Rod Woodson

College career

Rod Woodson chose Purdue University on a full scholarship, drawn partly by the chance to study electrical engineering. On the football field, he was primarily a cornerback and kick returner, but he also lined up at running back and wide receiver. He earned All-American honors at cornerback in 1985 and 1986, was named an All-American returner in 1986, and made the All-Big Ten first team three times. In his last college game, he racked up over 150 total yards from scrimmage, made ten tackles, forced a fumble, and helped Purdue beat rival Indiana.

Woodson left Purdue with 13 school records. He tied the program mark with 11 career interceptions, returning them for 276 yards and three touchdowns. He still sits in the top ten all-time at Purdue in interceptions, solo tackles, total tackles, passes deflected, and kickoff return yardage (1,535 yards). He entered the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 2014, fan voting on the Big Ten Network placed him on the network’s “Mount Rushmore of Purdue Football,” alongside Drew Brees, Bob Griese, and Leroy Keyes. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Woodson also excelled in track and field for the Boilermakers, earning All-America honors twice. He finished second in the 55-meter hurdles at the 1985 NCAA indoor championships and third in the same event in 1987.

He held the NCAA 60-meter hurdles record for a decade and, as of 2009, still owned Purdue’s records in the 60- and 110-meter hurdles. He won five Big Ten titles and qualified for the 1984 Olympic Trials in the 110-meter hurdles, but chose to pursue an NFL career after graduating with a degree in criminal justice.

Professional career

The Pittsburgh Steelers made Rod Woodson the tenth overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft, but they had not prepared a scouting report on him. Coach Chuck Noll told defensive coordinator Tony Dungy not to bother, assuming Woodson would be gone by their turn. That changed when the Cleveland Browns traded up to fifth overall and took linebacker Mike Junkin, the St. Louis Cardinals chose Kelly Stouffer (who never played for them due to a contract dispute), and the Buffalo Bills picked linebacker Shane Conlan at eighth.

Woodson then missed training camp in a 95-day contract holdout, the longest in Steelers history until Le'Veon Bell sat out the entire 2018 season. During that time, he ran track on the European circuit, posting the world's fourth-fastest 110-meter hurdle time. He won a bronze medal at the 1987 USA Olympic festival and medals in several IAAF Grand Prix meets. He remains one of only two athletes in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who also earned a world ranking in the high hurdles.

On October 28, 1987, he signed a four-year, $1.80 million deal with a $700,000 signing bonus. He made his regular-season debut on November 8 in a 17-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, returning two kicks for 48 yards and two punts for 12 yards. On November 22, he intercepted a pass from Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason and returned it 45 yards for his first career touchdown. He finished his rookie season with 20 combined tackles in eight games, 13 kick returns for 290 yards, and 16 punt returns for 135 yards.

Coaching career

Before his NFL coaching career, Woodson worked at Valley Christian Senior High in Dublin, California, where he coached defense with former Raider John Parrella and led the girls varsity basketball team. He became the Raiders' cornerbacks coach on February 14, 2011, but was let go after that season along with most of Hue Jackson's staff. On June 12, 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought him on as an intern coach. He returned to the Raiders on February 9, 2015, as an assistant defensive backs coach under Jack Del Rio. After Marcus Robertson was fired, Woodson was promoted to cornerbacks coach on March 9, 2017, but was dismissed following the 2017 season when Jon Gruden took over. On April 13, 2022, he was named one of eight head coaches for the 2023 XFL season, taking charge of the relocated Vegas Vipers. The team finished 2–8, and Woodson and the Vipers parted ways on June 11, 2023.

Personal life

Rod Woodson grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the youngest of three brothers. His father, James Woodson, was an African American laborer from Tennessee, and his mother, Linda Jo Doerflein, was of German descent and worked with people with disabilities. His parents married in 1960 and raised their sons—Joe, Jamie, and Rod—in a two-story home in a mostly Black neighborhood, where the family faced harassment because of their mixed-race background. Woodson attended R. Nelson Snider High School, where he played cornerback, safety, and various offensive positions.

He earned Parade and USA Today All-American honors, was all-state as a junior and senior, and was named Indiana Mr. Football in 1982. He also won state titles in the high and low hurdles both years and played varsity basketball, earning all-conference as a senior. From 1994 to 2008, he ran a week-long youth football camp, Rod Woodson Youth Week, at his old high school, featuring NFL players and covering football skills, education, cheerleading, basketball, and a concert.

He funded most of it and gave academic awards. An outspoken Christian, Woodson split his time between NFL Network studios in Los Angeles, his home in Pleasanton, California, and a cottage in Coldwater, Michigan. He worked on BBC Sport's NFL coverage in 2007, including Super Bowls XLII and XLIII. In February 2011, he became defensive backs coach for the Oakland Raiders, his former team.

In April 1988, he was one of three men arrested for stealing $70 from a tip jar at a West Lafayette bar; no charges were filed. He lives in Pleasanton with his wife Nikki, married in 1992, and their five children.