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Pro Career Through nine NFL seasons, Darren Woodson has clearly established himself as one of the NFL's premier strong safeties. His consistency, athleticism, aggressiveness and ability to perform in the big game have put him in the elite level of performers in the NFL. And his versatility at playing both the run and pass at an extremely productive level have separated Woodson from the rest of the strong safety field. In nine NFL seasons, he has been selected to five Pro Bowls, been named first team All-Pro four times and played in three Super Bowls. A converted college linebacker, Woodson is the complete NFL package at safety. He combines size (6-1, 219) and speed (4.4 in the 40-yard dash) with great football instincts and hitting ability. In 2000, he registered his 1,000th career tackle and moved into third place on the Cowboys all-time tackle list with 1,047 - ranking behind Lee Roy Jordan (1,236 tackles) and Randy White (1,104). He has maintained the aggressive nature that he displayed as a college linebacker, but has used his quickness and speed to make a very smooth transition to the secondary. Woodson has finished first or second on the team in tackles in five of the last eight seasons (1993-96, 1998), finishing out of the hunt only in years when he missed games due to injuries. He also went over the 100 tackle mark in four consecutive seasons (1993-96), becoming the first Dallas player to accomplish that feat since Michael Downs (1983-86). In 1995, he became the first Dallas defensive back to lead the team in tackles (144) since Bill Bates in 1988 and duplicating the feat in 1998. In 1993, he established a Dallas single-season record for tackles by a defensive back (155). A very strong and sure tackler, Woodson has 38 double-figure tackle games in his career. In the Cowboys base defensive alignment, Woodson lines up at strong safety, but he has also shown great production when lining up at outside linebacker in certain nickel pass defenses - often covering a slot receiver. His versatility and aggressive attitude makes him a very valuable special teams performer, posting a combined total of 61 special teams tackles in the past four seasons. Woodson's next selection as an All-Pro will enable him to earn that honor more times (five) than any other Dallas safety. He is currently tied with Mel Renfro (1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971) and Cliff Harris (1975-1978), who were each named All-Pro four times during their Dallas careers. Renfro earned a fifth All-Pro selection as a cornerback in 1973. Woodson is one of the team's hardest workers, and his character and leadership ability make him a very valuable asset within the framework of the team. 2000 Woodson was enjoying another stellar campaign at strong safety, leading the team in tackles with 123 stops before a fractured forearm at Baltimore (11/19) brought a premature end to his season. Although he missed the remaining five games of the year and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 14, he still finished the year as the team's third leading tackler and was fourth in special teams tackles with 11. In the season opener against Philadelphia (9/3), Woodson tied for the team lead with 13 tackles. The following week at Arizona (9/10), he was third on the team with nine tackles. He also added a tackle for a loss and a pass defensed while helping limit the Cardinals to 3.0 yards-per-rushing attempt. In the Monday night win at Washington (9/18), he led the team with 13 tackles and assisted in shutting down the Redskins big-play passing attack by limiting their four wide receivers to 12 catches for 97 yards (8.1 yards-per-catch) with a long of 14 yards. In the loss to San Francisco (9/24), he recorded a team-high 15 tackles, his best performance since recording 17 stops against Atlanta on Oct. 20, 1996. In the overtime win at Carolina (10/1), he led the secondary with 10 tackles while adding a tackle for a loss, forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes - including a key fourth-down pass from Steve Beuerlein that ended a Panthers potential scoring drive in the fourth quarter. At the N.Y. Giants (10/15), he recorded eight tackles and helped limit the Giants to 108 yards passing. In the Cowboys 48-7 win over Arizona (10/22), Woodson led the team with nine tackles and recorded his first interception of 2000 with a third quarter pick of Jake Plummer to set up a Dallas touchdown. He also helped limit Cardinal wide receivers to five receptions for 51 yards through three quarters, including three receptions for 17 yards by starters Boston and Sanders. In addition, Woodson led Dallas with four special teams tackles, tying his single-game career-high. It was the highest special teams tackle total by a Dallas defender since Darren Hambrick recorded four against Minnesota on Nov. 26, 1998. Against Jacksonville (10/29), he recorded his 1,000th