"I know people are talking about me, and the Heisman would be a great honor," he said last week. Yet, were those stats worthy of winning the Heisman? If you asked Woodson back in '97, he was a non-believer. As a punt returner, 301 yards and a touchdown. On offense, 12 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns 21 rushing yards and a touchdown. Trust, they were very good, but were they Peyton Manning good? Or Randy Moss good? Or even Ryan Leaf good? On defense, eight interceptions, nine pass breakups, 44 tackles (five for losses) and one sack. What I did know is that his stats weren't going to be the answer. Everyone was a Cowboys fan all of a sudden, and no Big Three could be better than 8-22-88, right?īut what Charles Woodson was doing in Ann Arbor was tougher to quantify.Īre defensive players supposed to be the that good? Are defensive players supposed to be better at offense than offensive players? Is he supposed to return everything back to the end zone? When did Michigan become this cool?Ĭharles Woodson was making me question everything. I knew that the Dallas Cowboys three Super Bowls in four years was ridiculous. Sure, I knew that Michael Jordan's excellence was historic, but that came with a slew of titles, MVPs and signature shoes. However, having the proper perspective of what was historic proved to be a bit tougher. Sure, I was 14 years old, and I had a good understanding of football as I'd been molded by my experiences at Crosby Park Elementary and Madden NFL 1995-97. Woodson was taking his talents to South Beach, but first, a phone call had to be made to his mom.Īdmittedly, back in 1997, I didn't know what I was specifically watching. However, it's in those moments where critical decisions can possibly be made. For Charles Woodson, a 20-year-old superstar in the making with the world at his fingertips, it's hard to know what was and wasn't on his mind in those moments. One drop never tips the bucket it's always the accumulation.
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