Mr. Woodson’s Back

If you ask last week’s (Week 6) GMC Defensive Player of the Week where he has been, he’ll confidently reply by saying he never left.

Last week’s spotlight is nothing new for Charles Woodson, whose name in the past used to be highlighted all the time during college and the beginning of his professional football career. His performance last week showed that he’s back with a vengeance. This is his first Defensive Player of the week award since his rookie year in 1998. Woodson unanimously won the GMC Defensive Player of the Week Award beating out his competition with 73% of the votes, proving he is once again a fan favorite. It’s been many years since he has received the type of recognition he’s receiving now. Back in college he won practically every award he was eligible for including the Heisman Trophy in 1997. He received more votes than Peyton Manning and Randy Moss that year and was the first defensive player to ever win the prominent award. 10 years later the veteran is once again playing like the Charles Woodson from the old Michigan days. In the win last week over the Redskins (17-14) he had 4 tackles, an interception, and two fumble recoveries, including a game winning touchdown return for Green Bay. He wrecked havoc on the Redskins offense during that game.

When asked about his rebirth, Woodson states he doesn’t feel as if the way he is currently playing should be considered a rebirth. He stated in an interview with the Associated Press that he has always played pretty good football, even back in Oakland, but people just stopped paying attention because he was apart of a loosing team. In Oakland, he had an awesome rookie season but after that he failed to live up to the hype mainly due to injuries. Over the years Woodson has been plagued with turf toe, leg and shoulder injuries. But now he’s shining again in Green Bay as a pivotal member of a winning team with an all-star Defense, and his critics are taking notice. In fact, since coming to Green Bay, Woodson has been playing the best football of his NFL career. Last year he had an impressive year with a career high of 8 Interceptions and was deserving of a Pro Bowl appearance but apparently he was overlooked. If he continues to play at this high caliber, he’ll most likely be making a fifth Pro Bowl appearance this year. He was selected to the Pro Bowl each of his first four years in the NFL and has not made an appearance since 2001, so he is long overdue.

Woodson, who just celebrated his 31^st birthday, admits as a seasoned player, he is much wiser and content on and off the field. He also states how exciting it is to finally be a part of a winning team. He credits a great working relationship among his teammates and a trust they have toward each other on the field to helping the Packers continue to win. And lets’ not forget about the Defense he’s always bragging about; a Defense that’s known across the league, especially the Woodson- Harris pairing. The two are one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL today. Woodson is proving that he is back, and to hear him tell it, he’s never left. Welcome Back Mr. Woodson.

In other Packer News, wide receiver Koren Robinson returned to work after the bye-week. He was recently reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week after serving a year long suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. This was his third violation. His return will definitely help Green Bay’s offense.