Happy Retirement to Charles Woodson, the Greatest Player Ever

It is an honor calling Charles Woodson a Wolverine

Yesterday Charles Woodson announced that he's retiring at the end of this season. Woodson has been in the NFL for 18 years. I wrote last week about him, comparing his and Peyton Manning's careers. Today, I'm going to heap praises solely on Charles Woodson and what has been an illustrious career.

First and foremost, Charles Woodson is my all time favorite football player. He's passed Barry Sanders within the past five years. Woodson is the man. Let's start all the way back at his late high school career. He was an all world recruit coming out of Ohio. Everybody wanted him to come play football at their school. Some wanted him to play running back, where he also excelled, but a select few wanted him to play corner back or safety. One such school was the University of Michigan. In what has been one of their best recruiting signings, they signed Charles Woodson in 1995. His first two years at Michigan were stellar for him, but the team was finishing 8-4 or 9-3. They were good, but not as good as they could be. During his freshman year at Michigan, Woodson saw the field quite a bit as a cornerback and in their nickel coverage. He was great. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He was an All Big Ten performer and led the team with five interceptions and eight total takeaways. Pretty great freshman season. During his sophomore year, he was the man in the secondary. He set a then record with 15 pass breakups. He was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year and was named an AP first team All American. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award, given to the top defensive back in college football. He also garnered first team all Big Ten honors. A star was born.

During his junior year, Woodson blew up. He was the leader and the best player on one of Michigan's all time great defenses. He also expanded his game to punt and kick returns and played some receiver. Michigan opened the season as a top 20 team, I think they were preseason number 19, but we all know how that season ended. Michigan played suffocating defense, they had a great running game and Brian Griese and Tai Streets dominated in their passing offense. Michigan defeated Washington State in the 1997 Rose Bowl and won the National Championship. I will not say co champs because Missouri beat Nebraska, although the past scores will say different. Michigan played a tougher schedule and beat a tougher opponent in their bowl game. Prior to their Rose Bowl win, Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy. He beat out Ryan Leaf, Randy Moss and Peyton Manning. This was unheard of at the time. He was, and still is, the only primary defensive player to win the Heisman. Sure, he had some great moments as a receiver and his punt return against Ohio State is one for the ages, but he was such a lock down cornerback, the voters thought that was sufficient enough to give him the Heisman. He lived up to the award in the Rose Bowl, intercepting Ryan Leaf in the end zone to secure the national title for Michigan. Also, go back and look at the pick he had against Michigan State earlier that season, best interception I've ever seen.

Woodson left for the NFL after his junior year and was the fourth overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Oakland Raiders. His first run with the Raiders lasted from 1998-2005. He was exceptional from the start. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He started every game and led the team in tackles from a defensive back. He was third in the league with five interceptions, returned one for a touchdown and forced a fumble. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named an All Pro by the Associated Press. Much more of the same accolades and production from Woodson for the next couple of seasons. In 2003, after getting over a shoulder injury, he started every game for a Raiders team that made the Super Bowl. He had an interception in a losing effort against the Buccaneers. Previous to this Super Bowl, Woodson was involved in one of the most controversial calls in playoff history. Woodson appeared to strip sack Tom Brady and the Raiders looked like they would make another Super Bowl by beating the Patriots, but that's when the "tuck rule" was created. The officials said that Brady was bringing the ball back in, so they called it an incomplete forward pass, instead of a fumble, and the Patriots kicked a chip shot field goal and went on to the Super Bowl and won. Woodson caused that fumble, I will go to my grave believing that. Later in his Oakland career, they hired the god awful Bill Callahan and he and Woodson did not get along. His contract was up at the end of the 2005 season and he signed with the Green Bay Packers. He was revitalized, although he didn't need any revitalization. He was with the Packers from 2006-2012. His first year with the Packers Woodson led the league with 8 interceptions. He also got back to retuning punts and did a fine job, averaging almost 10 yards per return. In 2008, after putting up stellar numbers once again, Woodson was named to his fifth pro bowl team, first while with the Packers. For his fantastic 2009 season, Woodson was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. His stats improved every year with the Packers and he was a much better player there than with Oakland, and he was great in Oakland. In 2011, Woodson was lock down all the way through the season and playoffs, helping the Packers reach the Super Bowl. He hurt his shoulder in the first half of the game, but was integral to the Packers winning that Super Bowl. He had tremendous season and was capped off with a Super Bowl ring. In 2013 Woodson retuned to Oakland. He wanted to end his career were it started. The Raiders were not very good, but he has helped turned that team into a viable NFL defense and they are on the verge of their first .500 season since Woodson was last there.

Charles Woodson announced yesterday that he will hang it up at the end of the year, and I truly believe that he is the greatest defensive football player of all time. Look at all the accolades. Heisman trophy and national title and multiple all American nods in college. In the pros, He's won a Super Bowl, the Defensive Player of the Year, 8 pro bowls, Rookie of the year and a member of the all decade team in 2000. He's a stud. He is the GOAT and he does it all with class and grace. No showboating and trash talking. He has let his play do his talking for him. Thank you for all the many, many productive years of football that you've provided me over the past 21 years. You are a sure fire Hall of Famer and you are the greatest defensive football player to ever step on a field.

Thank you again and enjoy your retirement.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His views on the 1997 College Football co-champs has been warped by the editor's love of Mizzou football. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.