This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/lunchboxthegoat on 2023-08-24 15:06:44.
Counting down to the beginning of the season I’m going to attempt to post one player per day for the last 99 matching the days left to their jersey number. The players will be random. Use this thread to celebrate and Talk About Some Guystm
Charles Cameron Woodson was born, raised and starred at Ross High School just 90 miles away from Michigan Stadium in Fremont, Ohio. He was Ohio Mr. Football his senior year and finished with school records for rushing yards and scoring. He was USA Today and Parade HS All-American and recorded 2028 yards and 230 points as a senior. He was heavily recruited as a running back but Michigan’s defensive staff including program grandpa Lloyd Carr recruited him as a defensive back.
He attended the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1997 and took just two games to earn the full time starter at corner. He started 34 straight games afterwards. He also returned punts and occasionally played wide receiver.
As a freshman in 1995 Charles lead the team with five interceptions and eight takeaways including two in an upset of #2 Ohio State. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten.
His sophomore season of 1996 saw Charles set a Wolverine record for PBUs with 15, snare 4 interceptions, 10 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown and run the ball six times for 152 yards and a touchdown. He was named Chevrolet Defensive Player of the year, first-team All-Big-Ten, AP First-team All-American and a finalist for the Thorpe Award.
His junior year of 1997 was chock full of huge plays in huge moments and on the biggest stages. There’s the MSU INT, his INT and punt return TD in The Game, his Rose Bowl pick. All told he had 7 interceptions, 2 receiving touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, a 28 yard pass completion and a 77 yard punt return for a TD in the biggest game of the year. Michigan went undefeated and won the Rose Bowl versus Washington State and secured an AP National Championship. For his season he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the year and Big Ten Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, a unanimous All-American, Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year, the Sporting News Player of the Year and he was awarded the Nagurski, the Bednarik, the Thorpe, the Walter Camp, and became Michigan’s third Heisman Trophy winner by 282 points over Peyton Manning. He was the first and only primarily defensive player to win the award. He decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. He finished his college career with 16 interceptions, 30 passes defended, 6 touchdowns, a 2-1 record versus Michigan State and undefeated versus Ohio State.
He was drafted 4th overall by the Oakland Raiders and had a nice career until injuries wore him down in the 2002 through 2005 seasons. Then he completely reinvented himself, moved primarily to safety/nickel and had a second half of his career that was incredible by itself. All told it was an incredible career run: PFWA All-Rookie Team, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 4x first-team All-Pro, 4x Second-team All-Pro, 9x Pro Bowler, 2x NFL Interceptions leader, 2000s All-Decade Team, the Art Rooney Award, Defensive Player of the year, a Super Bowl championship and a place in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. His NFL career included 18 seasons, 983 tackles, 65 INTs, 33 forced fumbles, 20 sacks, and 13 defensive touchdowns.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2014 he was selected as a member of The Mount Rushmore of Michigan Football according to a BTN fan vote along side Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Anthony Carter.
CFHoF picture, Heisman picture, Iconic Rose picture after beating OSU
Previously: