Major League Baseball is in the All-Star break, and taking place tonight is the annual Home Run Derby. In honor of that event, the panel of insiders on NFL Network’s The Insiders gave their favorite “home run hitters” in NFL history on Monday evening’s episode to wrap up the show. Steve Wyche chose former Steelers CB and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson.
“I’m going to my favorite five-button suit guy, and that’s Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, who’s got 12 interceptions returned for touchdowns,” Wyche said. “He was a big hitter. He leads everyone, but how about this stat? He didn’t just return them for touchdowns. Rod has 103 total takeaways – 71 picks, 32 fumble recoveries. That is a difference maker.”
The Steelers drafted Woodson in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He didn’t play much in his rookie season, but it was pretty clear he would be special by the end of his second season. By year three, he was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, which began a streak of six seasons in which he received accolades for his on-field play. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1993 and was the first runner-up the very next season, in 1994.
He played 10 seasons in Pittsburgh before heading to the San Francisco 49ers for a year. After that, he spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, where he converted to safety, and finished out his final two seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
In 17 seasons, he recorded 71 interceptions—12 returned for touchdowns—20 forced fumbles, 13.5 sacks, and 1,158 total tackles. He also had 32 fumble recoveries, an NFL record, and returned one for a touchdown.
On top of his defensive efforts, Woodson was a home run hitter as a return specialist. He returned two kicks and two punts for scores as a member of the Steelers.
Many regard Woodson as the 1b to Deion Sanders’ 1a when it comes to the all-time corner greats. Woodson was the better all-around player and, in my eyes, deserves recognition as the greatest of all time.
Official JaguarGator9 posted a video cutup of all of his interception returns for touchdowns on YouTube. Check that out below. It is a great watch!
