February 20, A look back at Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson showing off his Vertical leap in his days as a Wolverine. Image courtesy of http://www.infoplease.com

Wolverines
Charles Woodson is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL right now, and will certainly be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game. If you watch the highlight above (1:09), it is clear that Woodson was simply playing on a different level than anyone else on the field. Simply put, he was a man amongst boys. It was Charles Woodson and the 1997 Wolverines that put Michigan on the map in my eyes as the team to root for in College Football. It marked the first National Championship for the Wolverines since 1948, making Woodson, Griese, and the rest of the team immortal in College Football history.

Woodson would go on to win the Heisman Trophy that 1997 season, making him only the third recipient of College Football’s highest individual honor in the history of Michigan Football. Woodson was the first defensive player to ever receive the award, and no defensive player has won it since. Following his dominant college career, Woodson entered the draft and was selected fourth overall in 1998 by the Oakland Raiders, following the likes of Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf, and Andre Wadsworth.

Raiders
Woodson’s career in Oakland was memorable, and he played well from day one. Some of the most notable accomplishments for Woodson and the Raiders of this era were the AFC Championship game of 2002 against the would be Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, and the Super Bowl appearance they made the following season when they were beat handily by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The AFC Championship is of course remembered for the tremendous snow, and the “Tuck Rule.” Who else would knock the ball loose than Charles Woodson, a master of the blitz. The call of course was incredibly controversial, and don’t bring it up to Woodson because he takes that call very seriously (Maybe not as much now that he has his ring.)

Packers
Woodson’s career would then move to Green Bay in 2006, at a time when not many people around the league thought he had much more to offer. Woodson proved his doubters wrong, and continues to do so with his spectacular play on the field. Although he was a great player at every level, and with every team he played for, he lacked the leadership qualities you look for in a player of his caliber. This would change in Green Bay, where he is now the heart and soul of that defense, and the team in general. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, and led his teammates to the Super Bowl the following season, where the Packers took down the Steelers 31-25.

Congratulations to Charles Woodson, my brother (Huge Packers fan,) and the rest of the Green Bay Packers on their big win.