career tackle, becoming just the fourth player in club history to reach the 1,000 tackle mark, joining Lee Roy Jordan, Randy White and Ed Jones. He finished that game with 13 stops - second best on the team. The following week at Philadelphia (11/5), Woodson led the team with 16 tackles, the highest single-game tackle total by a Cowboys defender for 2000. He also recorded his second interception of the season with a second quarter pick of McNabb and helped limit the Eagles running backs to 77 yards on 25 carries (3.1 avg.) and their wide receivers to four receptions for 49 yards. In the win over Cincinnati (11/12), Woodson posted eight tackles as the Bengals were limited to 195 total yards and just 56 net yards passing. In that game, he also moved past Ed Jones (1,032 career tackles) into third place on the club's all-time tackle list. Woodson's season came to an abrupt end at Baltimore (11/19) when he suffered a fractured forearm in the second quarter. He returned to action in the second half and registered nine tackles, but the injury eventually forced him to miss the remaining five games of the year. 1999 Although not receiving public accolades, Woodson still performed at a level Cowboys coaches, players and fans have come to expect. Despite missing the game at Philadelphia (10/10) with a sprained left ankle, he finished third on the team with 128 tackles while recording a career-high seven quarterback pressures, eight passes defensed, three tackles behind the line of scrimmage, two interceptions and a sack. While registering five double-digit tackle games during the season, he also finished fourth on the team with 13 special team stops. Woodson opened the season tying for the team lead with nine tackles at Washington (9/12) while also tying for the team lead with three special teams tackles despite suffering a bruised biceps midway through the game. Against Atlanta (9/20), he tied for the team lead with 11 tackles while leading the team with a career-high four quarterback pressures and adding his only sack of the season. He posted six tackles, a tackle for a loss and a pass defensed against Arizona (10/3) before missing the game at Philadelphia (10/10) after suffering a sprained left ankle in practice the Thursday before the game. He returned to the starting lineup at the N.Y. Giants (10/18) and registered nine stops. Woodson was second on the team with eight tackles against Washington (10/24) while helping limit the Redskins' top ranked offense to 272 total yards. He led the team with 12 tackles and forced a fumble at Indianapolis (10/31) before tying for the team lead with eight tackles at Minnesota (11/8). Against Green Bay (11/14), Woodson tied for the team lead with 11 tackles to help limit the Packers to 40 yards rushing. He posted five stops at Arizona (11/21), and on Thanksgiving Day, he registered 10 tackles to help shut out Miami (11/25). At New England (12/5), he posted seven tackles and recorded his first interception of the season when he picked off Drew Bledsoe in the end zone to end a Patriots second quarter scoring threat. Woodson also recorded the 100th special teams tackle of his career against the Pats. He registered six tackles against Philadelphia (12/12) and a week later, he recorded a season-high 13 stops against the N.Y. Jets (12/19). He tied his career-high with three passes defensed, including his second interception of the year, at New Orleans (12/24) while tallying six tackles in helping hold Ricky Williams to 61 yards on 23 carries (2.7 avg.). He finished with seven tackles in the season finale against the N.Y. Giants (1/2/00). In Dallas' NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at Minnesota (1/9/00), Woodson recorded a postseason career-high 13 tackles while adding a tackle for a loss and a pass defensed. 1998 Back to full health, Woodson regained his spot at the top of the Dallas tackle chart, leading the team with 136 stops - the third best performance of his career. His three sacks tied his career-high, and he posted six double figure tackle games. He was also second on the team with 11 passes defensed, the second best total of his career. This high productivity level earned him All-Pro selection by The Sporting News. It was the fourth time in his career he has been named All-Pro, tying Mel Renfro and Cliff Harris as the most decorated safeties in club history. Following the season, Woodson made his fifth consecutive trip to Hawaii as a member of the NFC Pro Bowl squad. The honor that may have meant the most to Woodson was the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor voted on by his Dallas teammates and given to the player who has overcome injuries to return to the field. He opened the season against Arizona (9/6) by finishing third on the team with five tackles and helped limit the Cardinals to 205 total yards. He was second on the team with nine tackles at Denver (9/13) before leading the squad with a season-high 12 tackles at