This week we have dedicated several articles to remembering a handful of the big names that decided it was time to move on from their respective sport. Each piece will focus on one individual, and incorporate how the author will remember that specific player.
All the players on this list have either just finished their last season, or are currently playing in what they have said will be their last season.
We start the week off with Charles Woodson.
When the NFL kicks off the 2016 season in the Fall, the league will be without several players who have been fixtures since the late 1990s. One of those will be none other than legendary cornerback/safety Charles Woodson.
After an 18 year NFL career that saw him play two stints with the Oakland Raiders and seven seasons in between with the Green Bay Packers, the 39 year old has decided it is time to move on to the next chapter of his life, which will see him join ESPN’s NFL Sunday Countdown as an analyst beginning next season.
While Woodson prepares to become an on air personality though, the sports world will never forget what the cameras captured of him when he was in uniform on the field. With a playing career extending more than two decades going back to his college days at Michigan, Woodson has seen it all and has nearly earned it all.
To be exact, we’re talking a Heisman Trophy (the only defensive player in history to receive it), the Walter Camp Award, Nine Pro Bowl Appearances, the AP NFL Rookie of the year award in 1998, the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and of course, a Super Bowl Ring. It’s a resume that we may never see again in our lifetimes, and we should applaud it.
And it doesn’t end there.
He’s one of only three players to ever record 13 defensive scores in a season, and what’s even more remarkable is that he did it as a 37 year old. He’s also the only player to ever record both 50 career interceptions and 20 career sacks, which is truly extraordinary. If you’re getting nostalgic reading about this, we have the highlight reel ready for you below.
But the best part about Woodson is that he was a team player. As much limelight as he got for a defensive player by today’s standards, he made the plays and took the hits for the team when it mattered most.
Look no further than the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington Texas , where we saw Woodson making successful diving effort to break up a deep pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers WR Mike Wallace. Woodson broke his collarbone on the landing, forcing him out of the game.
It was painful for the fans (myself included) to have to see one of the all-time greats have to sit out for the second of half of the biggest stage in pro-sports, but one emotional halftime speech and a barrage of second half cheer leading by Woodson later, the Green Bay Packers had edged out a 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh for their first Super Bowl title since 1997.
Consider the scenario again and all the possibilities. If Woodson doesn’t make that extra effort, Wallace may very well be in the end zone. That score would have made the difference by one point for Pittsburgh, leaving Woodson without a ring upon his retirement and the Packers without a ring for at least 20 years. It’s those kind of plays and games that define the attitude Woodson had on and off the field.
Wherever Woodson went, he was a difference maker. In his first season with Oakland in 1998, he recorded five interceptions. In his first season with the Packers, he recorded eight. And upon returning to Oakland in 2013, he recorded the extraordinary 13 defensive scores. Whether it was putting up ridiculous numbers out of the gate or leading a squad back to championship territory, he went above and beyond in any given situation.
It is not a question of whether or not we see Woodson join the ranks of the greats in Canton, Ohio down the road. Simply put, Woodson was, is and will always be greatness. So hats off to an unforgettable career.
Featured image: By Mike Morbeck (Flickr: Charles Woodson)