Rod Woodson

Rod Woodson is an American former professional football safety and cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Woodson is currently the Head Coach of the XFL Las Vegas Team. He began his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being selected as the 10th overall pick in 1987 from Purdue University. He played a pivotal role in leading the team to Super Bowl XXX and spent the first ten years of his career as a cornerback with the Steelers before converting to safety with subsequent teams. He was also a key member of the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV championship team that defeated the New York Giants. Additionally, Woodson played for the San Francisco 49ers and finished his career with the Oakland Raiders, wearing the jersey number 26 throughout his career.

Widely recognized for his exceptional skills on the field, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdowns (12). His total of 71 career interceptions ranks third all-time in NFL history. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993. Acknowledging his outstanding contributions to the sport, Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Following his retirement in 2003, Woodson transitioned into broadcasting and coaching roles. He worked as an analyst for the NFL Network on programs like "NFL Total Access" and "Thursday Night Football," as well as a color commentator for the Big Ten Network.

After concluding his broadcasting stint in 2011, Woodson served as the cornerbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders for a season. He later resumed his broadcasting career, working for Westwood One as an analyst on college football in 2012 and the NFL in 2013. More recently, he was announced as the new radio color commentator for the Ravens in 2022. Woodson graduated from Purdue University with a degree in criminal justice, and his keynote speaking topics include motivation, sports, teamwork, success, setting and achieving goals, family, and religion. His breadth of experience in various facets of football, both on and off the field, continues to make him a respected figure in the sport.