Steelers Legendary Cornerback Rod Woodson Absolutely Wanted To Play Both Ways When He Entered The League In 1987

When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rod Woodson with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, he thought he could come into the NFL and play on both offense and on defense. He had successfully convinced his coaches at Purdue in his last year at the school to play some offensive snaps, so he thought there was a possibility as he moved to the next level. Legendary Head Coach Chuck Noll wasn't as enthused by the idea as Woodson would have liked. 

Woodson had played both ways in high school like many top athletes and as a track and field star had the breakaway speed to be electric with the ball in his hands. He recalled during a recent episode of the All Things Covered podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden, the very quick conversation he had with Noll about playing both ways. 

"Pittsburgh was old school," he said. "[Chuck] Noll was not hearing about playing both ways. He was like, 'You learn how to play defensive back. That's what you need to do.'"  

Woodson said with that fully off the table, he had to find another way that he could consistently get the ball and show off his ability. That opportunity for him would come in the return game. 

"So I was like the only way I was touching the ball on the daily was kick return, punt return," he said. "When I first got there, [Louis] Lipps was still there as the punt returner and I started returning kicks. It was the only way I was touching the ball, either that or get picks." 

In his first season, Woodson only played in eight games after signing his rookie contract on October 28. He took over for Louis Lipps as the punt returner finishing with 16 returns for 135 yards. Running back Dwight Stone was the team leader in kick returns, but averaged two yards less than Woodson.

McFadden and Peterson joked he was pretty good at collecting interceptions too. Over the course of his 17-year career, he collected 71 picks, which is the third most in league history, and his 12 returns for a touchdown is a record that is going to be tough to beat. 

Steelers' Woodson Recalls The Greatness Of The Old School Chuck Noll 

Woodson said one of his biggest welcome to the NFL moments came during one of his first practices that had started to go sideways. In an era when practice time wasn't as strictly regulated as it is today, Noll made the rules. 

"Halfway through practice and he's [Noll] like, 'That's what you guys want to do, then let's start this whole thing over,'" he said. "I looked at Donnie [Shell] and said we're starting the whole practice over, like the whole thing? He was like, 'Yeah.' That's when I was like this ain't college no more, this is for real."  

Woodson recalled one of the first pieces of advice that Noll gave him and at the time, he wasn't sure what it meant.

"This game is played more 2/1 mental to physical," he recalled his coach telling him. "At the time, I'm 22 coming out and I'm not really thinking about it. Years passed and another coach, Rod Rust, kind of said the same thing to me and it hit."

The 1993 AP Defensive Player of the Year remembered Noll as a bit of a philosopher who liked to include some of what he was reading into the game plan, but what really stood out was his no-nonsense attitude. Woodson recalled a nugget from one of his first conversations with the legendary coach that set out the expectations he'd have to meet to play. 

"The first thing he told me was if you don't tackle, you ain't playing," he said. "I was like I played Midwest football and we tackling. We tackling in the streets during the winter time, so I'm good with that."

Woodson never really got a shot at playing both ways at the NFL level. He finished his career with a single rushing attempt and just one target, but that didn't stop him from having a stellar career. With the ball in his hands as a returner or defensive back, fans jumped out of their seats because he might just take it to the house. 

Do you think Woodson could've played both ways in the NFL? What are some of your favorite Woodson moments? Comment below!   

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