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3 Things All Elite Safeties Have

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp

You never really appreciate a great safety until you don’t have one.  For much of the last couple of decades,  cornerbacks have gotten the lion’s share of attention when it comes to secondary play but ask any cornerback who has a played with a great safety as well as without one and they’ll tell you their value is more than most people will ever know.

Having coached for many years,  I can second that.  You can also double my second that when you add in my playing days as a cornerback.  A great safety is hard to find.  When you do find one,  what are some things that all great safeties have?  I can tell you right now that there are three things for sure that all great safeties bring to the table.  Let’s take a look at what those things are.

(1) Intelligence

Think back to who played safety in little league.  Often times it was the quarterback.  If your little league team was good,  chances are high that your quarterback was smart.  Who better to put back there in the last line of defense than a guy who really understands the game.

I have never met or studied a great safety who didn’t have a love for film study and a passion for dissecting the offense.  Often times,  high school quarterbacks are turned into safeties because of their knowledge of the game. One of the game’s greatest and recent Hall of Fame inductee,  Ed Reed was a high school quarterback.  As the last line of defense and the player on the field with the best view of how the offense is lining up,  it is oh so important for the safety to be able to have a strong idea of what’s coming when he sees the offense line up.  It allows him to get to the football before there’s a problem and also allows him to to be really good at what trait #2 is.

(2) Communication

We all know cornerbacks that have a hard time talking to their defense on the field.  Now they won’t mind talking all day to the WR they are covering or the opposing team’s QB but communicating with their own defense,  maybe not.  This is not the case at the safety position.

Whether the scheme is heavy on man to man or zone,  a safety has to communicate coverage,  motions, alignments and potential plays.  You have to be intelligent to know these things but furthermore you have to be willing to open your mouth and talk to your secondary and the rest of your defense if you want to be elite.

A simple thing like motion can change the play and thus the defense called.  A defensive coordinator must rely heavily on the safety to make adjustments when the offense starts moving around and trying to pull tricks.  The best safeties to play the game rarely get fooled and always communicate to their defense in an effort to get them into winning position.

(3)  Tackling Ability

What could be worse than a ball carrier breaking loose on a run and your team hoping that the safety can get him down to stop the big play only to have him whiff on the tackle?  In fact,  show me a team that gives up a lot of big plays and I’ll show you a safety that can’t tackle.

A safety is the deepest player on the field.  He truly is the last line of defense. When all hell breaks loose,  a safety is relied upon to give the defense another chance after a mistake.  Furthermore,  a safety has to make tackles on shifty wide receivers,  bulky tight ends, speedy tailbacks and bruising running backs.  Few other players on the defense have those responsibilities play after play.  In addition,  safeties must make tackles deep in the defense,  at the sidelines and even in the backfield in certain schemes.

Think of some of the best safeties that have played the game,  Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, one thing you can say about them is that they sure know how to tackle.  If you aren’t making tackles with consistency and you’re not working on it,  then forget about being elite.

So there you have it.  Notice how I didn’t say track speed, outstanding footwork or amazing leaping ability.  Sure those things help but the three factors I laid out often go overlooked by a lot of young ball players.  The emphasis nowadays is on improving physical attributes.  However,  at least two of the three important traits I mentioned involve the mental part of the game.  Don’t forget that part too when it comes time to be a lights out safety for your team.

For Defensive Backs, Seeing is Believing

By: Chad Wilson – owner – All Eyes DB Camp

Everyone at some point has had a coach who has told them they need to watch film.  After all,  what kind of coach wouldn’t tell his players to watch film?  Studying your opponent is a key factor to success but what good is watching film if you can’t act on the things you saw?

When I first began playing defensive back and watching film,  I remember finding it amazing to get all the answers to the test by watching film of the opponents’ previous games.  However,  there was one problem.  I found that when I got out on the field,  a lot of times I would hesitate.  Why was I hesitating?  I was out thinking myself.  Somewhere in there I got this grand notion that the other team knows that I watched their film and that I know all their plays.  Doesn’t it make sense that they would change them and trick me?

It took time for me to change that thinking.  It took me several times of going out there,  seeing the same plays that I watched on film for me to realize that a team’s success on offense is more from execution than trickery.  To be able to execute,  they have to run those plays over and over again.  If  an offense changed all of their plays every week to avoid being “found out” by their opponent then chances are they won’t run those plays well and all that trickery would be for nothing anyway.

Good offenses usually are good because they practice plays over and over again.  Then they run those plays over and over again.  They believe in their ability to execute even when you know what’s coming.  What offenses often find out too is that defenders don’t study enough to defeat their execution.

So with that piece of information,  I say this unto you.  Study more than the next guy.  Study more than the offense thinks you will.  Then,  once you have studied,  go pass the test.  On game day,  when you see the formation or the motion or the personnel or the situation and you know the play that is coming,  go ahead and believe it.  When things unfold the way you expected them to according to your studies,  go ahead and act accordingly.  That’s how plays are made.

Now if studying isn’t really your thing then continue to be shocked and caught off guard by everything you see by the offense on game day.  If you get shocked enough,  you can always get cooled off by the metal benches on the sidelines after your coach puts someone else in.  For us playmakers,  we’ll keep studying and believing what we are seeing.

 

Know Your DB History: Deron Cherry

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp

When the talk of top safeties to ever play in the NFL comes up,  Deron Cherry’s name is not one that will come to mind.  This despite the fact that Cherry’s 50 career INTs puts him in the Top 50 of all men to have ever played the game.

One of the biggest reason’s for Cherry’s lack of all time notoriety stems from the fact that the Chiefs teams that he played for were not all time greats.  Kansas City during his years often left their fans heartbroken with unrealized potential.  In his 11 year career,  the Chiefs made the playoffs just three times but that was no fault of his or the defense.

Cherry is from Riverside, New Jersey and played his prep football at Palmyra high school.  Following high school,  Cherry accepted a scholarship to play for the local college,  Rutgers University.  In his four years at Rutgers,  Cherry collected 9 INTs.  His solid play in college was not enough to whoo the NFL as he ended up signing as a free agent punter with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1981.  Yes,  a little known fact is that Deron Cherry was a decent punter in college at Rutgers with a career average 40 yds per punt.  Despite that,  Cherry’s punting was not enough to stay on the Chiefs’ roster either as he was cut in training camp.   As fate would have it,  the Chiefs would need a safety in September of that year and signed Cherry.  In October,  he would see game action and grab his first interception vs. the Oakland Raiders.

In 1982,  Cherry was used sparingly as he appeared in only seven games and started in none.  in 1983,  Cherry won the starting free safety job in training camp and started what would be a nine year assault on opposing teams’ offenses.  In ’83 Cherry tallied 7 interceptions.  He would equal that number in 1984 and 1985.   With teams fully aware of Cherry and his capabilities,  the ball hawking safety managed to top those three seasons’ accomplishments by pulling down 9 interceptions for the Chiefs.  Cherry and the Chiefs defense would lead Kansas City to their first playoff appearance in 16 years during that 1986 season.  In three of his first four seasons as a starter,  Cherry would amass over 100 yards in interception returns.  In 1988,  Cherry once again had a lucky number 7 interceptions.  Over the final nine years of his career,  Deron Cherry averaged 5.4 interceptions per season.  That number would put him ahead of many of the all time DB greats like Deion Sanders, Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Charles Woodson and others.  What folks from this era will also remember about Cherry was that he was a fierce hitter.  The 5’11” 200 pounder would shy away from no running back, big WR or tight end that came trotting down the middle of the field.  Cherry combined with Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross to make up one the premier secondaries in the NFL during the 1980’s.

Cherry would make the Pro Bowl six times during his career and be named All Pro 5 Times.  He is also a member of the NFL’s All 1980 Decade team.  Not bad for a former free agent punter who got cut in training camp.

3 Sports that Can Make You A 5 Star Defensive Back

By: Chad Wilson – Owner – All Eyes DB Camp

Sure you love football and I’m glad you do but history shows that some of the best defensive backs that have played and are playing the game were pretty damn good at one or more other sports.  Here are three sports, through my experience,  that can turn you into a 5 star defensive back.

1 – Track and Field

This should come as a surprise to no one since speed is one of the quality factors you need as a football player and especially at defensive back. I’m on record as saying that speed is not everything at DB but life sure is easier if you have it.  Nothing enhances your speed more than running track.  Sure you can take the youngster to a trainer but the competitive nature of track is what really gets the speed developed.  A trainer is not really going to be able to duplicate the competition element that track provides.  There’s just something about wanting to beat the other seven competitors on the track in your given event each week that brings out the best in the athlete during training.  Outside of the physical elements that track develops,  the mental aspect is also a very overlooked part as well.  The individual pressure of track can do wonders for developing mental toughness.  When you are on that track,  unless it’s in a relay,  there is no relying on teammates.  Your success and / or failure is all on you.  Developing that mental part of the athlete is tremendous when they are now inserted into the team aspect of football.

2- Basketball

Just as track develops the speed,  few things develop your overall athleticism like basketball.  The quick bursts,  constant jumping and agility needed to guard players on the court feeds the elements that are crucial when playing defensive back.  Again,  you can go to a trainer the entire offseason to develop your jumping ability but having your teammates relying on you to guard your man or get to the basket in a game tends to bring out the best in you.  Although basketball is a team sport,  there are quite a few one on one aspects to the game that can develop the DB mentality.  Often times in basketball you have to go one on one vs. a player on the opposing team whether playing offense or defense.  Going through those situations in another sport like basketball gives you something to call upon when you are lining up in front of a WR in practice or gameday.  You either learn from the failures or draw strength from the success you had on the basketball court when you now take your talents to the secondary on the gridiron.

3 – Baseball

Perhaps you weren’t thinking about this one but it’s true.  Baseball is a very challenging sport that develops a lot of critical elements you can use when you are playing defensive back.  For starters,  failing at the plate as a batter over 60% of the time teaches you how to handle failure and still perform.  Also,  hitting a baseball involves mastery of a lot of minute details.  Not wanting to strike out every time you come to the plate,  will teach you to pay attention to detail so that you can be a success.  Baseball also requires a great deal of amount of consistency both in training and competition.  Pitching a ball where you want or hitting a baseball requires hours of practicing the same movements over and over.  Developing these habits do wonders for you when it’s time to master the techniques of defensive back.  One other big plus from baseball is developing ball skills.  Not only do you develop hand-eye coordination hitting a baseball but catching high fly balls will do wonders for your ability to track a football on the gridiron.  Hours of judging balls off of a bat and tracking them down will make locating a football thrown by a quarterback all the more simple when the time comes.

Honorable mention goes to soccer.  When I was coaching youth football,  I had the most success with soccer players when they finally decided to play football.  The two biggest reasons were a) they were in shape and b) they had great footwork.  The constant drills involving controlling a soccer ball around cones and players develops footwork that is on point when you bring it to the gridiron.  Soccer is also a sport that involves constantly moving to excel in it.  The players typically must be in top physical condition to do well.

I am a big advocate of defensive backs playing multiple sports and here you can see some of the major reasons why.  Playing the other sports develop skills that transfer to football but they also construct the mentality that is needed to handle the pressure of playing in the secondary.  I know in this era we love the individual attention that comes with working with a trainer and that has it’s place but competition brings out the best in us all.  The best place to find that competition still remains in team sports.

Dynamic Duos: Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield – Cleveland Browns

By: Chad Wilson – Owner – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Believe it or not,  the Browns didn’t always suck.  In the mid to late 80’s the Browns were a problem and stood on the doorstep of the Super Bowl three times.  One of the biggest reasons for their success during that time was their defense and the dynamic duo of Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield.

If you are into stats then you won’t think much of this duo as they did not pile up the interceptions.  One big reason for that was the style of play that they incorporated.  Dixon and Minnifield were pure bump and run corners who often found their backs to the quarterback.  As such,  running up high INT totals was not their thing.  You know who else wasn’t running up stats, wide receivers that lined up in front of them.

