Even before I started my career, I can say I’ve been extremely fortunate to watch some great defensive players over the years. Ty Law, Champ Bailey, Warren Sapp, Michael Strahan, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, and Ray Lewis. That’s just to name a few. What do all the men I just listed all have in common? They are all Hall of Famers. Rightfully so. Now, we can add another one to this list. Mr. Charles Woodson. Just as I said about one guy that was expected to make the Hall (Peyton), Charles was another. He was another lock to make it to Canton. All these years later, here we are! He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Charles went on to accomplish a storied career in the NFL. He’s one of the greatest defensive players I’ve ever witnessed play our game. When you play football, there are certain defensive guys you must know where they are. That was the type of player Charles Woodson was. He had some of the best ball skills in the secondary. Anytime that football was in the air, Charles was around or near it. He was another ballhawk that had a strong sense of the football. It’s safe to say the guy did it all. Whether he was playing cornerback, the nickel or safety (which he transitioned to later in his career), he did it at the highest level. I even remember a time where he was in the box as a linebacker. He was a huge impact guy. One man can make all the difference.
To this day, Charles is still the only defensive player to win the Heisman. He also won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of The Year awards. Charles also has a Super Bowl title to his name. His 65 interceptions are tied for fifth. What a career he had. He was known for playing with the Raiders. As a member of the Green Bay Packers, he became that leader every defense has. Even as he got older, he was still able to perform at a high level. In 2014, Charles became the first player ever with 20 sacks and 50 interceptions in a career. It was a pleasure to watch him become the legend he is today.
