Ex-Purdue star Woodson likely Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
January 31
Indianapolis Star columnist Steve Ballard
"If it takes one Pro Football Hall of Famer to know another, then former Purdue star Rod Woodson should be a shoo-in when the Class of 2009 is announced today on the eve of Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly said he didn't get to the Hall of Fame by throwing too many passes in Woodson's direction during the Fort Wayne native's 17 seasons as a defensive back in the NFL.
"He was one of those guys that as a quarterback you knew not to go against. There's not many things he couldn't do," Kelly said. "You knew where Rod Woodson was going to be. When he was in coverage, you'd go the other way."
Enough quarterbacks chose to test Woodson during his career -- 10 seasons of which he spent with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being the 10th overall pick in the 1987 draft -- that he retired in 2004 with 71 interceptions and 11 Pro Bowl selections. His 12 touchdowns and 1,483 yards on interception returns are NFL records, and he is the only player to make the Pro Bowl as a cornerback, safety and kick returner.
"I don't know how many more credentials you need," said Ed Bouchette, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a member of the 44-person selection committee. "The discussion on Rod will probably start with me, but I don't expect it to be a very long discussion. There's not going to be a whole lot of convincing needed to get Rod into the Hall of Fame."
Playing with his brothersWhile flattered to be considered alongside former Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith as locks for selection in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility, Woodson, 43, said it's not something he thought much about during his playing days or since.
"I didn't play football to get in the Hall of Fame. I didn't start to make money at it. I started when I was 9 years old because I wanted to play with my brothers," he said. "I found out I loved it and that made me want to continue playing. As I got older, I got a little better at it."
So much better, in fact, that he was:
named to the NFL's 75th anniversary team while still playing;
selected as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1993;
chosen to five Pro Bowls after a devastating knee injury in 1995 threatened to end his career;
a primary cog in 2000 for Baltimore on a defense that allowed a record-low 165 points on the way to a Super Bowl championship despite being in the twilight of his career. He also had stints with San Francisco and Oakland.
None of that surprised former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who coached Pittsburgh's defensive backs during Woodson's first two seasons. Dungy recalled being told by coach Chuck Noll not to bother going to Purdue to scout Woodson because chances were he would be drafted before the Steelers' turn came up.
"He was certainly going to be a top-five pick. That was the regard we had for him," Dungy said. "He ended up getting to the 10th pick and we drafted him. You
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