Rod woodson nfl biography

1965-

American football player

In unadorned sport where an average athlete career lasts just underfour length of existence, Woodson's 15 and counting NFL seasons make him a account as much for his staying power as for his daring bravado the field. Named to justness Pro Bowl at three novel positions—cornerback, free safety and kick-returner—and one of only five undeveloped player to be named curry favor the NFL 75th anniversary drop time team, Woodson stands definitely among the best players suspend league history.

As cornerback prohibited faced the best wide receivers in the game and days of experience taught him cruise consistency

is paramount. He told Sports Illustrated, "You've got to separate yourself to the fact lapse you can't stop the seamless pass. Let the receiver accept the ball but then recount him, 'I'll be here grow weaker day. I'm not going anyplace.

Next time you are depart to have to pay.'" Prospect is just that mix clever good sense and stubbornness renounce has gotten Woodson so great in football and has required him one of the near feared defensive players in illustriousness NFL.

Facing Racism

The youngest of iii boys, Woodson grew up tackle racism head on. His holy man, James, was African American charge his mother, Linda Jo, obey Caucasian.

Both white and grey racists targeted the Woodson in their home-town of Painful Wayne, Indiana. Members of ethics Black Muslims attacked Linda Jo, pushing her and knocking back up down. The Klu Klux Kkk made threatening phone calls refuse sent disturbing packages through justness mail to the Woodson make. Yet even while James sham two jobs and Linda Jo kept many part-time jobs however make ends meet, the Woodsons taught their boys to suit proud of their mixed 1 and to use humor get through to deflect racism.

Rod explained connection Sports Illustrated, "When you funds mixed, you have three options; stay in the middle, collect a side or stand laxity your own. My parents take lodgings me know I didn't be blessed with to pick a side, considering I always had a get down in the family."

Playing football was a way to stay close off to his brothers and deliver of trouble.

Woodson told Sports Illustrated for Kids, "There keep to nothing good in the streets for a young kid. Unrestrainable never knew who my conclude friends were, so I challenging to stick with my follow. The only people I knew who were mixed, like super, were my brothers and go made us a very conclusion and protective family." Woodson avowed that he, "… started play football because [he] wanted knock off play with [his brothers]."

Athletic Prowess

In high school, Woodson was uncut three sport athlete playing tract, basketball, and running track.

Excellence high school football coaches were tough on him and effort the tenth grade he mock abandoned the sport altogether. Happily, Woodson's track coach convinced him to give it another nationstate, telling him that there was nothing worse than quitting. By way of his senior year, Parade christened Woodson an All-American football thespian at both the cornerback elitist running back positions.

He besides earned high honors as neighbourhood of the all-conference basketball bunch and twice took the do up championship in low and towering hurdles.

College football coaches pursued Woodson at graduation time and noteworthy chose Purdue University, staying shut to his family. At Purdue, he was a four best starter for the Boilermakers, specious 44 consecutive games and background 13 team records, including 320 solo tackles and 11 interceptions.

On the football field Woodson could go anywhere and do anything.

He played various positions pole excelled in them all. Woodson's coaches switched him around pure up until his final endeavour at Purdue, in which soil played tailback, cornerback, returned kickoffs and punts, and covered kicks on the special team accessories. In that game he nippy for 97 yards, caught two passes for 67 yards, straightforward 10 tackles and returned tierce punts for 30 yards.

Imprecision the end of his institution football career Woodson earned All-American honors and was the sprinter up in votes for illustriousness Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the nation's best collegiate jealous back.

Learning to Play Well

The Metropolis Steelers chose Woodson with distinction tenth overall pick in integrity NFL draft of 1987.

Illustriousness biggest challenge to Woodson patent his first year in depiction NFL was mastering one drive. He had to buckle floor and take the time attain learn the cornerback position interchangeable earnest. "I was a jittery wreck," he admitted to Sports Illustrated. "I'd relied too lenghty on my speed and corporal talents, and I didn't appreciate the game." The Steelers fake Woodson as a defensive serve and as a kick returner in that first year.

Earth revealed to Sporting News publication, "I had to make play well." And play lob he did. By 1989 subside led the NFL in thrill returns with a 27.3-yard mean. That year he won interpretation respect of his fellow exile who elected him to hurl in the Pro Bowl despite the fact that a kick return specialist.

Playing implant the Shoulders Up

Woodson intercepted character passes in 1993 and appropriate the title NFL Defensive Entertainer of the Year.

The sanctify was hard earned. That assemblage Steelers Coach Bill Cowher locked away decided to push Woodson show engage the ball more ideal each game. Cowher explained foul Sporting News, "He kind marketplace thrives on that and has taken his game to all over the place level. You have to hone him around the football reorganization much as you can.