the N.Y. Giants (9/21). In the Giants game, the Dallas defense limited New York to 56 yards rushing. Woodson came right back the next week against Oakland (9/27) and tied his season-high with another 12-tackle performance. He again led the team with 11 stops at Washington (10/4) while helping limit the Redskins to 164 yards on 13-of-29 passing (44.8%). His eight-tackle game at Chicago (10/18) helped limit the Bears to 79 yards rushing on 31 carries. Woodson logged his only interception of the season at Philadelphia (11/2) while deflecting two other passes to help limit the Eagles to 104 passing yards, including six receptions for 38 yards from their wide receivers (6.8 avg.). Against the N.Y. Giants (11/8), Woodson recorded the first multi-sack game of his career while leading the team with 11 tackles and three special teams tackles. He again led the team in tackles with 11 at Arizona (11/15) and nine against Seattle (11/22). He also added his third sack of the season against Seattle - which forced a Warren Moon fumble that led to the first Dallas touchdown of the day. For the fourth straight game, Woodson was at the top of the tackle chart, tying for the team lead with eight stops against Minnesota (11/26) while adding a team-high two tackles for a loss. He was second on the team with 10 tackles at New Orleans (12/6), posting his sixth double digit tackle game of the season. His three passes defensed at Kansas City (12/13) led the team and tied his single-game career-best. He also totaled eight tackles on the day. Woodson closed out the season with six tackles and a forced fumble against Philadelphia (12/20) and seven-tackles against Washington (12/27). In the wild card playoff game against Arizona (1/2/99), he led the team with three passes defensed, including a fourth quarter interception that stopped a Cardinals drive at the Dallas 16-yard line. 1997 Although Woodson's season was affected by injuries, causing him to miss two regular season starts for the first time since becoming a full-time starter in 1993, he was still recognized as the game's best strong safety, earning his fourth consecutive spot on the NFC Pro Bowl squad. From Week Two of 1993 through Week Seven of 1997, Woodson had started 80 straight games (including playoffs), but that streak came to an end when he was forced to miss the game at Philadelphia (10/26) with a hyperextended right knee. It was the first time he had not suited up for a game in his career (100 consecutive games). He also missed the Thanksgiving Day game against Tennessee with a sprained right shoulder. Woodson's ability to play through injuries earned him the Dallas Cowboys Unsung Hero Award from the NFL Players Association. Despite the two missed games, he still finished the year fifth on the team with 97 tackles, while also leading the team with three forced fumbles. He tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries with two. In the loss at Arizona (9/7), he had a career-high two forced fumbles and logged seven tackles. His second quarter sack and forced fumble came on a blitz of Cardinals QB Kent Graham, and the fumble was returned four yards for a touchdown by Chad Hennings. The next week, he led the team with 11 tackles against Philadelphia (9/15) as the Dallas defense limited the Eagles to 5.8 yards-per-pass play. Two weeks later, Woodson recorded his first interception of the season to set up a Dallas field goal against Chicago (9/28) while adding six tackles. At Washington (10/13), Woodson tied for fourth on the team with eight tackles despite suffering a hyperextended right knee in practice the Thursday before the game. He also forced a Redskins fumble that Dexter Coakley returned 16 yards for a touchdown. In the victory over Jacksonville (10/19), he registered four tackles before re-aggravating his hyperextended right knee early in the third quarter and leaving the game. After sitting out the Eagles game (10/26) the next week, Woodson returned to the starting lineup at San Francisco (11/2) and was second on the team with a season-high tying 11 tackles. He also led the team with two special teams tackles and recovered a fumble at the Cowboys 17 yard-line to end a 49ers threat late in the first half. At Green Bay (11/23), he logged five tackles despite suffering a strained right shoulder in the second quarter. He returned to the game midway through the fourth quarter, but the shoulder injury kept him out of the Thanksgiving Day game with Tennessee (11/27) four days later. At the conclusion of the season, Woodson underwent an exploratory arthroscopic debridement of his right shoulder by Dr. James Andrews on Jan. 14, 1998 in Birmingham, AL. 1996 Woodson capped another stellar season with his second consecutive All-Pro selection and his third straight Pro Bowl appearance. For the second time in his career, he tied for the team lead in interceptions (five, with Kevin Smith), matching the career-high number of interceptions he collected