Woodson’s Remarkable Career

Charles Woodson’s remarkable football career will come to a close at season’s end. The Oakland Raiders safety announced on Monday night he will retire after 18 years in the NFL.

Woodson entered the NFL as the fourth overall pick in the draft … by the Raiders. He was a cornerback then. After eight years with the Raiders, he left for the Green Bay Packers as a free agent and played with them for seven years, returning to the Raiders.

He’s sixth all-time in interceptions with 65, an eight-time Pro Bowl pick (spanning three decades) and a likely nine-time choice. At 39 he has five interceptions and was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Month for October.

“It’s been an incredible career man,” Woodson said Monday night. “It goes beyond words. You know, I never intended on playing as long as I have. But it’s the way that it has happened.”

Incredible? He was the last Heisman Trophy winner who was not a quarterback or running back, taking home the hardware as college football’s outstanding player in 1997. He played at the University of Michigan – as a defensive back, a punt returner and occasionally at wide receiver. He won the Heisman ahead of Peyton Manning, then spent his entire career in the NFL trying to intercept a Manning pass, which he did twice in one game this season.

Woodson’s last home game is Thursday night, in what also might be the Raiders’ last game at Oakland as they try to maneuver toward relocating (again) to Los Angeles. Emotion will run high as fans say their farewells to Woodson for sure and perhaps their beloved franchise as well.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .