2024 Hula Bowl Hall of Fame Profile: Rod Woodson

Established in 2019, the Hula Bowl Hall of Fame is inducting five players and a contributor in 2024, joining an illustrious list of honorees. Coaches like Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, and Steve Spurrier. Players like the indomitable Reggie White, Willie Roaf, Ron Simmons, Drew Brees, and Marcus Allen.

Today, we look at one of the greatest athletes of all time, Rod Woodson. He’s the last but certainly not least of the 2024 Hula Bowl Hall of Fame inductees. The Hoosier State native was a freak athlete Godfather that laid the foundation for today’s freak athletes. Woodson is among the elite few inducted into the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame. He didn’t leave too far from home to play college football at Purdue before embarking on a legendary pro career.

at Purdue

Football

Woodson enrolled at Purdue before the 1983 season and was a three-year starter for the Boilermakers. The dynamic star played both ways on offense and defense along with return duties on special teams. He finished his final three seasons with over 100 tackles and three for loss each year. Such were his accomplishments in college, he garnered three consecutive All-Big Ten First team honors and was twice honored as an All-American defensive back.

He finished his collegiate career in West Lafayette with 445 total tackles, 29 passes defended, 11 interceptions (three for touchdowns), and 11 fumbles responsible for along with 1,535 kick return yards. The former Boilermaker still ranks in the top ten in most statistical categories of the school record books. He played in the 1987 Hula Bowl alongside fellow first-round selections Jim Harbaugh and Chris Miller. The 1987 edition was coached by another Hula Bowl Hall of Famer and an icon of the sport, Bobby Bowden.

Track and Field

How much of a freak athlete was he? Woodson ran track during the spring at an Olympic-level caliber. He possesses the school record for the 60m and 110m hurdles along with five Big Ten championships in this sport. The cornerback was twice honored as an All-American on the track.

NFL

1987 NFL Draft

Woodson was taken with the tenth overall selection in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers after a remarkable Combine process that saw him test very well. When used on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS), his testing numbers would be a perfect 10.00 on the scale.

Woodson’s draft class was notable for several reasons, which included the fathers of future NFL players like Mark Ingram II (Mark, Sr), the Bosa brothers (John), Hardy Nickerson, Jr (Hardy, Sr), and TJ McDonald (Tim). There were other excellent players such as Vinny Testaverde, Harbaugh, Christian Okoye, Steve Beuerlein, and the iconic Bo Jackson. Hip-hop legend Suge Knight was an undrafted free agent along with future legendary head coach Sean Payton.

Pittsburgh Steelers – “The Beginning”

The former Purdue legend began his pro career in an inauspicious manner by holding out for a bigger rookie contract. He missed the first eight games of the season doing so, not making his first start until November. His second season portended the future, starting all 16 games while posting 88 tackles, four interceptions, and four fumbles responsible for. All the while being the primary returner, he had 1,281 return yards to go with one touchdown.

Woodson emphatically took off during the 1989 season, beginning a streak of first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections. He was a Pro Bowl selection for six consecutive seasons and first-team All-Pro in five of those years. The league awarded him the Defensive Player of the Year honor during this run in 1993. The legendary figure amassed 27 interceptions for 512 yards and three touchdowns along with 495 tackles in that span. He also posted 5,700 total return yards and three touchdowns during the same frame. He suffered a torn ACL during the 1995 season in the first game of the season. The former Steeler great dramatically made his return in less than six months to play in Super Bowl XXX.

The Steelers had some legendary coaches during his time in the Steel City. Coaches like Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Marvin Lewis, Dom Capers, and Dick LeBeau. Interestingly, they were all defensive-minded geniuses who were promoted to the head coaching chair.

San Francisco and Baltimore – “Middle Aged Second Wind”

Woodson signed with the 49ers before the 1997 season after contract talks with the Steelers broke down. He only spent that season by The Bay, collecting three interceptions and 48 tackles to go with a playoff appearance. During the 1998 offseason, he signed with the emerging Baltimore Ravens. He doubled his interceptions to six and increased his tackle totals by 40. It was his last season as a premier cornerback before he transitioned to safety to end his career. In Baltimore, he found a new lease on life as the marshal of the secondary under longtime friend Marvin Lewis.

The 1999 season set the foundation for the 2000 defensive masterpiece that led to the Super Bowl title. Woodson made three straight Pro Bowls and Second Team All-Pro during his Ravens tenure. As a Raven, he played in all 64 contests he was eligible for, posting 20 interceptions (five touchdowns) and 306 tackles.

Oakland – “The Autumn Winds Are Changing”

He signed with the Raiders during the 2002 offseason and had one last hurrah with eight interceptions (two touchdowns) and 82 tackles. The production resulted in his last Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections at the age of 37. The Raiders made a Super Bowl appearance that season. The 2003 season proved to be his last in the league after a knee injury resulted in being placed on injured reserve. He was released as a result of failing his physical in 2004.

Legacy

Woodson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He is third all-time in interceptions (71), first in pick-sixes (12), and second all-time in interception yardage (1,483). The man was a bastion of longevity, playing 17 seasons and starting 229 of a possible 238 games in his career. He finished his Hall of Fame career with 7,256 return yards and four return touchdowns. The first player ever to be selected for the Pro Bowl in three different positions (CB, S, and KR/PR). The 11-time Pro Bowler also had nine All-Pro selections (six first team and three second team).

He was named to the 1990s All-Decade team and both the 75th Anniversary and 100th Anniversary teams by the NFL. Both are immense honors when reflecting on how many legendary defensive backs have graced the league. The legend set the template for so many veteran cornerbacks to follow as they aged into safety like Charles Woodson, Devin McCourty, and Ronde Barber. It could be said that Woodson was one of the forefathers of versatile athletes like Devin Hester, Hines Ward, Desmond Howard, and so many more.

However legendary his on-field exploits were (and they were inner circle HOF good), he was one of the players that set free agency as we know it in motion. He received $1.1 million in a settlement of the antitrust lawsuit filed by the players against the league.