Weekly,  Dixon and Minnifield would crowd the line of scrimmage on the NFL’s best wide out and leave them crying to refs play after play.  The Cleveland duo were on the pass catchers like fly on that brown stuff.  They looked very much like the modern era of cornerbacks with their bump techniques.  They were all about disrupting routes and getting into the heads of wide receivers,  quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. Pass break ups were not an official stat kept in their day but I can tell you from experience,  they racked them up like a teenagers racks up speeding tickets. They were truly lockdown corners who allowed the Cleveland defense to rank in the Top 10 in the NFL in 5 of the 6 years from 1984 to 1989.

Dixon was a first round pick for the Browns in the 1981 draft after a solid college career at Southern Mississippi.  AT 5’11” 186 lbs.,  he wasn’t the biggest cornerback around but his long arms and tenacity was perfect for Cleveland’s bump and run mentality.  Despite the constant bump and run mode,  Dixon did tallied up 20 INTs from 1982-1986.  He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and was twice named All Pro.

Minnifield took a more curved route to the NFL.  At 5’9″ 180 lbs. he was considered to be too small to play in the NFL after playing for Louisville in colege.  He began his professional career in the arena league playing for the Chicago Blitz and then Arizona Wranglers in 1983 and 84.  Minnifield would join the Browns in 1984 and become a full time starter alongside Dixon in 1986.  For the next four seasons,  Minnifield and Dixon would cancel alot of flights into the Browns secondary.  Minnifield was known for his aggressive style in coverage and ability to tackle.  It all led to him being a four time Pro Bowler, All Pro in 1988 and named to the NFL’s All 80’s team.

Dixon and Minnifield were also trend setters.  From the long white sleeves to the white gloves and long white socks,  the duo had many a young DB imitating their fashion and style of play.  Dixon even made wearing a duck face mask cool and playing with an obscenely long white towel from your hip a thing.  They were a must watch each week and they are credited with naming the raucous Cleveland Brown fans as the “Dawg Pound”

Had they won one of the three AFC Championship games that John Elway’s Broncos eliminated them from in the 80’s,  Dixon and Minnifield might be a more household name for this generation.  For now,  we’ll just have to settle for them owning a place in the All Eyes DB Camp Dynamic Duo Series.

3 Ways to Boost Your Interception Total this Season

By: Chad Wilson – Owner – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Picks! We all want them,  unless you are a quarterback or play offense.  How do we get them?  That’s the questions and I’ll address that in this article as I discuss three great ways to up your interception total this season and put your name out there.

1 – Master the Basics

Playing defensive back involves many unnatural moves like back pedaling, flipping your hips and coming out of your breaks.  These aren’t things that you normally do on a day to day basis so doing them right requires you going out and practicing them.  Executing the basic moves you execute during games as much as possible will help you automate the process when competition comes.  The last thing you want to be doing is thinking about your back pedal or coming out of your breaks when you are playing.

The trick for you is to make those basic moves like tying your shoes.  We don’t think about how to tie our shoes do we? (I hope not!)  The reason for that is because we’ve done it 10,000 times.  Not having to think about it means we can focus on other things like point #2.

2 – Know Your Defense

One of my pet peeves is hearing a guy tell me “well I know what I’m supposed to do”.  Hey man,  that’s great.  Congratulations on doing the minimum that is required of you as a player on defense.  However,  if you want to get your hands on the football more than ever before,  learn what everyone else around you has to do too.  Knowing the other guy’s responsibility keeps you from being lured into doing a job that is not yours.  Offenses are savvy these days.  They will do things to manipulate your thought process. If you aren’t sure who has a certain assignment on your defense,  offenses can trick you into thinking it’s you.  Not only will you not get interceptions you will give up big plays.  Suddenly you are grabbing a big piece of that bench.  Once you really know what everyone else is supposed to be doing,  you can bait the offense into thinking something is there that really isn’t.  That’s when you can get your hands on more footballs.