in 1994. He was also second on the team in tackles with 118 stops, topping the 100-tackle mark for the fourth consecutive season to become the first Dallas player to accomplish that feat since Michael Downs (1983-1986). He finished the year second on the team in special teams tackles (18) and passes defensed (10). Woodson also compiled a career-high three sacks - marking the most sacks by a Dallas defensive back since Kenny Gant had three in 1992. In the season opener at Chicago (9/2), Woodson tied for the team lead among defensive backs with eight tackles, while also recovering a fumble to set up Dallas' first field goal. In the loss at Buffalo (9/22), Woodson picked up his first interception of the year while helping limit the Bills to just 89 yards passing. The next week at Philadelphia (9/30), he led the team with 11 tackles while recording his first sack of the year. In the Cowboys win over Atlanta (10/20), Woodson led the team with a season-high 17 tackles. He received a game ball for his performance against the Falcons after also recording two passes defensed and a tackle for lost yardage. Woodson was the team leader in tackles with eight stops at San Francisco (11/10) while registering a sack and intercepting a third quarter pass to set up a Dallas field goal. In the Monday night victory over Green Bay (11/18), Woodson intercepted Brett Favre's two-point conversion pass attempt in the fourth quarter. Woodson recorded his third interception of the year with a fourth quarter theft at Arizona (12/8) that set up a Dallas field goal. The following week, he picked off two Drew Bledsoe passes against New England (12/15), marking the second time in his career he has had a multiple interception game (vs. Arizona, 10/9/94). In the win over the Patriots, he also led the team with nine tackles and forced a Curtis Martin fumble on third-and-one from the Dallas 16-yard line to stop a second quarter scoring drive. Later in the third quarter, he returned an interception 21 yards to the Patriots four-yard line to set up a Dallas field goal. His fourth quarter interception ended the Patriots chances with 2:22 remaining. In the playoff loss at Carolina (1/5/97), Woodson picked up his second career postseason interception on the Panther's opening drive of the game to set up a Dallas field goal. 1995 Darren Woodson's fourth NFL season was somewhat of a 'dream season,' as he closed the year in his hometown of Phoenix, playing in Super Bowl XXX in the same Sun Devil Stadium where he starred at Arizona State. Along the way to the Super Bowl, Woodson was a consensus All-Pro selection for the second consecutive year, and he earned his second straight starting berth in the Pro Bowl. In doing so, Woodson became the first Dallas defensive back to earn consecutive All-Pro honors since Everson Walls (1982-83) and the first Dallas safety to make back-to-back Pro Bowl trips since Cliff Harris (1978-79). Woodson led the Cowboys with 144 tackles, and became the first defensive back to top the team tackle list since Bill Bates in 1988. He enjoyed his most productive all-around day in the loss at Washington (10/1), leading the team with 15 tackles and returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, marking his second career interception return for a score. He also forced a fumble and had a tackle for a loss. In the Cowboys win over the Raiders in Oakland (11/19), Woodson recorded a season-high 16 tackles, including a career-high tying 11 solo stops. He also had two passes defensed and a key interception at the Raiders four-yard line that stopped a fourth quarter drive. His other top tackling performances came in the following regular season games: at Minnesota (12 stops on 9/17), San Francisco (10 on 11/12), at Philadelphia (14 on 12/10) and against the New York Giants (12 on 12/17). In addition to leading the team in tackles during the regular season, Woodson also led the team with 23 postseason tackles, including a team-high 11 stops against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX (1/28/96). In the divisional playoff win over Philadelphia (1/7/96), his hit on Eagles quarterback Rodney Peete forced Peete to leave the game with a concussion. 1994 Woodson's rapid climb to the top level of NFL safeties reached the summit in 1994 - his third year in the NFL and second year as a starter. He was a consensus All-Pro, and he tied for the Cowboys' team lead in interceptions while becoming the first Dallas defensive back to be selected as a Pro Bowl starter since Everson Walls (1985). Woodson's five interceptions ranked fifth in the NFC and 10th in the NFL and were the most by a Dallas safety since Michael Downs had six in 1986. Woodson recorded his second straight 100-plus-tackle season by finishing the year second on the club with 113 stops while tying for third on the team in passes defensed with 12. Woodson got off to a blazing start by earning game balls in six of the Cowboys first seven