By Darin The World-Class Speed of Rod Woodson
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When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Rod Woodson 10th overall in 1987, they weren’t just getting a football player; they were getting an Olympic-caliber athlete. Before he was a Hall of Fame cornerback, Woodson was a world-class hurdler at Purdue, once holding the fastest time in the world in the 60-meter hurdles.
That “world speed” changed the geometry of the NFL. While most corners were taught to stay deep to avoid getting beat, Woodson had the recovery speed to bait quarterbacks into throws they thought were open—only to close the gap in a flash of black and gold. He didn’t just intercept passes; he turned them into points, retiring with an NFL-record 12 touchdowns off interceptions. Whether he was shutting down a WR1 or returning punts with a sprinter’s burst, Woodson proved that in the game of inches, pure speed is the ultimate trump card.
The Fix Factoid: Rod Woodson’s versatility was so profound that he is one of the few players in history to be named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team while he was still an active player. He eventually became the first player in NFL history to reach 70 career interceptions and 1,000 punt return yards.
