BEREA, Ohio -- Charles Woodson may be closer to 40 than he is 30, but age is just a number when it comes to the veteran free safety for the Oakland Raiders.
Now in his 18th NFL season, Woodson continues to amaze with his production, as he is the Raiders' second-leading tackler with 16 total tackles and 10 solo stops in Oakland's first two games this season, and helped the team pull out an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens at the O.Co Coliseum last Sunday afternoon.
"He has just been around it for so long," Browns coach Mike Pettine said of Woodson. "It is amazing, especially at that position. I was in Baltimore with Deion (Sanders) right up to the point where he retired. He could still play at a relatively high level. He has bounced around and played a lot of different positions. It is a testament of his professionalism and taking care of himself and being able to perform at a high level for a long time."
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Browns linebacker Paul Kruger added, "It really is amazing. I am going into my seventh year and so a guy like that is really impressive. I didn't realize earlier in my career how hard it is to stay in the league and play at a high level the whole time. Guys like that, I was able to play with a few of them, who are really impressive in that way. It is just a rare thing, so to see a guy who is still grinding, it is an impressive deal."
Woodson is the NFL's active leader in interceptions with 60 takeaways, and that is 17 more than the second-best person on the list, Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Woodson has intercepted at least one pass in each of his first 17 NFL seasons, and that is two off the league record set by Hall of Famer Darrell Green.
In addition to having four seasons with at least seven interceptions, Woodson is the first player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have 50 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career. He is one of eight defensive backs in the history of the game with at least 20 sacks, and one of 11 with 60 interceptions.
"First off, if you watch the tape, you would never know Charles has played as long as he has," Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said, who was an offensive assistant for the Raiders during Woodson's second tour of duty in Oakland. "I used to go up to him the last few years and tell him how fun it was to watch a pro. He is a pro's pro. The guy doesn't say a word. When he shows up, all he does is work, studies tape.
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"I compared him this week to (former Buccaneers safety John) Lynch to our offensive players. He has seen every route. He jumps routes. He knows route concepts. It was fun being able to get to know him and watch him go through his weekly routine. I think a lot of players in this league, if they just watch how he conducts himself on and off the field, can learn a lot from Charles."
Woodson is one of two players in NFL history to win a Heisman Trophy, Associated Press Rookie of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year and a Super Bowl during his career. Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is the other.
From 2006 to 2011, Woodson returned an interception for a touchdown in six straight seasons. No other player has had a streak of longer than four consecutive seasons. During the 2009 season, Woodson became the first player in NFL history to collect two interceptions, return one for a score, register a sack and recover a fumble in the same game.
With one more interception return for a touchdown, Woodson would draw even with his position coach, Rod Woodson, for the most interception return scores in NFL history. It would also break the tie between himself and Woodson for the most defensive touchdowns in NFL history.
"It's unbelievable," Browns wide receiver Brian Hartline said. "We did some roster evaluations and they put up who's where and how many years in the league. To put an 18 beside a guy, not only an 18, but the level at which he still plays, is unbelievable. Whatever he's doing, I need some of that. It's pretty impressive."
