Background and career
Darren Raye Woodson (born April 25, 1969) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2003. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 37th overall pick. He finished his career with six Pro Bowl selections, including three first-team All-Pro selections, and won three Super Bowls.
Woodson was raised by his mother, Freddie Luke, in Maryvale, a West Phoenix neighborhood. A running back and linebacker at Maryvale High School, he earned All-Metro Division AAA and All-City honors as a senior, once scoring six touchdowns in a single game. He was a teammate of Phillippi Sparks, who would go on to play nine seasons in the NFL. In August 2008, ESPNRISE.com named Woodson as one of the best high school players to ever come out of Arizona.
According to a January 23, 1996, article in The New York Times, because Woodson failed to meet NCAA academic qualifications for a scholarship, he walked on at Arizona State University. According to the article, "Woodson built a reputation as a ferocious hitter with a keen eye for football." 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 linebacker for the Sun Devils, Woodson earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 1989 and 1990, honorable mention All-America as a junior and All-Pac-10 second-team as a senior. He served as team captain as a senior in 1991 and earned a degree in criminal justice. 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.
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 Dave Campo "spotted a linebacker who looked like a safety in waiting." and had Woodson perform defensive back drills. Woodson was considered to be an undersized linebacker prospect.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Woodson in the second round (37th overall) of the 1992 NFL draft. He was the third safety drafted in 1992 and was selected with one of the draft picks the Dallas Cowboys acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in the Herschel Walker trade. The Cowboys selected Woodson at the recommendation of defensive coordinator Dave Campo. On July 27, 1992, the Dallas Cowboys signed Woodson to a four-year, $1.92 million contract. 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. He made his professional regular season debut in the Dallas Cowboys' season-opening 23–10 win against the Washington Redskins. On November 8, 1992, Woodson made his first career start during a 37–3 win at the Detroit Lions in Week 10. On December 27, 1992, he made his first career sack on Bears' backup quarterback Will Furrer during the Cowboys' 27–14 victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 17. Woodson finished his rookie season in 1992 as a backup safety and an extra defensive back on the nickel defense. He also appeared on special teams and led team with 19 special teams tackles and had one sack on defense in 16 games and two starts. The Dallas Cowboys finished the 1992 NFL season atop the NFC East with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. On January 10, 1993, Woodson appeared in his first career playoff game as the Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 34–10 in the NFC Divisional Round. The following week, earned a 30–20 victory at the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. On January 31, 1993, he played in Super Bowl XXVII where they defeated the Buffalo Bills 52–17.
On August 2, 1993, Woodson broke his right forearm during the Cowboys' 13–7 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings and was expected to be sidelined for two months. During training camp, he competed for a role as a starting safety against James Washington and Thomas Everett. Head coach Jimmy Johnson named Woodson the backup strong safety to begin the regular season in 1993, behind Everett. Woodson made the decision to play with his broken forearm before it had fully healed. On September 26, 1993, it was reported that Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson named Woodson as the new starting strong safety after he started the last two games in place of James Washington. Everett replaced Washington as the starting free safety with Woodson taking over Everett's role as the starting strong safety. On January 2, 1994, Woodson collected a season-high 18 combined tackles during a 16–13 victory at the New York Giants in Week 17. His 19 tackles earned him the record for second most tackles in a game in the Cowboys' franchise history. Woodson finished the 1993 NFL season with 102 combined tackles in 16 games and 15 starts. The Dallas Cowboys finished the 1993 season first in the NFC East with a 12–4 record and earned a first round bye. On January 16, 1994, Woodson started his first career playoff game and made seven combined tackles and an interception during the Cowboys' 27–17 win against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. Woodson made his first career interception off a pass by Packers quarterback Brett Favre during the game. The following week, he recorded four combined tackles during a 38–21 win against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. On January 30, 1994, Woodson started in Super Bowl XXVIII and made three combined tackles during their 30–13 win against the Buffalo Bills.
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.
