The brilliance of Charles Woodson

Growing up a fan of Notre Dame football there wasn’t much I liked about the Maize and Blue. As a child, the Big House in Ann Arbor was enemy territory. In my childish mind, it represented what was wrong about college football.

The first game I remember watching Charles Woodson play was against a then ranked Northwestern team in October of 1995.

For me, Saturday morning was defined by “Saved by the Bell” reruns, “Mario Kart,” cereal and watching football with my best friend, a Michigan fan.

I am not sure if Woodson picked off a pass in that game. He might not have even played a major role on special teams. All I do remember is that this young defensive back — much older than myself — had a cocky aura about him, which was a representation of Michigan football in my mind.

I just knew he would be another player in a long line of Wolverines that I despised.

Now, 20 years later, Woodson has announced his retirement from the National Football League. And this one scribe is all bent out of shape over it.

One of the greatest defensive players of the modern era has only two more games left in a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

The last of a dying breed of defensive backs — one that can cover over the top while sticking his nose in there in the running game — Woodson displayed a wide array of weapons that made him hard for offenses to deal with.

Originally a corner, Woodson made just as good of a safety when some of his athletic prowess deteriorated as he aged.

In the same vein as a Ronnie Lott, Woodson made that transition look rather seamless.

We know the statistics.

Woodson is the only player in NFL history with 50-plus interceptions and 20-plus sacks.

He’s fifth on the all-time interception list with 65.

He ranks second all-time with 11 interceptions returned for touchdowns.

He’s earned eight Pro Bowl appearances, won the Defensive Player of the Year award, hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and will end the season having played 253 games in a career that spanned parts of three decades.

What many don’t know about Chuck is just how he transcended the defensive back position in the NFL. He wasn’t that shutdown corner you avoided throughout the game because he didn’t hide on one side of the field. He wasn’t a sneaky athlete because offenses knew how athletic he was.

He wasn’t that diva seeking some sort of self gratification by making a fool of himself on the field.

He was a leader in every possible way — someone that every single one of his teammates looked up to.

From his early days as a member of the Oakland Raiders to some struggles in Green Bay with the Packers, Woodson never strayed from who he was both on the field and off it.

And the impact was felt by everyone who played with or against Woodson. Heck, those who had the limited interaction with Woodson knew full well what he meant to the game during his prime.

A self-identified Chicago Bears fan, President Obama shared a funny moment with Woodson after the Packers won the Super Bowl in February of 2011:

“I have learned something that many quarterbacks have learned. Don’t mess with Charles Woodson.”

Former division-rival Rodney Harrison, a great defensive back in his own mind, also made sure to compare Woodson to the likes of Tom Brady and Junior Seau as those who he “holds in the most regard” after the Raiders defensive back made his announcement on Monday.

Prior to departing the Raiders for Green Bay, Woodson was one of the primary reasons that organization reversed bad fortune to earn multiple deep trips into the playoffs, including a Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 season.

A year before that, Woodson and the Raiders fell in heartbreaking fashion to the New England Patriots in a game that would simply be known for the “Tuck Rule,” a play that saw Woodson himself seemingly forced a Tom Brady fumble.

Speaking with former Raiders CEO Amy Trask following Woodson’s retirement announcement, she shared a rather funny story regarding his response to that still controversial call and their interactions since:

“Charles is a Raider. Yes, I know, he spent years with – and performed magnificently for – the Packers, but in my mind and heart, he will always be a Raider.

I vividly recall my interaction with Charles at the conclusion of the ‘tuck rule game.’ We just looked at one another – we just stood and looked at one another – there was no need to exchange words, our eyes said all that needed to be said. Of course, we did ultimately share our thoughts with one another, but they’re not suitable for many audiences, so I won’t share them here.

Charles rejoined the Raiders shortly after I resigned in May of 2013. When I contacted Charles to express how delighted I was that he was again a Raider, he included in his touching response a reference to Run Run Jones.

Run Run was magnificent – he too was a Raider – he was referred to as the league’s oldest “water boy,” but all who know the Raiders know that he was so much more than that. As wonderful as was Charles response in every way, nothing was more wonderful than his inclusion of Run Run in it, and that is vintage Charles.”

These are the stories we hear over and over again regarding Woodson. He remains a larger than life figure to those that know him best and those who have had minor interactions with him.

On the field, Woodson’s ability to overcome skills that seemingly regressed is what makes him a legend. Like fine wine, he found a way to become even more relevant with age.

With his career looking like it was over after a couple difficult seasons to end his tenure in Green Bay, Woodson sought a return to the Bay Area back in the spring of 2013.

Initially in talks with San Francisco to replace Dashon Goldson, Woodson never received a contract offer from the 49ers. It was at this point that he and the Raiders turned to one another for one final reunion.

Woodson signed an incentive-laden contract with the downtrodden franchise that was coming off a four-win 2012 campaign — a far cry from the team he played with a decade earlier.

There were no guarantees that Woodson would earn a starting spot, let alone make the 53-man roster when camp broke. He was at a much different point in his career than when he bolted Northern California for Wisconsin on a seven-year, $52 million contract eight years prior.

On the field, success was hard to come by. Woodson struggled to make an impact on another four-win team the following season before seeing Oakland win just three games last year. In fact, there was a 16-game losing streak mixed in there somewhere.

Fully prepared to overcome yet another uphill battle in a career full of them, Woodson wouldn’t let his team be impacted by this lack of success.

What Woodson was building off the field and in practice during this most trying of times was a new identity for the defense and the young core players on the roster.

With the help of the likes of Justin Tuck, Woodson’s calming veteran presence set into motion a change of culture within the organization itself.

We have seen this come out in droves during what has been a surprising 2015 season for the Raiders. While they will miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season, there is something different about this team.

It could be the emergence of a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. It could also be the performance of linebacker Khalil Mack, who was seven years old when Woodson made his NFL debut. With the help of his veteran teammate, Mack is fully prepared to move the Raiders defense forward into this new era.

Years after Woodson has stepped away from the game, he will be remembered for this, and more. A player that defied everything we knew about college football. Someone that worked just as hard at his craft off the field as he did on it. A man that serviced his community to the best of his ability. And a leader not one single person could ever mouth a bad word about.

Years down the road, Woodson’s career will be remembered for what it was: An 18-year story of excellence that bridged the gap between a bygone era and a new NFL we only hope will be somewhere near the same without him.

For this scribe, Woodson’s career will be remembered by his ability to turn a Notre Dame fan into a Michigan supporter — a 49ers fan into someone that enjoyed the hell out of watching Raiders football.

For that, I will always be indebted to the great Charles Woodson. He taught me that football was about more than the colors on the uniforms. That it can be about the individual behind the helmet.

And if it wasn’t for this, I might not have found a passion covering this grand old game.

Thank you Chuck, you will be missed.

Check out Vincent’s other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter. His work can also be seen on MSN, Fox Sports and Forbes.