Darren Woodson
Safety | |||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Born: | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | April 25, 1969||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 219 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Maryvale (Phoenix) | ||||||||||||
College: | Arizona State | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1992 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Darren Ray Woodson (born April 25, 1969) is an American former professional
Early years
Woodson was raised by his mother, Freddie Luke, in
In August 2008, ESPNRISE.com named Woodson as one of the best high school players to ever come out of Arizona.[1]
College career
According to a January 23, 1996, article in
An undersized linebacker who wore #6 in college, Woodson was coached by ASU linebackers coach Lovie Smith, future NFL head coach.
As a sophomore in 1989, he was voted the team's "Most Improved" player, after leading it in total tackles (122) and tackles for loss (5), including a 16 tackle game against Stanford University.
During his senior year, he showed his great athleticism by lining up during 2 games as a defensive end and playing on several occasions as an inside linebacker. Woodson finished his college career with 803 tackles and was invited to play on the Blue–Gray Football Classic.
A three-year starter at outside
In 2005, he was inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame. In April 2009, Woodson was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.[3]
Professional career
Woodson participated at Arizona State's pro day and performed positional drills and ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. Dallas Cowboys' defensive backs coach
Woodson was considered to be an undersized linebacker prospect.Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle |
Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
219 lb (99 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.53 s | 1.58 s | 2.59 s | 4.28 s | 37+1⁄2 in (0.95 m) |
10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) |
19 reps | ||
All values from NFL Combine[6]
|
1992
The
On July 27, 1992, the Dallas Cowboys signed Woodson to a four-year, $1.92 million contract.[9] Throughout training camp, he competed to be a starting safety against James Washington. Head coach Jimmy Johnson named Woodson the backup strong safety to begin the regular season, behind Thomas Everett.[10]
He made his professional regular season debut in the
The Dallas Cowboys finished the 1992 NFL season atop the
1993
On August 2, 1993, Woodson broke his right forearm during the Cowboys' 13–7 preseason loss to the
On January 2, 1994, Woodson collected a season-high 18 combined tackles during a 16–13 victory at the
1994
On March 29, 1994, Dallas Cowboys' head coach Jimmy Johnson announced his decision to resign due to multiple disagreements with owner Jerry Jones.[20] On March 31, 1994, Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones announced the hiring of former Oklahoma Sooners' head coach Barry Switzer as their new head coach.[21] Switzer opted to retain Butch Davis as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Woodson was named the starting strong safety to start the regular season and started alongside free safety James Washington and cornerbacks Larry Brown and Kevin Smith.[22]
On September 11, 1994, Woodson recorded eight combined tackles and made his first career regular season interception during a 20–17 win against the
The Dallas Cowboys finished first in the NFC East with a 12–4 record and earned a first round bye. On January 8, 1995, Woodson made five combined tackles as the Cowboys defeated the
1995
Defensive backs coach Dave Campo was promoted to defensive coordinator after Butch Davis accepted the head coaching position with the
The
1996
On February 15, 1996, the Dallas Cowboys signed Woodson to a six-year, $18 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $5.40 million.[29]
"Darren is the total package. He has a combination of size speed and lateral movement that is rare in a strong safety. In fact, he covers one-on-one so well he could be a corner. He is the kind of guy coaches like to build a team around."[30]
–Dave Campo (1996)
Woodson and Brock Marion returned as the Cowboys' starting safety duo in 1996. They started alongside cornerbacks Deion Sanders and Kevin Smith.
1997
Head coach Barry Switzer retained the starting secondary in 1997. On September 7, 1997, Woodson recorded nine combined tackles, forced two fumbles, and made a sack as the Cowboys lost 25–22 at the
1998
On January 9, 1998, Dallas Cowboys' head coach
In Week 11, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles during the Cowboys' 35–28 victory at the
1999
Woodson returned as the starting strong safety, but was paired with free safety
2000
On January 12, 2000, the Dallas Cowboys fired head coach Chan Gailey due to a second first round exit from the playoffs.[41] On January 26, 2000, Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones officially promoted defensive coordinator Dave Campo to head coach. Campo was instrumental in drafting and converting Woodson and previously served as his position coach and coordinator.[42]
On September 21, 2000, Woodson collected a season-high nine combined tackles, but was ejected during a 41–21 loss against the
2001
On February 28, 2001, the Dallas Cowboys signed Woodson to a five-year, $20 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $5 million.[45]
Woodson and George Teague returned as the starting safety tandem in 2001 under defensive coordinator
2002
Head coach Dave Campo retained Woodson as the starting strong safety in 2002, alongside starting free safety and rookie first round pick
2003
On March 26, 2003, the Dallas Cowboys hired Bill Parcells as their new head coach.
