Charles Woodson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Woodson was born in Fremont, Ohio. As a senior at Ross High School, Woodson was named Ohio's 'Mr. Football'. He finished his high school football career with the school's records for rushing yards (3,861) and scoring (466 points). In his senior season, he was a USA Today All-America selection and Parade High School All-American and recorded 2,028 yards and 230 points. All colleges recruited Woodson as a running back, while Michigan recruited him as a cornerback. In addition to playing football, Woodson also played basketball (point guard) and competed in track and field (relay sprinter and long jumper). He attended the University of Michigan, where he played for coach Lloyd Carr's Wolverines teams from 1995 to 1997. He became the starter after the second game of his freshman season and played in 34 straight games. In addition to playing cornerback, he returned punts and occasionally played as a wide receiver. In 1995, Woodson was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well as being named to the All-Big Ten First-team by conference coaches, and the second-team by the media. He led the team with five interceptions and eight takeaways. In 1996, Woodson set a Wolverine record for pass breakups in a season, with 15. For his efforts, he was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year and an AP First-team All-American. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and named to the All-Big Ten First-team by both the conference coaches and the media. In 1997, Woodson became the third Michigan player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Tom Harmon (1940) and Desmond Howard (1991). Woodson received 282 more voting points than runner-up Peyton Manning of Tennessee. He was the first full-time defensive player to win the prestigious award, with the only other modern defensive winner being two-way player Travis Hunter in 2024. Woodson led the Michigan Wolverines to an undefeated season and a share of the national championship in the same year. He also won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as the best defensive college player, as well as winning the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year award for a second consecutive season. Woodson was named to the All-Big Ten first-team for a third consecutive season, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Most Valuable Player an

In Their Own Story

The wind whipped off the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, biting at exposed skin, but Charles Woodson felt only heat. The crowd was a deafening roar, a wall of green and gold that seemed to vibrate through his cleats. He crouched low in the secondary, eyes locked on the opposing quarterback's hands. In that split second before the snap, the world narrowed down to the geometry of the field. The ball left the hand, spiraling through the cold air toward a receiver breaking deep. Woodson didn't just react; he anticipated. He launched, his body extending like a predator, fingertips grazing the leather. The interception was clean, the roar of the stadium swelling into an earthquake as he hit the turf, clutching the ball that had just sealed another victory for the Pack.

Reader's Guide

Woodson declared his eligibility for the NFL draft following his junior season at Michigan and was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Oakland Raiders. After the 1998 season, Woodson was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. He started all sixteen games, becoming the first rookie Raider since 1971 to do so. Woodson had 64 tackles that season. He was also third in the league in interceptions (with five), returned one interception for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, and produced one forced fumble. Woodson was named to his first Pro Bowl. In 1999, Woodson had his first career reception, a 19-yard catch, against the San Diego Chargers on November 14. On November 28, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 37–34 loss. He finished the season with 61 total tackles and a fumble recovery to go along with the pick-six. Woodson was selected to his second Pro Bowl and was named All-Pro by the Associated Press. In the 2000 season, Woodson started all sixteen games of the season but suffered a turf toe injury, which prevented him from practicing. He finished the year with a career-high 79 tackles, intercepted four passes, forced three fumbles, and recovered one fumble. He earned a third consecutive Pro Bowl nomination. He was named to the All-Pro team by Sports Illustrated, and second-team honors from the Associated Press. In 2001, his fourth year in the NFL, Woodson started sixteen games. This was the fourth consecutive year Woodson played in every game of the season. Woodson finished with two sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one blocked field goal. Woodson returned punts for the first time in the NFL, returning four punts for 47 yards. On January 19, 2002, he participated in the Tuck Rule play against the New England Patriots in the postseason. He was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl. He made All-Pro teams of The Sporting News and College and Pro Football Newsweekly and the All-AFC squad of Football News. In 2002, Woodson suffered his first major injury since his freshman year at Michigan, suffering from a shoulder injury which caused him to be inactive for eight games. The shoulder injury came in the first half of the second game of the season. Despite the injury Woodson played the remainder of the game and was able to force a fum

Did You Know?

• Woodson is tied with Rod Woodson (no relation) and Darren Sharper for the most defensive touchdowns in NFL history.
• He is the first primarily defensive player in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy.
• Woodson appeared in a Pro Bowl during three different decades.
• He became a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns in 2025.