3 – Study Your Opponent 

If you were in the ring boxing an opponent,  wouldn’t it be helpful if he told you what punch was coming before he threw it?  If you answer no then you probably have been punched in the head too many times.  Knowing what’s coming will help you avoid it (also known as duck) and counter it with your own move.  Likewise on the gridiron.  Offenses aren’t going to tell you what they are running with their mouths but they will tell you with formations, personnel and movements.  The only way to know what they are saying is by studying their history known as film.  Going into games without watching film is a real amateur move.  No defensive back serious about his success and being a playmaker would do that.  Knowing what the offense is going to do before they do it will put you in position to get there when the ball does.  That is the whole essence of getting interceptions.

To be able to focus on what the offense is telling you each game,  you must first be solid in points one and two.  You can’t focus on the how the defense works if you have to think about your footwork during a game.  You can’t focus on what the offense is doing if you don’t know what you are doing on defense.  See,  it all goes together so you better get to work.  The season is coming faster than a Tyreek Hill go route.

If you want to Master the Basics, understand defense and know how offenses try to beat defenses then you can do no better than becoming an All Eyes DB Camp Member and get the inside info on being an elite DB.  Your competition is probably doing it.  I’m just saying.  Click here to join the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.

4 Things Every Elite DB Has

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

There are good DBs, great DBs and then there are elite DBs.  Those three categories of players are separated by a few factors.  Some of those factors are genetics but more so,  they are separated by things that are totally in the control of the individuals.  Having played, coached and trained DBs for over 20 years,  here are four things I have noticed that every elite DB has

1. A Great Desire to Study the Game

One of my biggest sayings is that success is not an accident.  You will be elite at very few things in life that you don’t take the time to study.  That is also true about playing defensive back.  Elite DBs take the time to study other great DBs and see why they are so great.  When I was coming up,  there was no YouTube, no social media to find clips and most definitely no All Eyes DB Camp.  Studying DBs meant sitting down in front of the TV to watch the games or taping the games on something called a VCR for me to study later. Nowadays you have way more outlets available to you to study great DBs and learn how to play the game.  AllEyesDBCamp.com is one of those great sources.

2. Want the Ball Thrown Their Way

How will you ever make a play if you don’t want the ball thrown at you?  When the moments get big some people rise and others hide.  No elite DB ever wants the ball thrown somewhere else in big pressure moments.  Typically,  an athlete that has put in the necessary time studying, training and preparing, wants to show off their hard work by having the ball come their way during the game.  Others, who deep down inside,  know that they did not put the time in,  don’t want to get exposed so they wish the ball would go somewhere else when the moment is hot.  Make sure you are not that guy.  Study, train and prepare.

3. Constantly Work on Their Technique

The same way that a golfer must constantly work on his swing, a tennis player must work on their approach to the ball and a bowler must work on their spin,  so too must a DB work on his technique.  A technique not worked on is a technique lost.  The elite DBs that I have studied in my time have all been obsessive about working on their technique.  They work on it before practice and after practice.  I’ve seen them backpedaling down the hallway and in the mall.  Being great is an obsession and the elite DBs want to be the best at everything they do.

4. Are Eager to Learn 

They say that geniuses are the most curious people on Earth.  You can be a defensive back genius by being very curious to learn.  I have been pleased by the amount of people that have joined our All Eyes DB Camp member’s area.  They have been youth, high school, junior college and college football players.  They have also been parents, coaches and even players from overseas.  All of these individuals have had an overwhelming desire to learn more and more about the position.  What has pleased me even more is how they contact me after watching the drill and breakdown videos in the member’s area to ask questions.  The only way to learn is to be curious.  The best DBs I have been around, played with or coached have always been eager to learn and apply what they learn to the field to be great.

This is the Biggest Weapon A DB Has When He’s On the Field

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

The huddle breaks,  your assignment jogs out of the pack high up on his toes looking menacing.  The crowd is buzzing in anticipation of any and every bold moment that will unfold.  Perhaps there is a national television audience watching with similar anticipation as you come face to face with the guy you’ve been watching on film all week.  What’s the biggest weapon you have when that ball is snapped?

