Heroes & Villains

Roderick Kevin Woodson, better known as Rod Woodson, was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He is, without question, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and was the best defensive back I ever saw. I have to admit, I write this piece with great bias because I grew up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and Woodson is my all-time favorite Steeler.

I was too young to remember the Steelers' glory years during the 1970s, and caught the tail end of their dynasty. For the most part, I gravitated to those Steeler teams in the 1980s led by Mike Merriweather, Donnie Shell, Mark Malone (gulp!), Louis Lipps and, of course, Woodson.

Woodson was so good during his prime years he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary team after just seven seasons, one of just three active players to be included in the league's Dream Team. He was a complete cornerback. He was fast, he could cover, he could tackle, you could bring him on a blitz and had a great knack for making game-changing plays.

There was a sign that used to hang in Three Rivers Stadium that read "On the 8th Day God Created Woodson." If God indeed created Rod Woodson, then he certainly outdid himself because No. 26 was the consummate DB.

During his 17-year NFL career, 10 with the Steelers, one with the 49ers, four with the Ravens and two with the Raiders, Woodson made 11 Pro Bowls, was the 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and played in three Super Bowls, winning once in 2001 with the Ravens. Who knows how much he could have accomplished if he hadn't torn his ACL on the Three Rivers turf in 1995.

When I compiled my list of top cornerbacks in the last 30 years, there was no doubt that Woodson would be No. 1.



Here's my top 10 all-time cornerbacks: (Note: Because they spent most or their entire careers playing under a different set of rules, I did not include Mel Blount, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Herb Adderley, Ken Riley, Paul Krause, Ken Houston or Willie Brown. So, this list only includes players who played under the "no bump-and-run" rule (aka the Mel Blount Rule), which the league adopted in 1978.)

1. ROD WOODSON: He had 71 interceptions for an NFL-record 1,483 yards. He also holds the NFL record for most interception returns for touchdowns (12). Came back from a torn ACL in just five months to play in Super Bowl XXX.

2. DEION SANDERS: A blend of style and substance. Once you get past all the bravado and Prime-Time persona, he was one of the best shutdown corners the league has ever seen. His technique was flawless and was fearless when it came to jumping routes, as nine of his 53 picks turned into TDs.

3. MIKE HAYNES: The former Patriot and Raider had only 46 career interceptions mainly because teams stayed away from his side of the field. A nine-time Pro Bowler and named to the HOF in 1997. He and Lester Hayes formed the league's best cornerback tandem, according to the NFL Network.

4. DARRELL GREEN: The NFL's fastest man. He could run down anyone. Just ask Eric Dickerson. Green used his world-class speed to track down running backs and close in on receivers. Played his entire 20-year career with the Redskins. Inducted into the Hall in 2008.

5. CHAMP BAILEY: Has been named to the Pro Bowl in eight of his 10 seasons in the league. Recorded 18 interceptions in 2005 and 2006. When Bailey is healthy, no quarterback in his right mind would challenge him one-on-one.

6. ERIC ALLEN: His ball-hawking skills resulted in eight touchdowns. Was named to six Pro Bowls and had 54 career interceptions. Had a 94-yard interception return in 1993. Played seven of his 14 years in Philadelphia.

7. RONDE BARBER: Because the Buccaneers play a Cover 2 zone most of the time, Tiki's twin brother does not get enough credit for his cover skills. He plays the run extremely well for a player who is barely 5-9. The five-time Pro Bowler should get a call from Canton.

8. LESTER HAYES: Things get a little sticky whenever someone mentions Hayes' name as a Hall-of-Fame candidate. Intercepted 13 passes in 1980 and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Won two Super Bowls with the Raiders.

9(t). HANFORD DIXON and FRANK MINNIFIELD: I found it really hard separating these two former Browns. They go hand-in-hand like oil and water or Peaches and Herb. Would have been ranked higher had they found a way to stop John Elway from driving 98 yards in the AFC title game.

10. ALBERT LEWIS: Very underrated corner. Spent 11 of his 16 seasons in Kansas City. Made the Pro Bowl four times and twice named All-Pro.

Top 10 safeties: 1) Ronnie Lott, 2) Kenny Easley, 3) Ed Reed, 4) Bob Sanders, 5) Steve Atwater, 6) John Lynch, 7) Troy Polamalu, 8) Brian Dawkins, 9) David Fulcher, 10) Deron Cherry.