999 BAL BUF Doug Flutie 3 5
49 11/7/1999 BAL CLE Ty Detmer 4 66t
50 11/21/1999 BAL CIN Jeff Blake 3 0
51 11/28/1999 BAL JAC Mark Brunell 3 2
52 12/5/1999 BAL TEN Steve McNair 4 47t
53 12/19/1999 BAL NO Billy Joe Tolliver 1 31
54 12/26/1999 BAL CIN Jeff Blake 2 44
55 9/24/2000 BAL CIN Scott Mitchell 2 2
56 10/1/2000 BAL CLE Tim Couch 1 0
57 10/8/2000 BAL JAC Mark Brunell 4 18
58 11/19/2000 BAL DAL Troy Aikman 2 0
59 10/7/2001 BAL TEN Mike Green 4 0
60 11/18/2001 BAL CLE Tim Couch 3 10
61 12/2/2001 BAL IND Peyton Manning 4 47t
62 9/29/2002 OAK TEN Steve McNair 1 18
63 9/29/2002 OAK TEN Steve McNair 3 82t
64 9/29/2002 OAK TEN Steve McNair 4 0
65 11/11/2002 OAK DEN Brian Griese 1 98t
66 12/2/2002 OAK NYJ Chad Pennington 4 0
67 12/8/2002 OAK SD Drew Brees 2 10
68 12/22/2002 OAK DEN Brian Griese 1 16
69 12/28/2002 OAK KC Trent Green 2 1
70 11/2/2003 OAK DET Joey Harrington 2 5
71 11/16/2003 OAK MIN