Charles Woodson honored with Hall of Fame ring

Charles Woodson could person talked Sunday nighttime astir his superb career. After all, helium was enshrined this twelvemonth successful the Pro Football Hall of Fame, immortalizing his greatness astatine that hallowed depository successful Canton, Ohio.

But Woodson opted not to speech astir each the interceptions. The touchdowns. The awards. The Super Bowl championship.

He redirected the absorption toward the instrumentality basal instead.

“You guys person stuck with maine done heavy and thin,” Woodson said earlier the Raiders played the Kansas City Chiefs.

“From a young subordinate who was … retired determination doing my ain happening to erstwhile I came backmost for a 2nd time. One happening I didn’t ideate was however you guys would person maine erstwhile I came back,” helium added. “But antheral — I told you that night, my past crippled astatine the Coliseum, that you guys welcomed maine backmost with unfastened arms. I’ll ever admit that. I’ll ne'er hide that moment.”

Woodson ventured to Las Vegas to person his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring. The Raiders honored the cornerback turned information during a little pregame ceremony. Pro Football Hall of Fame President C. David Baker spoke concisely earlier deferring to Woodson, who addressed the assemblage portion flanked by the bronze bust that’ll yet reside successful Canton.

Fellow Raiders icons Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Tom Flores, Art Shell, Ron Mix, Fred Biletnikoff, Rod Woodson and Tim Brown joined Woodson connected the playing aboveground and were applauded earlier helium spoke.

Woodson is among the astir accomplished antiaircraft players successful NFL history, with a resume that includes 9 Pro Bowl nods, 3 All-Pro selections, a Super Bowl and a Defensive Player of the Year award.

He was selected by the Raiders with the No. 4 wide prime successful the 1997 NFL draught and played for the franchise until 2005 earlier departing successful escaped bureau to motion with the Green Bay Packers.

He won a title with Green Bay successful 2010 and reinvented himself arsenic a do-it-all information who excelled successful sum and arsenic a tackler playing adjacent the enactment of scrimmage. He re-signed with the Raiders, though, successful 2013 and concluded his vocation successful 2015 with the Silver and Black.

His 65 interceptions fertile 5th each time, and he’s 2nd successful interception-return touchdowns with 11. He concluded his code Sunday with 1 word: “Raiders.”

The assemblage followed suit, chanting the sanction of their squad portion Woodson basked successful the celebration.

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.