Rod Woodson
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Roderick Kevin "Rod" Woodson (born March 10, 1965 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is a professional American football player.
Rod Woodson began playing football as a boy in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After gradulation from Snider High School in 1983, Rod was awarded a full scholarship to Purdue University. He starred at Purdue, winning All Big Ten and All American honors in 1985 and 1986. Woodson also starred in track, qualifying for the 1984 Olympic Trials.
In 1987, Woodson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned kicks and played defensive back for Pittsburgh through the 1996 season. A highlight came in 1994, when Woodson became the first player to return from reconstructive knee surgery in the same season. That year he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the first game and returned to play in the Super Bowl just 19 weeks later.
Woodson's career took a somewhat nomadic turn after leaving Pittsburgh. He signed with San Francisco for the 1997 season, Baltimore for the years 1998 to 2001, and the Oakland Raiders for 2002 and 2003. He did finally win the Super Bowl in 2001 after 14 professional seasons.
Woodson was released by the Oakland Raiders on July 27, 2004 after failing his team physical. Thus, his future in the NFL is unclear.
A consummate professional, Woodson is among the NFL's all time leaders in games played as a defensive back and interceptions. He holds the league record with 12 interceptions returned for a touchdown.
For his excellence on the field, Woodson has been named to the Pro Bowl eleven times, a record for his position. Woodson was named 1993's NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. In 1994, he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. The Sporting News and College Football News have also honored him as one of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century.
He now works for the NFL Network on "NFL TOTAL ACCESS" with Rich Eisen.