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Official Thread Killer
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Darren Woodson, the best safety ever, hangs up his cleats.
Woodson is walking away
11:50 PM CST on Tuesday, December 28, 2004
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – On a pleasant November afternoon about six week ago, safety Darren Woodson walked into an empty locker room.
As Woodson slowly removed the tape from his ankles, the 12-year veteran knew he had worn the silver helmet adorned with the blue star for the final time.
"I was supposed to go out and watch the rest of practice," he said. "But I sat at my locker, and I just knew it. All the emotions hit me at once. It wasn't like I broke down and cried, but I knew this could be it."
Woodson, 35, told The News on Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the season.
Woodson said he expects to meet with owner Jerry Jones today to formally discuss his retirement. He was scheduled to earn $4.3 million next season and will count $1.6 million against the 2005 salary cap.
He ends his career as the club's all-time leading tackler with 1,350. He played in five Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro four times and entered this season as one of only four active safeties with 20 interceptions and 10 sacks.
More importantly, he earned three Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys.
"It's hard to make a decision to not play because I've been playing since I was 8-years-old," Woodson said. "It's a huge part of my life, but one thing football has never done is define me. My family is what defines me.
"One thing I wanted to do was walk away on my own terms and end my career as a Dallas Cowboy. It's time for me to transform a part of my life. It's just time."
Woodson did not play this season after having surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back shortly before training camp. The Cowboys placed him on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the season, giving them 11 weeks to place him on the active roster or injured reserve.
After several weeks of consistent improvement, Woodson's body betrayed him.
"I was doing a footwork drill with [associate trainer] Britt Brown, and I don't know what happened," Woodson said. "I just knew I wasn't moving the right way. I looked at Britt, and I saw it in his eyes.
"I just knew I wasn't going to play. The deadline was so close. I saw it wasn't going to happen."
The Cowboys drafted Woodson out of Arizona State in the second round (37th overall) of the 1992 draft. Coach Jimmy Johnson thought his combination of size (6-1, 219 pounds), speed and intelligence would allow him to seamlessly shift to safety.
He was right.
"It's rare for a safety to be able to run the way he did," said pro and scouting director Larry Lacewell. "Most of them as big as Woodson can't run that fast."
Woodson started two games as a rookie before becoming a full-time starter in 1993. Until this season, he had missed only 14 games.
"As a young guy, Woody sat me down and asked me about how to work," said former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin. "I told him to be afraid of the next man whether he's you best friend or your worst enemy because he's trying to take your job.
"When young guys come in the league asking questions like that, those are the guys you know who will be special. There are people whose value can't be measured by tackles, interceptions or statistics. Woody falls into that category."
BREAKING DOWN DARREN WOODSON
Dallas Morning News Cowboys beat writer Jean-Jacques Taylor analyzes what made Woodson great.
Speed
At 6-1 and 219 pounds, Darren Woodson hit like a linebacker. He ran like a cornerback.
That's what made him a weapon for 12 seasons in the NFL.
Louis DeLuca / DMN
Darren Woodson finished his career as the Cowboys' all-time leader in tackles (1,350) and 10th in interceptions (23).
He could play the run as an eighth defender and chase plays down from the backside, if necessary. He could cover receivers as well as most cornerbacks, which is why the Cowboys often used him in the slot. And he was terrific on special teams.
Former coach Jimmy Johnson built the Team of the '90s – Dallas captured an unprecedented three Super Bowls in four seasons – on a speedy defense that could chase plays sideline to sideline.
Woodson was the poster child.
"It's rare for a safety to be able to run the way he did. Most of them as big as Woodson can't run that fast. He's the most complete safety I've seen in my 14 years in the NFL," said Larry Lacewell, the Cowboys' director of pro and college scouting. "Others may have hit harder, but he could hit, run and he was smart
Tackling
Minnesota running back Robert Smith came sprinting through a hole up the middle and into the secondary.
Smith was just about to cut outside and head toward the sideline when Woodson delivered a perfect form tackle, placing the crown of his helmet in Smith's sternum.
The running back's forward progress ended as Woodson wrapped him up and drove through him.
Woodson, a linebacker in college, ends his career as the Cowboys' all-time leading tackler. And he was as dangerous in the open field as he was near the line of scrimmage as an eighth defender.
In college, Woodson developed the aggressive mentality that served him well in Dallas.
He ends his career with 1,350 tackles.
No one has more.
That speaks volumes, considering great defensive players such as Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Lilly and Cliff Harris have played for the Cowboys.
Cover ability
Many teams like to run the ball when they use formations with three receivers because most defensive teams take out a linebacker and put an extra cornerback in the game to defend the slot receiver.
With Woodson near the line of scrimmage, teams couldn't run the ball out of three-receiver formations because he was so disruptive.
That philosophy rarely worked against Dallas because Woodson was good enough to cover slot receivers in man-to-man situations.
"He was a terrific athlete," Lacewell said. "I remember him working at cornerback in practice some days in case we ever had an emergency and needed him to play there."
Woodson had 23 career interceptions, including at least one each of his last 10 seasons.
With Woodson on the field, the Cowboys' defense dictated to offenses, a characteristic that can't be underestimated.
Intelligence
Moving from college linebacker to NFL safety is not an easy transition. Woodson just made it look that way.
"He was such an intelligent player that he picked up things right away," Lacewell said. "He understood the route combinations and how he had to cut back on his aggressiveness because he was the last line of defense."
The Cowboys missed his presence on the field this season after surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back a few weeks before training camp ended his season.
But they missed his ability get everyone lined up in the secondary more than they missed his tackling or coverage skills.
Woodson always made sure the rest of the secondary knew the down and distance, which helped them anticipate certain routes. If there was motion or shifting on a play, he made sure the rest of the secondary made the appropriate shifts in their assignments.
WOODSON ON HIS COWBOYS COACHES
On Jimmy Johnson
"Jimmy was the guy who pulled the trigger on drafting me. The guy pushed us and had a confidence about him that was unbelievable."
On Barry Switzer
"Outside of being a coach, he had great personality. Barry Switzer probably still knows the names of my kids and my wife. He's a real person."
On Chan Gailey
"What moved me was the strength of his faith. Football was important to him, but being a Christian was more important. That was impressive. I thought he would be here longer than what he was. The timing just wasn't good for him."
On Dave Campo
"He could yell and scream at me, but after the game – win or lose – he would make sure I was OK. He was a total players' coach, and he had ton of faith in my ability."
On Bill Parcells
"He's a great coach with a tremendous knowledge of the game. I used him. I asked him questions about football that helped me understand the nuances of the game. And there were things he said to me personally that helped me raise my kids and made me a better family man."
DARREN WOODSON BY THE NUMBERS
178 games
5 Pro Bowls
4 times named All-Pro
1,350 tackles
23 interceptions
11 surgeries
10 sacks
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