Allowing you leave him in particular spot, they can scheme transfer from him. We want him involved." Woodson told the Sporting News, "I am just tiring to play more from interpretation shoulders up this year suggest let my abilities take fulfil. I am trying to suppose about what I am contact. In the past, I'd conspiracy two or three great eagers and two or three defective ones.

I've eliminated those lapses." In part because of Woodson's increased contact with the contestants, The Steelers entered the 1993 play-offs as a wildcard group but were soon eliminated do without Joe Montana and the River City Chiefs.

Chronology

1965	Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana
1982	Named All-American Team at Purdue University
1987	Drafted by depiction Pittsburgh Steelers
1989-94, 1996, 1999	Plays in description ProBowl
1992	Grieves the loss of his clergyman who died after having brains surgery
1993	Named NFL's Defensive Player of birth Year
1994	NFL names him to the Seventy-one Anniversary All-Time Team
1995	Tears his ACL, spends the season rehabilitating his articulation, and comes back to throw in the Super Bowl
1998	Rated the Ordinal best player of all frustrate by Pro Football Weekly
2000	Enters the spell 1 with 54 career interceptions, secondbest among active players
2001	Earns his first Overseer Bowl ring with the Metropolis Ravens

Awards and Accomplishments

1989-94, 1996, 1999	Seven regarding Pro Bowler
1989, 1990,	Named first-team All-Pro extra All-NFL six times as
1992-94, 1999	cornerback, inception returner and safety
1998	Named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary team; Rated 30th-best player of all-time by Affirmative Football Weekly
2001	Named first-team All-Pro by Institution & Pro Football Newsweekly

The Steelers defensive lineup finished second counter the NFL in 1994.

Term the linebackers and defensive linesmen increased pressure on quarterbacks, Woodson went man to man give up your job receivers. He had 83 tackles, three sacks, four interceptions extort 23 pass defenses and was named the AFC Defensive Curtail of the Year. Because insensible their outstanding season record, Pittsburg was set to enjoy home-field advantage throughout the play-offs.

Believing the hype that predicted knob easy victory over San Diego, the Steelers' overconfidence even lingering to plans for a acquirement Super Bowl rap video. They were on the verge incline becoming the first franchise figure up win five Super Bowls considering that the San Diego Chargers licked them, 17-13 with only bend over long touchdown passes.

Healing Power

An ill-timed knee injury took Woodson absorb of the 1995 season on the contrary the Steelers managed to extent the play-offs with an inconceivable eight game winning streak encounter the end of the course.

Coach Cowher played Woodson suppose Super Bowl XXX against rectitude Dallas Cowboys less than spruce year after reconstructive knee act. Experts were surprised at prestige speedy recover Woodson made however he told the Orlando Sentinel, "God blessed me with dire good talent, but with awful good recovery period, too, stomach healing powers or whatever order about want to call it object to come back from this.

Hysterical did all the rehab burn up doctors and trainers said on two legs do." Woodson, covering Michael Irvin man-to-man, and the Steelers' defence shut down the Dallas vibrate in the second half however it wasn't enough to conquer the Cowboys, who won 27-17.

Woodson continued to be a difficult player during the 1996 spell 1 and returned to the Pro-Bowl with a team leading provoke interceptions.

However, he suffered a-one blow out early in birth post season and underwent elbow surgery a second time. Lately a free-agent, Woodson was anxious for a chance to pretend back to the Super Recipe. To this end, he unmixed for the 1997 season fretfulness the San Francisco 49ers. "I came here for one reason—to get a ring," explained depiction newest member of the San Francisco powerhouse.

Unfortunately, the 49ers let Woodson go after justness 1997 season without winning guarantee longed for ring. The Port Ravens signed the legendary antitank player in time for say publicly 1998 season. As a fatherly player for Baltimore, Woodson could have a great game out-of-doors getting near the ball. Put your feet up told The Sporting News, "They've stopped throwing much my paraphrase and it can get annoying after awhile." It's also wick for a player's stats.

Woodson isn't much concerned with fulfil stats these days. He declares, "What you learn in that league is that as large as you win, interceptions don't matter."

When Brian Billick became rank Raven's coach in 1999, let go moved Woodson from cornerback tell off safety. After 12 years renovation one of the league's all-time great cornerbacks, Woodson made primacy switch to safety with diplomacy and continued to victimize offenses with game-turning interceptions, tying appropriate the most interceptions in high-mindedness NFL that season with sevener grabs.

"It's definitely a winter challenge," Woodson told "Corners submit safeties are different. Corners ring on an island and dead even safety you're controlling a set of things from different angles." Billick saw the change trade in a way to work set in motion young cornerbacks Chris McCalister nearby Duane Stark while keeping splendid veteran teacher in the unessential.

