Rod Woodson

NFLretired


caption=
width=
position=Safety / Cornerback
number=26
birthdate=birth date and age|1965|3|10
Fort Wayne, Indiana
deathdate=
debutyear=1987
finalyear=2003
draftyear=1987
draftround=1
draftpick=10
college=Purdue
teams=
* Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-1996)
* San Francisco 49ers (1997)
* Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001)
* Oakland Raiders (2002-2003)
stat1label=Tackles
stat1value=1,163
stat2label=Interceptions
stat2value=71
stat3label=Quarterback sacks
stat3value=13.5
nfl=WOO699408
highlights=
* 11x Pro Bowl selection (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
* 9x All-Pro selection (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002)
* NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
* NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
* 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
* 1993 UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year
* Super Bowl champion (XXXV)NFL Records
* 1,483 career interception yards
* 12 interceptions returned for touchdowns
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Roderick Kevin "Rod" Woodson (born March 10, 1965 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is a former professional American football cornerback & free safety, best known for his ten-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as being a key member of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV championship season. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, and wore number 26 throughout his career. He is likely to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Woodson currently works for the NFL Network on "NFL Total Access" with Rich Eisen.

Early years

Woodson attended R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After graduation, he received a full scholarship to Purdue University. Woodson was named an All-American defensive back in 1985 and 1986 and he earned a position on the All-Big Ten first team three times. He also ran track while at Purdue. In 1984, he qualified for the Olympic Trials. [cite web |url=http://www.purdueexponent.org/interface/bebop/showstory.php?date=2003/04/29&section=sports |title=Halls of fame induct, honor alumnus |accessdate=2008-08-01 |author=Jeanguenat, John |date=2003-04-29 |publisher=The Exponent]

Pro Football career

In 1987, Woodson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 10th overall draft pick. He returned punts and played defensive cornerback for Pittsburgh through the 1996 season. A highlight came in 1995 when Woodson became the first player to return from reconstructive knee surgery in the same season. That year he tore his ACL against the Detroit Lions in the first game and returned to play in the Super Bowl XXX between the Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys just 19 weeks later. In that game, he broke up a pass intended for Michael Irvin, hopped up and pointed at his reconstructed knee. As of 2008, Woodson is the only player in NFL history to suffer an ACL injury and return to action in the same season.

Woodson's career took a somewhat nomadic turn after free agency from Pittsburgh, after the Rooney family elected not to renew his contract over a pay dispute as well as the salary cap. Although he remained to raise his family in Pittsburgh he hopped between three additional franchises, becoming one of the few modern cornerbacks to successfully make a transition to the safety position, following in the footsteps of Ronnie Lott. Woodson signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the 1997 season, the Baltimore Ravens for the years 1998 to 2001 (where he won Super Bowl XXXV), and the Oakland Raiders for 2002 and 2003 (where he appeared in his third Super Bowl). In the Raiders 2002 Super Bowl season, 37-year old Woodson led the NFL in interceptions (8) for the first time in his career. He was also a 9 time All-Pro selection.

Retirement

Woodson was released by the Oakland Raiders on July 27, 2004 after failing his team physical. His replacement at free safety for the Raiders was Stuart Schweigert, who coincidentally, broke Woodson's career interception record at Purdue.

Playing success

Woodson is among the NFL's all time leaders in games played as a defensive back and interceptions. In his 17 NFL seasons, Woodson recorded 71 interceptions, 1,483 interception return yards, 32 fumble recoveries (15 offensive and 17 defensive), 137 fumble return yards, 2,362 punt return yards, and 15 touchdowns (12 interception returns, 1 fumble return, 2 punt returns). He holds the league record for interceptions returned for touchdowns with 12, and is tied with 11 other players for the record for most fumble recoveries in a single game (3). His 1,483 interception return yards are also an NFL record. His 71 interceptions rank 3rd all time.

Woodson was named to the Pro Bowl eleven times, a record for a defensive back. He was also the first player to earn trips to the Pro Bowl at cornerback, safety and kick returner.cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-06-21-no-22-woodson_N.htm |title=Woodson set new standard in backfield |accessdate=2008-09-23 |date=2007-06-21 |work= |publisher=USA Today] He was named 1993's NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

In 1994, he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. What made it notable was that Woodson was one of only four active players to be named to the team. The others were Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott. In 1999, he was ranked number 87 on "The Sporting News"' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. The "College Football News" has also honored him as one of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century.

In 2007, he was ranked number 22 on "USA Today" list of the 25 best NFL players of the past 25 years.

Woodson will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 2009. Woodson is regarded by many as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It is unlikely that the Steelers will remove Woodson's number 26 from circulation, however, since the number is currently being worn by longtime cornerback Deshea Townsend, who as of the 2008 season has now played longer with the Steelers than Woodson did. Mel Blount's number 47 has also conspicuously remained in circulation since his retirement after the 1983 season.

Since 1994, Woodson has operated an annual youth football camp, the Woodson/Fabini Football Camp, on the grounds of his former high school. He is also a partner in Woodson Motorsports, a BMW motorcycle dealership and repair shop in Fort Wayne.

Currently Woodson splits his time between NFL Network studios in Los Angeles and his home in Pleasanton, California.

He was also part of the studio team for BBC Sport's NFL coverage in 2007, including Super Bowl XLII. [cite web |url=http://www.nfluk.com/news-display.php?id=2854 |title= BBC announce studio team |accessdate=2008-09-23]

Trivia

* Woodson finished second to Darrell Green in the 1988 NFL Fastest Man Contest.cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n22_v216/ai_14688205/pg_2 |title=The Intimidator |accessdate=2008-09-23 |author=Attner, Paul |date=1993-11-29 |publisher=The Sporting News]
* He considers all three movies from "The Godfather" trilogy, the "Terminator" trilogy and "The Ten Commandments" as his all time favorite movies. [cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n39_v222/ai_21174944/pg_8 |title=Older but wiser |accessdate=2008-09-23 |author=Attner, Paul |date=1998-09-28 |publisher=The Sporting News]
* In a game against the Houston Oilers, Woodson hit Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon on a cornerback blitz. The hit gave Moon a concussion and forced him to leave the game. [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE1F38F937A35752C1A964958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fM%2fMoon%2c%20Warren |title=FOOTBALL; Moon Passes Tests After Concussion |accessdate=2008-09-23 |date=1992-11-4 |publisher=New York TImes]

References

External links

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* [http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WOODSROD01 Woodson's Stats]
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