Age: 34
13th
season in pro football, 2nd with Ravens
College: Purdue
Height: 6’0” Weight: 200
Prelude:
An
outstanding athlete coming out of college (he was a champion hurdler as well as
football star), Woodson was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first
round of the 1987 NFL draft (10th overall). He held out and got a
late start in the strike-interrupted ’87 season, and was used as a nickel back
and kick returner, but swiftly developed into a star at cornerback and was team
co-MVP in 1988. Woodson was a consensus first-team All-Pro as a kick returner and
went to the Pro Bowl for the first time in ’89. With his outstanding speed,
leaping ability, and body control, he became an annual Pro Bowl participant
through 1994 and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection at cornerback
four times between 1990 and ‘94, including a 1993 season in which he was named
NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. It appeared his
career might be over due to a severe knee injury suffered in the first game of
the 1995 season but, remarkably, Woodson returned to play in the Super Bowl
following that season and was again selected to the Pro Bowl in 1996. He moved
on to the 49ers in ’97 and then to the Ravens in 1998, who shifted him to free
safety for the ’99 season.
1999 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 7 [1, tied with four others]
Most
interceptions, game – 1 on seven occasions
Int. return
yards – 195 [2]
Most int.
return yards, game – 66 (on 1 int.) at Cleveland 11/7
Int. TDs – 2
[1, tied with six others]
Sacks – 0
Fumble
recoveries – 2
Forced fumbles
– 0
Tackles – 54
Assists – 12
Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 0
Average per
return – 0.0
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 7 yards
Scoring
TDs – 2
Points – 12
Awards &
Honors:
Pro Bowl
Ravens went 8-8
to finish third in the AFC Central while leading the conference in fewest
rushing yards allowed (1231).
Aftermath:
Woodson was
again chosen to the Pro Bowl in each of the next two years with the Ravens, who
also won the Super Bowl following the 2000 season largely due to their
outstanding defense. With the Raiders in 2002, Woodson was a consensus
first-team All-Pro for the sixth and last time, and also was named to the Pro
Bowl for the last of 11 times at the age of 37. He finished up with Oakland in
2003, having intercepted 71 passes, the third most in NFL history, 12 of which
were returned for touchdowns, a league record. Woodson was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2009.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