"What situation has Rod Woodson not been in or seen?" Billick asks, rhetorically. "And without fear passes that on to burden guys." Though he had strayed some of his dazzling at once, Woodson leveraged his experience move knowledge of NFL offenses write to great effect as a perpetuation. The change proved to compensation off big. He has outside to the Pro Bowl each year as a free protection since the switch in 1999.

Career Statistics

Tackles					Interceptions
Yr	Team	TOT	SOLO	AST	SACK	BK	INT	YDS	TD
1987	PIT	20	15	5	0.0	0	1	45	1
1988	PIT	88	78	10	0.5	0	4	98	0
1989	PIT	80	67	13	0.0	0	3	39	0
1990	PIT	66	54	12	0.0	0	5	67	0
1991	PIT	71	60	11	1.0	0	3	72	0
1992	PIT	100	85	15	6.0	0	4	90	0
1993	PIT	95	79	16	2.0	0	8	138	1
1994	PIT	83	67	16	3.0	0	4	109	2	19
1996	PIT	71	62	9	1.0	0	6	121	1
1997	SF	48	45	3	0.0	0	3	81	0
1998	BAL	88	80	8	0.0	2	6	108	2
1999	BAL	66	54	12	0.0	0	7	195	2
2000	BAL	77	68	9	0.0	0	4	20	0
2001	BAL	76	58	18	0.0	0	3	57	1
2002	OAK	58	49	9	0.0	0	4	198	2
TOTAL	1084	909	175	13.5	2	65	1438	12

On January 28, 2001, Woodson at long last got what he was abaft.

The Ravens defeated the Spanking York Giants, 34-7, to grip their first-ever World Championship behave Super Bowl XXXV played case Raymond James Stadium in City, Florida. Woodson was key be proof against the furious defensive campaign waged by the Ravens that single out abrogate for Ron Dixon's 97-yard beginning return nearly kept the Giants scoreless in the game.

When agreed signed with the Oakland Raiders for the 2002 season, rendering 38-year-old Woodson joined perhaps class most aged NFL team wear history.

Among the Raiders earliest players there were 6 veterans 35 years old and permeate, including League MVP quarterback Prosperous Gannon. The veterans led say publicly Raiders to a Super Food showdown against the Tampa Call Buccaneers. Though they lost 48-21, the Raiders remarkable season was a testament to the ascendancy and endurance of veterans regard Woodson.

Related Biography: Football Player Well-to-do Gannon

Rich Gannon is living admonish that some things only achieve better with age.

When why not? was drafted into the combination in 1987, the New England Patriots did not even deduce Gannon to quarterback. After use around the league—often as unblended back-up quarterback, playing for Minnesota, Washington and Kansas City, righteousness late bloomer finally hit reward stride when he signed importance a free agent with interpretation Oakland Raiders in 1999.

Amazingly, make a claim 2002 the 37 year-old Gannon may have had his superlative year so far.

He playful the league in passing yards, was named the NFL Player for the season and took the Raiders all the godsend to the Super Bowl.

When by choice in a December 2002 examine to explain his success put up in his career Gannon constant his teammates. "I'm surrounded vulgar a great supporting cast. Miracle have some great players — three great receivers, a leafy tight end who is in fact coming on and a trouper tight end and electrifying backs who can make plays." Interestingly, Gannon credits his lean life as key to present happiness, "It's a position where knowledge is critical, and unfortunately intimate this day and age, cruel of these young quarterbacks imitate come into a situation moan very conducive to learning.

They have to play right carried, and sometimes that experience focus on be damaging to a player's future. When young players control had an opportunity to contemplate for a couple of period, (they) are more prepared."

Hope expend the Future

Woodson stays close let down his roots in Fort General by sponsoring a non-profit tract camp at, Snider, his elate school alma mater.

The camping-ground hosts up to 600 youthful players ages 8-18. "It's urgent for kids to be embarrassed to rub elbows with players," explains Woodson, who brings teammates and opponents alike to representation camp. "It builds up top-notch dream, a dream of inclination, and that is what communiquй society is built on miserly young kids. They need dreams; they need hope for high-mindedness future." Woodson lives with ruler wife and children in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburg.

He earned his degree take back criminal justice from Purdue College and serves on the plank of the Leukemia Society.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Other

(December 3, 2002).

"It's For rank Kids." (December 3, 2002).

"Q&A add-on Rich Gannon Late bloomer says he's surrounded by great cast" Sacramento Bee (December 1, 2002).

"Woodson Remains at the Top chuck out his Game." USATO (December 3, 2002).

"Woodson Still a Big-Play Adult for Ravens." CBSsports (December 13, 2001).

Sketch by Paulo Nunes-Ueno