Charles Woodson Had Raiders Covered, Front and Back
Defensive back Charles Woodson is one of 28 Oakland-Los Angeles-Las Vegas Raiders members elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and enshrined in Canton, Ohio, and he is among the very best.
Wodson, who had two stints with the Raiders in his career, played both safety and cornerback with great ability after the Silver and Black selected him with the fourth overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Michigan.
“Charles Woodson is one of those players who comes along and reminds you why you love the game,” said ex-Raiders star and former General Manager Reggie McKenzie. “He truly was a one of a kind player who went above and beyond his Heisman trophy and future Gold Jacket. It has been an honor to have worked alongside Charles for so many years and have the confidence to call him what he truly is: the G.O.A.T. He is, without a doubt, the embodiment of what it means to be a Raider.”
The 6-1, 210-pound Woodson led Michigan to a share of the 1998 NCAA Championship, was selected All-Big Ten Conference three times, and was an All-American twice. In addition, as a junior, he won the Jim Thorpe Award, the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Heisman Trophy. In addition to that incredible season, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Sporting News Player of the Year.
Woodson also was named to the Mount Rushmore of Michigan Football along with Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, and Anthony Carter. Woodson made himself available for the NFL Draft after his junior year and was an instant starter, not to mention a sensation for the Raiders.
As a rookie for the Silver and Black, he made 64 tackles, intercepted five passes, returned them for 118 yards and a 46-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, and forced two fumbles. Woodson was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That was only the beginning.
Even though quarterbacks began avoiding him, Woodson collected 61 tackles, including three for losses, one interception that he returned 15 yards for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery that he ran back 24 yards. He was named All-Pro for the first time while making the Pro Bowl again in his second season.
Woodson only got better by the year, finishing his eight seasons for the Raiders with 469 total tackles, including 15 for losses, 17 interceptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns, 14 forced fumbles, and four recoveries, plus 5½ sacks while being selected All-Pro three times and playing in three Pro Bowls.
In Super Bowl XXVIII, Woodson made eight tackles and intercepted a pass in a 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After sustaining a broken leg in the sixth week of the 2005 season, Woodson was lost for the year, and in 2006 he became a free agent and signed a seven-year, $52.7-million free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Woodson played the next seven seasons with the Pack, being selected All-Pro four more times, playing in four Pro Bowls, being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, and becoming a world champion when Green Bay beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 25-17, in Super Bowl XLV, even though he watched most of it from the sidelines after sustaining a broken collarbone in the second quarter.
In 2013, Woodson returned to the Raiders for his last three seasons, adding 284 tackles, ten tackles for losses, three sacks, nine interceptions for 70 yards in returns, four forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries for 61 yards, and a touchdown. In addition, he was selected to the All-Pro team for the eighth time and played in his ninth Pro Bowl in his final season, 2017, when Woodson also won the Art Rooney Award. Later, he was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
“I ended up where I should have been and I’m really happy about that,” Woodson said of returning to the Raiders. “Those three seasons really closed out my career the right way. If I didn’t go back, I think there would be a love-hate relationship for the fans. But it was the right decision and I’ll always be part of the Raider Nation.”
Woodson finished his career in the top five in NFL history with 65 interceptions and 11 pick-sixes. He also is the Raiders franchise career leader with 18 forced fumbles and 84 passes defended.
Raider Nation will take him forever.
The Raiders' offseason workout schedule is as follows:
OTA Offseason workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 31-June 2, June 12-15
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
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