ESPN has put together a list of the top 100 professional athletes of the 21st century and Raiders legend, NFL Hall of Famer and former defensive back, Charles Woodson, has made the cut.
ESPN revealed the athletes ranked from Nos. 100 to 76 on Monday, and Woodson just barely made the cut at No. 100. The honor is certainly well-deserved for Woodson.
Here's what Raiders beat writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the franchise great.
Woodson's career was a three-act play. In Oakland, as a Heisman Trophy-winning No. 4 pick, he was a hard-partying, hard-playing Hall of Fame talent. In Green Bay, he became a Hall of Famer. And with his return to the Raiders, he became a legend, making the switch from wild youngster at cornerback to sage vet at free safety. And if he lost a step, it was one precious few others ever had. "It was a beautiful transition," Woodson said, "if you will." And his first NFL coach, Jon Gruden, most certainly would. The slower-paced lifestyle of Green Bay helped Woodson, well, slow down and center himself. "And he met and married the right woman and had kids," Gruden said.
During his career, Woodson was a nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro and the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team.
Five of those Pro Bowls and one of his first-team All-Pros came with the Raiders, a team he spent 11 seasons with in total.
After being a first-round pick of the Raiders in 1998, Woodson was with the franchise for the first eight seasons of his career. He then moved on to play for the Green Bay Packers for seven seasons, where he was able to notch four more Pro Bowl appearances and a pair of first-team All-Pro selections.
Following his stint in Green Bay, Woodson returned to the Raiders for the final three seasons of his career and impressively earned a Pro Bowl nod in his final campaign in 2015. He was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021.
