Oakland Raiders' Charles Woodson to retire at the end of the season
Tuesday 22 December 2015 13:13, UK
Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson has confirmed he will bring the curtain down on his spectacular 18-year NFL career at the end of the season.
Woodson, 39, won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in the 2010/11 season and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times.
The 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year spent the first eight years of his career with the Raiders before moving to Green Bay as a free agent. He returned to the Raiders in 2013.
"Was it a tough decision? Kind of, but a couple of weeks ago it hit me that this would be it," Woodson told reporters. "It was important for me to let Raider Nation know now."
Woodson entered the NFL as a cornerback before converting to safety in the later stages of his career.
He was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the top college player while at Michigan in 1997, when he edged out Peyton Manning for the award.
Woodson is tied for the most career defensive touchdowns with 13 and is sixth on the all-time interceptions list with 65.
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie paid tribute to Woodson and believes the future Hall-of-Famer will go down as a true great.
"Charles Woodson is one of those players that comes along and reminds you why you love the game," said McKenzie.
"It has been an honour to have worked alongside Charles for so many years and have the confidence to call him what he truly is - the greatest of all time."
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