I’m often asked for that “one tip” by an aspiring or young defensive back looking to get an edge.  Playing in the secondary with success is a conglomeration of so many things that it’s tough to just boil it all down to one.  However,  with a gun to my head,  if I was going to give one tip,  it would be this, “your biggest weapon is confidence”.

When you are confident you move different.  Your actions are sure,  they are purposeful and therefore quicker.  When you are confident you are more smooth, more in control and better prepared when your moment comes. Confidence tends to drive out hesitation which is the death of guys that play in the last line of defense.

When the game is on the line and there’s a play to be made,  confidence will not only have you demand that the action come your way but also give you the power to rise to the occasion.  Confidence will also ease or even alleviate the pressure of the moment or moments in the game.

Here’s the thing about confidence though.  While you can indeed “fake it till you make it” that has an expiration date.  Fake it if you must but soon you will have to make it.  So how do we get confidence.  Some are born with it but for most,  it comes from being prepared.  So here’s the bad or good news depending on how you want to take it.  You build confidence by studying the game,  working on your craft and seeking out competitive situations.  Few things will make you more nervous than not knowing what is coming.  One thing that will make you more nervous than not knowing what is coming is feeling you are not prepared for what you aren’t sure is coming.

During my senior season at the University of Miami,  we played the likes of Arizona St., Washington, Florida St. and Nebraska.  The only game I was nervous for was Division I-AA Georgia Southern.  This was not because it was the first game of my senior year,  it was because I knew I did not put in the time to prepare that week.  Rest assured,  this did not happen again as I made sure that I packed my confidence for the next 11 games via adequate preparation.

So the morale of the story is,  lift your weights, run your sprints, do your drills, study your film and you’ll walk into every competitive situation armed with that one big weapon that no defensive back can do without.  CONFIDENCE.

Playing DB Isn’t All About Man Coverage

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp

I’ve heard it many times. In the debate about who are the best cornerbacks,  some guys get eliminated from the conversation simply because they play too much zone coverage.  “He’s a zone corner” they say and immediately he’s slid to the back of the pack.  Playing zone is just as important to playing defensive back as is playing man and in this article I will tell you why.

The idea of a defensive back, a cornerback in particular,  playing zone means he has help.  The idea that someone has help doing his job automatically lessens, in the eyes of many, his abilities because he didn’t do it alone.  We have placed a premium in our society on doing things “all by ourselves”.  Well guys I have news for you,  a cornerback playing man to man has help too,  especially if he is considered to be good at it.

The best man to man defensive backs in the world would be nothing if there was not “help” from the pass rush.  Covering a WR for six seconds play after play is not the path to being an all time great cover man.  If anyone takes a look at the NFL career of the GOAT Deion Sanders,  you will recognize that he played on great football teams.  While the Falcons were not a tremendous franchise when arrived in 1989,  they added talent immediately during his tenure including some solid players up front that got a pass rush to aid him in his man to man activities.  In 1994,  Sanders went to the 49ers,  the elite franchise in the NFL at the time and was surrounded by talent,  especially on defense.  He then went on to the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 who had won two championships in three years before his arrival.  There too he was surrounded by talent with a great amount of it on the defensive side located in the front seven.

Of course,  it’s sexy to play man to man because it puts on display a lot of the physical talents that a player may possess like speed, size and quickness.  However,  playing in a zone highlights the mental capabilities of a defensive back and I have news for you,  this game is won from the neck up.

For you defensive backs that are playing high school football.  I get that you want to be known as a “shut down” corner and it is certainly important for you to work on your man to man skills.  However,  nothing is more frustrating for a defensive coordinator that has a defensive back that is too limited mentally or lacks the discipline to play a zone.  There comes a time when a team has to play zone defense.  It may be when you have a big lead and want to protect it.  It may be when another player is injured and his replacement does not have his man to man cover skills.  It may come when the other team has a matchup that would exploit a player trying to cover him man to man.  It could also come when an offense comes up with a great scheme to defeat man coverage.   Whatever the case may be,  having a cornerback that can switch from playing man to man coverage to playing zone coverage effectively truly makes him great.