games. Those games and his performances are as follows: at Pittsburgh (9/4) - in the season opener, Woodson received a game ball after his seven tackles helped hold the Steelers to 126 yards in total offense. Against Houston (9/11) - he picked up a game ball after recording 13 tackles. He also picked up his first career regular season interception against Houston. At Washington (10/2) - he earned a special teams game ball by forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff and tying for the team lead in special teams tackles with two. Against Arizona (10/9), he led the team in tackles with seven and recorded two interceptions that led to Dallas touchdowns. It was the first multiple interception game of Woodson's career. Against Philadelphia (10/16) - while leading all Dallas defensive backs with six tackles, he also returned a third quarter interception 26 yards to set up a Cowboys touchdown. At Arizona (10/23) - Woodson registered a season-high 15 tackles. He was named the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week at Philadelphia (12/4) after recording nine tackles and stepping in front of a fourth quarter Randall Cunningham pass and racing 94 yards for a touchdown to ensure the Cowboys 31-19 victory. It was the third longest interception return in club history at the time. He recovered his only fumble of the year at Cincinnati (10/30). Despite earning All-Pro honors at safety, Woodson remained one of the Cowboys top special teams performers, tying for third on the team with 23 special team stops. 1993 As a second-year player, Woodson earned a starting job at strong safety in training camp and then nearly won the team's individual tackle title by collecting 155 stops - just four shy of team leader Ken Norton. Woodson's 155 tackles were the most ever by a Dallas defensive back. Moreover, with eight double-digit tackle games in 1993, he joined Eugene Lockhart (16 in 1989) as only the second Dallas player to register at least seven double-figure tackle games in a season (since game-by-game records were kept in 1984). He led the Cowboys in fumble recoveries with three (while forcing another) and contributed four tackles for lost yardage totaling 13 yards. He enjoyed an all-time game in the regular season finale at Giants Stadium (1/2/94) - collecting a career-best 19 tackles (the most ever by a Dallas defensive back in a single game) and one fumble recovery. His 19 tackles against the Giants tied him for second on the Cowboys all-time single-game tackle list. For the regular season, Woodson averaged 9.7 tackles-per-game, but over the course of the last nine games, he contributed 11.8 tackles-per-game. That stretch included the Cowboys' four games in the month of November where Woodson turned in double figure tackle totals in all four games and 48 total stops. He closed the month of November with 15 tackles against Miami on Thanksgiving Day (11/25). He was the team's leading tackler in the playoffs with 27 stops. He also registered his first professional interception in the playoffs against Green Bay (1/16/94), and he recovered a fumble in Super Bowl XXVIII against the Bills (1/30/94). Woodson missed the opener at Washington (9/6) as he was still recovering from a fractured right forearm. 1992 Although Woodson was a second-round draft choice of the Cowboys, his play in the nickel pass defense caught almost everyone by surprise. It was thought that moving from linebacker at Arizona State to strong safety in the NFL would take a longer adjustment period. Instead, he quickly became the club's draft surprise. Woodson became a major contributor to the defense while leading the special teams with 19 tackles. In 16 games, he recorded 33 tackles (28 solo), second among Dallas' rookies. Included was a season-high six stops in a start against the Run-and-Shoot offense at Atlanta (12/21). His first NFL start came in a pass situation defense at Detroit (11/8). Two weeks later at Phoenix (11/22), he had a season-high five solo tackles. Against Chicago (12/27), Woodson's first NFL sack forced a first-quarter fumble at Chicago's 30-yard line, but the Bear's recovered. Against Philadelphia (1/10/93) in the playoffs, he forced a fumble at the Eagles' 25-yard line to set up a Dallas field goal at the end of the first half. His standout play on special teams included a game ball for the 27-0 win over Seattle (10/11). College Highlights An All-PAC Ten second-team selection as a senior and honorable mention All-America as a junior, Woodson played linebacker at Arizona State. Coming out of high school, he didn't have the grades to accept a football scholarship from ASU, so he started his career as a walk-on and quickly developed a reputation for being one of the fiercest hitters in the country. As a sophomore in 1989, he had a career-high 16 tackles against Stanford en route to his single-season high of 122 tackles (79 solo). Of his five career interceptions, three came in his senior season.
