Make no mistake, there will never be another Charles Woodson. Not at Michigan, not in Green Bay, not anywhere. His unique combination of skills and dedication to the game have placed him in the pantheon of not just defensive backs, but football players period. He’s one of the best of all time, and we were lucky enough to witness the pinnacle of his abilities for seven years.
The stats are great. 921 tackles,
17 sacks, 29 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, an incredible 55
interceptions, nearly 1000 interception return yards, 11 touchdowns, 182 passes
defensed, the list goes on. He’ll no doubt add to those over the next year or
two, but if he walked away today, he’d do so as a sure-fire hall of famer. As
hackneyed a phrase as it is, it fits Charles Woodson too perfectly to say that
the stats only tell a fraction of the story. Woodson had every football
intangible known to man, and whatever leadership he wasn’t born with, he
developed.
“My mindset was, I didn’t care
who it was. You know what I mean? I play this game too.”
Charles had what can only be
described as incredible ‘fight,’ and he didn’t give a shit who knew it. By the
way, if you didn’t know it, he’d let you know in a hurry. Whether it was
fighting Amani Toomer as a true freshman during his first practice at Michigan,
or fighting David Boston in the Big House versus Ohio State, or even arguing
with Mike McCarthy day one in Green Bay, Woodson never took no shit. I’m
reminded of one of my favorite plays by Charles. It was Brett Favre’s final
game in Green Bay, and the Giants were coming to Lambeau Field for the NFC
Championship game. It was colder than a witch’s tit. Game time temperature was
hovering around zero, and there was no shortage of wind. The talk leading up to
the game centered around New York’s three pronged rushing attack, spear headed
by the massive Brandon Jacobs. Seemingly everyone in the media was questioning
how the Packers were going to stop this 6’5”, 265-pounder in the cold. Woodson
not only heard the criticism, but decided in truly Woodson-esque fashion to
bring the fight to Jacobs right off the bat. A run off right tackle on the
first play of the game saw Jacobs reach the edge, where Charles was waiting for
him. He came right at Jacobs, who ran him over but didn’t gain another inch.
Woodson got up slowly, but the message had been sent. Joe Buck said something
to the effect of, ‘I bet Woodson’ll think twice before doing that again,’ a
comment that served only to belie his alleged knowledge of the week’s matchup.
“I was on the other side of the
field and I just saw him, shoot out of the sky with one hand up like a rocket.
And he came down with it? Superman.” – Michigan teammate Marcus Ray on Woodson’s
iconic interception against Michigan State
“If you’re gonna play in this
game, and play for Michigan, you’re gonna have to hit, and you’re gonna have to
tackle. That’s all you gotta tell me.”
Charles saw plays that nobody
else could see. In an era that saw nearly every rule change favor the offense,
and receivers in particular, Woodson reveled in every opportunity to cover.
While most corners were simply trying desperately to not get burned, Charles was
bating quarterbacks, playing off intentionally, attacking ball carriers, and
trying to score. He was seemingly one step ahead of everybody on the field for
years. This uncanny ability to slow the game down not only led to tons of
picks, forced fumbles and passes defended, but also manifested itself in a less
typically celebrated way. Woodson made fucking tackles. He made easy tackles,
he made open field tackles, he stripped the ball while tackling, and he made
circus tackles. I’m again reminded of a play that showcased both Woodson’s
exceptional vision, and his outrageous tackling ability. Baltimore was
threatening on the goal line, with bowling ball Ray Rice in the backfield.
Green Bay was clinging to a lead at the time and needed to keep the Ravens out
of the end zone. The play was a toss left to Rice, who had every block he
needed. As he sprinted his way to the corner of the end zone, Charles saw what
nobody else would have seen. He dove, flat out, rotated 90 degrees to split
both blockers assigned to him, caught nothing more than a shoelace, and took
down Rice for a three yard loss. The defense held Baltimore to a field goal,
and the Packers won by 3. I was at the game, and on the other side of the
field, so I had no idea what happened until the next day. But you know that
something special happened when all of your friends want to talk about a tackle
instead of how the points were scored.
“All of the emotion came out.
Cried like I’d never cried before. You know I tried to just tell the guys, you
know how bad I want it, go out there and get it done.”
A long NFL career saw Charles
evolve from a petulant ‘me first’ head case, to a consummate ‘team first’
professional. He learned to fit in with the Packers, learned to fit in with Dom
Capers defense, and learned to lead by example. Preferring to lead with actions
rather than words, Woodson was called upon to deliver a message to the team
after the 2010 NFC Championship game. The player Aaron Rodgers described as ‘the
guy I respect the most’ gave a memorable speech that has received plenty of
fanfare, taking aim directly at the president who got his vote, but supported
his rival. The ‘one mind, one goal, one purpose’ speech was all well and good,
but it was Charles’ lack of speech at halftime of the Superbowl that really
showed his team how much he cared. Of course nobody outside the team is privy
to what exactly was said that day, but Woodson himself has cited his inability
to talk much, owing to an outpouring of emotion in the midst of the game’s
biggest stage. As Woodson watched Rodgers take a knee in the ‘V’ formation to
end the game, the last of his football goals was checked off. He had
accomplished each and every goal he had set for himself professionally, an
achievement most people can only dream of. He was a true leader that demanded
respect from everyone around him, but for all the right reasons.
“No disrespect to the hospital or
this award, but this is truly not about me.”
Charles had been a leader off the
field as well, which isn’t as exciting but is decidedly more important. He has
donated over $2 million of his own money to the University of Michigan’s Mott
Children’s Hospital, and has solicited far more in donations from other
Michigan alumni. It’s easy for anyone to say that $2 million isn’t much to a
rich guy like Charles, but how many other NFL stars do we see donating that
amount of money? And how many people never even heard about it because Charles
doesn’t go around tooting his own horn? He’s a role model for NFL players young
and old, on the field and off, and for regular people like us. He’s learned to
use his greatness to improve the world, not just himself.
“We don’t need luck”
Charles is an inspiration to me
personally, somebody I feel privileged to have watched these past seven years,
and somebody to whom I feel the world owes a debt of gratitude. I’ll extend a
sincere ‘thank you’ to Charles for showing us what we can accomplish by doing
things the right way, working hard, and committing to what we believe in. I’ll
miss him every Sunday, and won’t begrudge him a single minute played in another
team’s uniform. He’s earned it and I wish him all the best.
