Charles Woodson
It’sbiggerthanme…Ifyouunderstandthat,youunderstandthatit'sbiggerthanyoutoo.Itain’taboutoneindividual,itneveris.Wecannevergetdonewhatwewanttoaccomplishwithoneindividual…It'sbiggerthanme,it'sbiggerthanyou,butitain’tbiggerthanus.
Charles Woodson combined the quickness and agility of a “cover corner” with the size, strength and willingness to bring down ball carriers at a level few in the National Football League’s history have matched.
The fourth overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft, Woodson stepped into the Oakland Raiders’ starting lineup immediately. Playing in all 16 games, he intercepted five passes and forced two fumbles to earn the AP Rookie of the Year Award, the first of many honors during his 18-year career.
Woodson played 254 regular-season games with the Raiders and Green Bay Packers, totaling 65 interceptions, fifth best in league history. He led the NFL twice (nine in 2009 and seven in 2011) and recorded at least one interception every season he played, finishing one-year shy of tying Darrell Green’s record of 19 seasons in a row. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns in 2009 on his way to receiving AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. For his career, Woodson returned 11 interceptions for touchdowns. Adding two fumble returns for scores, his 13 career defensive TDs are tied for first in League history. He was the first played with a “pick six” in six consecutive seasons.
In 2014, Woodson became the first player in NFL history to accumulate 50 interceptions and 20 sacks. Other career totals included more than 1,200 tackles, 54 tackles for loss, 33 forced fumbles and 183 passes defensed.
Woodson was a three-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Success as a pro was foreshadowed both in college and high school. At the University of Michigan, he entered the starting lineup in Week 2 of his freshman season and never looked back, earning All-Big Ten honors three times, All-America twice and the 1997 Heisman Trophy as a junior before declaring for the NFL Draft. He won Ohio’s “Mr. Football Award” in 1994 after rushing for 2,208 yards and scoring 230 points as a senior at Fremont Ross High School.
He is one of only two players (with Hall of Famer Marcus Allen) to win a Heisman Trophy, AP Rookie of the Year Award, AP Player of the Year Award and a Super Bowl title in his career.