Born in 1965 in Indiana, Rod Woodson made a name for himself as a safety and a cornerback in the world of professional football. After playing football throughout high school, Woodson received a full scholarship to Purdue University, where he earned a degree in criminal justice while earning All-American honors in both track and field and football. While he qualified for the Olympic Trials in 100-meter hurdles in 1984, he decided to continue his football career and in 1987 he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and remained with the team for nearly a decade. He later joined the San Francisco 49ers for a season in 1997, followed by a short stint with both the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders before retiring after the 2003 season. During this lengthy career, Woodson amassed countless honors, accolades, and titles, including eleven Pro Bowl selections, NFL Defensive Player of the Year and UPI AFL-AFC Player of the year, and Super Bowl XXXV champion. In addition to the numerous records he set at Purdue, he also holds NFL records for interception yards over his career and for interceptions returned for touchdowns. Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.