Background and career
Charles Cameron Woodson (born October 7, 1976) is an American former professional football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He spent his first 14 seasons as a cornerback and his final four as a safety. Woodson played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1997 and becoming the first defensive player to receive the award. Selected fourth overall by the Raiders in the 1998 NFL draft, Woodson received Pro Bowl selections during his first four seasons and two first-team All-Pro honors. Woodson left the Raiders after eight seasons to join the Packers, where he played his next seven seasons. During his Packers tenure, Woodson was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and won Super Bowl XLV, while extending his Pro Bowl selections to eight and his first-team All-Pro honors to four. He returned to the Raiders for his last three seasons, earning his ninth Pro Bowl selection in his final season. One of the NFL's most decorated players, Woodson is tied with Rod Woodson (no relation) and Darren Sharper for the most defensive touchdowns, second in interceptions returned for touchdowns, and tied with Ken Riley for the fifth-most interceptions. He is also one of the few players to appear in a Pro Bowl during three different decades. Woodson was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Woodson was born in Fremont, Ohio. As a senior at Ross High School, Woodson was named Ohio's "Mr. Football". He finished his high school football career with the school's records for rushing yards (3,861) and scoring (466 points). In his senior season, he was a USA Today All-America selection and Parade High School All-American and recorded 2,028 yards and 230 points. All colleges recruited Woodson as a running back, while Michigan recruited him as a cornerback. In addition to playing football, Woodson also played basketball (point guard) and competed in track and field (relay sprinter and long jumper). In 2024, Woodson was inducted into the National High School Football Hall of Fame.
Woodson attended the University of Michigan, where he played for coach Lloyd Carr's Wolverines teams from 1995 to 1997. He became the starter after the second game of his freshman season and played in 34 straight games. In addition to playing cornerback, he returned punts and occasionally played as a wide receiver.
In 1995, Woodson was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well as being named to the All-Big Ten First-team by conference coaches, and the second-team by the media. He led the team with five interceptions and eight takeaways.
In 1996, Woodson set a Wolverine record for pass breakups in a season, with 15. For his efforts, he was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year and an AP First-team All-American. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and named to the All-Big Ten First-team by both the conference coaches and the media.
In 1997, Woodson became the third Michigan player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Tom Harmon (1940) and Desmond Howard (1991). Woodson received 282 more voting points than runner-up Peyton Manning of Tennessee. He was the first full-time defensive player to win the prestigious award, with the only other modern defensive winner being two-way player Travis Hunter in 2024. Woodson led the Michigan Wolverines to an undefeated season and a share of the national championship in the same year. He also won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as the best defensive college player, as well as winning the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year award for a second consecutive season. Woodson was named to the All-Big Ten first-team for a third consecutive season, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Most Valuable Player and the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year, amongst others. Woodson finished his three-year collegiate career with 18 interceptions, currently second all-time in University of Michigan football history. Throughout college, Woodson was known for big plays, in big moments of games. As a freshman, he had two interceptions in a victory against the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. During his Heisman-winning junior year, he made an acrobatic one-handed sideline interception against the Michigan State Spartans. Woodson had two interceptions in the game. In a game against Ohio State, he returned a punt for a touchdown, made an interception in the endzone, and had a 37-yard reception on Michigan's only offensive touchdown scoring drive of the game. Woodson later stated that he tried to do Desmond Howard's famous "pose" after scoring the touchdown, but failed after his teammates mobbed him in the end zone. The win over the Buckeyes lifted Michigan to the Rose Bowl. Michigan played the Washington State Cougars in the Rose Bowl, where Woodson recorded another endzone interception, helping Michigan defeat the Cougars and win a share of the 1997 national championship.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