So my message to my defensive backs out there that think the only thing they need to work on is press man coverage,  I am here to tell you that you are dead wrong.  Don’t go to college and get hit over the head with the playbook.  I have seen many a talented defensive back in high school who could cover man to man fall on his face in college when he gets in the meeting room and on the practice field because he doesn’t know how to play zone coverage.  Football is the ultimate team game and if you are thinking that you can just set up shop on your team’s defense and be an individual by playing only man while everyone else is playing zone,  then the only thing you will have lockdown coverage on will be that bench.

Know Your DB History: Rod Woodson

What if I told you there was a cornerback out there that had 71 career interceptions,  ran a 4.33 forty,  was a college track champion and was a Super Bowl champion.  Would you be able to name him? Probably not if you were born after the year 2000.  However,  that man exists and his name is Rod Woodson.

Woodson played in the NFL from 1987-2003.  One of the biggest reasons that he is often overlooked or not mentioned when people speak of the greatest DBs of all time is because he was overshadowed by the GOAT Deion Sanders.  However,  when it comes to athleticism and production,  Woodson takes a back seat to no one.

Woodson attended Purdue and was a three time All Big Ten selection amassing 11 interceptions during his career. Of those 11 interceptions, he took three of them back for touchdowns.  He amassed over 100 yards in interception returns yards in each of his last two seasons at Purdue.  Before Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson received notoriety for being a two way player for Michigan in 1997,  Rod Woodson did it ten years earlier in 1987.  Woodson totaled 222 yards from scrimmage for the Boilermakers in his final season playing both running back and wide receiver.  This was in addition to the 902 yards he piled up in punt and kickoff returns that season. All told,  Woodson amassed 1124 total yards to go with his 100 interception return yards in his final season at Purdue.

Woodson was also a standout on the track for Purdue where he was a multi-time Big 10 champion in both the 55 meter and 110 meter hurdles. He also held the NCAA 60 meter hurdles record for 10 years.  Woodson also qualified for the 1984 Olympic Trials in the hurdles but declined to go to focus on his football duties.  He has a 10.26 100 meter time to his credit.

It should come then as no surprise that Woodson dazzled pro scouts in his pre draft workouts measuring in at 6’0″ 205 lbs. and running a 4.33 forty.  He was expected to be the 5th pick overall in the 1987 NFL draft but inexplicably, the Browns (yes Cleveland again, SMH) passed on him in favor of linebacker Mike Junkin. This may have been the best thing that could have happened to Woodson as he fell to the storied franchise of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A contract hold out during his rookie season for 95 days gave Woodson enough time to go to Europe and run track professionally during the summer. Eventually,  Woodson and the Steelers would work things out and begin what would be a Hall of Fame career.  Woodson would play 10 years for the Steelers and become an All Time great for one of the NFL’s most storied franchises.  During his time in the black and yellow, Woodson would collect 38 interceptions running five back for touchdowns.  He would also add four more touchdowns in kickoff and punt returns.  Most would call it a career at that point as Woodson’s numbers would be considered Hall of Fame worthy but that was only half of the story.

Woodson would go on to play seven more seasons in the NFL for the 49ers, Ravens and the Raiders.  During that time,  Woodson would pile up 33 more interceptions onto his career totals and take seven more back for touchdowns.  Woodson returned more INTs for touchdowns in his 30’s than he did in his 20’s.

Woodson would retire after his 2003 season with the Raiders as one of the most accomplished defensive backs and players in NFL history.  His 71 interceptions are 3rd all time ranking him ahead of notable players like Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed, Charles Woodson and the man that overshadowed him for most of his career,  Deion Sanders. He totaled 1,483 interception return yards and scored 12 TDs on interception returns. He also forced 23 fumbles and recovered 32 scoring once.  He racked up 7,256 yards in kickoffs and punt returns scoring four times.

Rod Woodson is a member of the college football hall of fame.  He was an 11 time Pro Bowler.  He was named first team All-Pro 6 times and was named NFL Defensive Player of the year in 1993.  He led the NFL in interceptions twice and was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team. Finally in 2009, Woodson was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame (first ballot).  It would be almost impossible to have a better career in the game of football than Rod Woodson did.

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

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