Exclusive: Cowboys Great Darren Woodson Reacts To Safeties Going into Canton - 'Awesome!'
FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys great Darren Woodson is about as deserving as any safety - ever - of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, based on this weekend's voting results, he's getting closer.
"Absolutely!,'' Woodson told me when I asked if he believes that this year's class of inductees, which features Cowboys safety Cliff Harris, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Broncos safety Steve Atwater, might someday mean something positive for him. "Man, that's awesome for the position in general.''
Woodson, the franchise’s all-time leading tackler did, to the credit of the voters, make it to the 25 semi-finalists list. He did not make it to the final 15 modern-era group of candidates after that, or to the weekend's list of inductees.
But Woodson not the type to display bitterness. And Woodson is not the type to campaign for himself, either. He's often said with frankness that the safety position "is considered by some to not be a 'position of impact,''' especially, he'll add, with so many attention-getting "splash'' positions.
In other words, quarterback, wide receivers and running backs.
Woodson is a fan of Steve Atwater and a fan of Troy Polamalu and is of course a Cowboys brother with Harris, who is going in as a special Centennial honoree. Another Cowboys figure, coach Jimmy Johnson, is entering via the same path.
"Cliff going in is so long overdue,'' Woodson told me. "That was a truly great football player. He was and is forever the professional. And he always gave great advice, too.''
Woodson, fits that "always professional'' mold. He is not only among the most decorated Cowboys of his era — he played for Dallas from 1992-2003, was a four-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl pick, played on six division championship teams and won three Super Bowls — but has also always conducted himself in admirable fashion. He's doing so with his hopes for the Hall of Fame, with his family, with his business ... the works.
Woodson left ESPN a year ago to join a North Texas commercial real estate firm called ESRP. And it has deep ties in this community and with the Cowboys, too. Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith have been involved with this firm, which is based in Frisco, where Cowboys headquarters is located. That's right; Woody's office is inside The Star, just down the hall from the Joneses. Clients include UPS, 7/11 and Mattress Firm, with Woodson serving as an executive vice president.
"I'm right here at The Star,'' Woodson said to me recently during a visit at The Star, waving his arm back toward One Cowboys Way before sitting down to lunch. "No more travel. No more airplanes. I stay in Dallas and I can almost walk to work!''
Someday, thanks to recognition of the greats at his position, hopefully Darren Woodson will also be able to walk into Canton. And stay there. Forever.