2004
On July 27, 2004, Woodson underwent surgery to remove a herniated disc and was unable to physically participate in training camp. He sustained the injury while working out the previous week.[53] On September 6, 2004, the Dallas Cowboys placed Woodson on their Physically unable to participate list and he remained inactive for all 16 games.[54]
Retirement
On December 29, 2004, Woodson officially announced his retirement from the NFL. He was the last remaining member of the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty.[55] He retired as the Dallas Cowboys' all-time leading tackler with 813 career tackles.[56]
At the press conference to announce Woodson's retirement, Bill Parcells, then head coach of the Cowboys, said: "[Woodson is] the kind of guy that makes this profession something that you like to engage in. He's the epitome of a professional. He does epitomize that in every sense. What he did in playing and his approach to the game."
"For 13 years, [Woodson] was everything you could ask for -- unselfish, reliable, dependable, a team player first and a team leader always. He's a living, breathing example of the saying that character does matter."[55]
–Jerry Jones (2004)
During his retirement press conference, Woodson said, "When I put that helmet on, I laid it on the line. Not just for this team, but for everyone here. I laid it on the line every time I put that helmet on. I wanted to win so bad, that nothing else really mattered. The most important thing was giving everything I had each time I stepped out on the field. And I think I did that."
Hall of Fame consideration
In October 2008, Woodson became a first-time candidate on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's preliminary list. In September 2011, he was included on the preliminary list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012.[57]
In February 2011, ESPN.com writer Tim MacMahon wrote that Woodson "deserves serious Hall of Fame consideration and should join the Triplets on the modern side of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor."[58]
On August 4, 2015, the Dallas Cowboys announced that Woodson would be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.[59] The official ceremony took place Nov 1 against the Seahawks at AT&T Stadium.[60][61] Woodson is the eighth defensive player inducted into the Ring of Honor, and just the second who played in the 1990s era, along with Charles Haley.[59]
NFL career statistics
Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | |||
1992 | DAL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1993 | DAL | 16 | 102 | 85 | 17 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
1994 | DAL | 16 | 78 | 58 | 20 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 140 | 28 | 94T | 1 | 10 |
1995 | DAL | 16 | 94 | 82 | 12 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 23 | 37T | 1 | 7 |
1996 | DAL | 16 | 78 | 61 | 17 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 9 |
1997 | DAL | 14 | 73 | 52 | 21 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
1998 | DAL | 16 | 77 | 64 | 13 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
1999 | DAL | 15 | 70 | 58 | 12 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 13 |
2000 | DAL | 11 | 71 | 61 | 10 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
2001 | DAL | 16 | 87 | 76 | 11 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
2002 | DAL | 10 | 49 | 40 | 9 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2003 | DAL | 16 | 85 | 65 | 20 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 15 |
Career[62] | 178 | 864 | 702 | 162 | 11.0 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 23 | 271 | 12 | 94T | 2 | 95 |
Style of play
The only Cowboys player to suit up for both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, Woodson had a rare ability to play both the run and the pass. According to an article from July 3, 2009, on DallasCowboys.com, "While Woodson delivered his share of big-time hits from the safety position, he was always the team's slot cornerback, covering receivers inside, which is considered to be the toughest spot on the field. In today's game, most teams put their best cover corner in the slot, but Woodson did that for years from the safety position. With that, it helped the Cowboys stop the run as well, having a safety that close to the line of scrimmage without being a liability in coverage."[63]
"Woodson had the run-stopping skills of a strong safety and the pass-coverage ability of a free safety. His ability to cover slot receivers made a significant difference for the defense."[64]
In a December 30, 2004, article published in Knight Ridder newspapers, Clarence Hill described Woodson as "the most versatile safety in the league and arguably the best in (Dallas Cowboys) history."
An October 31, 1994, article in Sports Illustrated described Woodson as "a masher who doubles as an outside linebacker in passing situations" and "the most productive player on the best defense in the NFL." According to the author, "A combination of strength, brute-force hitting and speed—4.35 seconds in the 40—makes Woodson the most versatile player on the Super Bowl champions."[65]
Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson described Woodson as "a player who could hit, tackle and take charge of a secondary. He did all those things with authority. He made his presence known on the football field, but played within the scheme and played smart."[66]
He is generally regarded as the greatest safety in Cowboys history [67]
Personal life
Woodson has two sons, Darren Jr. and Jaden, and a daughter, Miranda from a previous marriage, and resides in Dallas, where he serves as a board member of
Woodson grew up in Phoenix and was the youngest of four siblings raised by his mother, Freddie Luke. He was a fan of the
In October 2011 Woodson became a founder of GuideHop, an online marketplace for guided tours and activities.[71]
References
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- ^ Darren Woodson Retires
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- ^ [1]
- ^ Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas » Board of Directors
- ^ Quinn, Sam (March 28, 2016). "Darren Woodson's son will be a Texas Longhorn, but in baseball". 247sports.com. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "10 Things to know about Cowboys great Darren Woodson, including getting batteries thrown at him". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ Meet the Team