Classiest player eva..

Even more so than the likes of Emmit Smith, Troy Aikman, or Baryy Sanders in my opinion. Show the most underated Saftey ever some appreciation for what he brought to the NFL.

Cowboys Safety Announces Retirement, Ending 13-Year Career

Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Dec. 29, 2004, 5:59 p.m. (CST)

IRVING, Texas - One of the biggest, one of the toughest, one of the fastest.

That was all Darren Woodson, every one of them.

But Woodson was also one of the smartest players the Cowboys have ever had, not only with Xs and Os and knowing exactly where he needed to be, but he knew where his other 10 defensive mates needed to be as well.

Woodson was also smart enough to understand his situation. He understood the nature of the game and just how lucky he was to strap on that helmet and shoulder pads for 12 seasons.

Therefore, Woodson was smart enough to know his day would finally come, too.

Just like it did for Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston, Charles Haley, Kevin Smith and many other of his former teammates. Woodson, who has missed this entire season following back surgery to repair a herniated disk in July, he always knew the day would come he would have to hang up the cleats.

Wednesday was that day here at Valley Ranch, Woodson and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones officially announcing the safety\'s retirement, ending a glorious career that began back in 1992, and included three Super Bowls, five Pro Bowls, four All-Pro selections and numerous relationships formed on and off the field.

"This is a special day in the history of our franchise where we have the opportunity to celebrate the career of a guy that made a tremendous difference in what this franchise is all about," Jones said. "For 13 years, he was everything you could ask for, from the perspective of the organization - unselfish, reliable, dependable. A team player, first, and a teammate always."

And as Woodson, the Cowboys\' all-time leading tackler (1,350 stops), sat before the packed press conference room Wednesday, the veteran safety, often considered the heart and soul of the Cowboys defense for the last decade, used his time to reflect not on specific games, seasons or moments, but rather those relationships with teammates, coaches, friends and even those unknown people behind the scenes.

He thanked everyone from the Jones family, players who were there when he started his career some 13 seasons ago, such as Russell Maryland and Haley, who were among those paying their respects Wednesday, to players he barely knew on this current team.

That was Woodson - thanking everyone around him for his own success.

But it wasn\'t just Woodson giving out the thanks. Several former teammates, such as Aikman, Johnston and Kevin Smith made their way back to Valley Ranch for their former teammate\'s final day as a Cowboy. Woodson said he also talked to former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith for "about two or three hours" Tuesday night to discuss the decision.

"What a great career he\'s had and he\'s just a tremendous ambassador to the Dallas Cowboys," Aikman said. "I knew he was a real talented player. I just remember seeing him on the practice field and just never seeing someone like him. He was so talented and it wasn\'t long before you could tell how much he made us a better team."

While Aikman spent nine years as Woodson\'s teammate, he said it didn\'t take too long to know how special he was. And that was echoed by current Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, who while trying to get ready for the season finale against the Giants this Sunday opened his daily press conference Wednesday to honor Woodson\'s career, despite only coaching the safety for one year.

"He\'s certainly earned my respect," Parcells said. "He had it before I came here from watching him play, but now that I\'ve gotten to know him I think he\'s one of those people that you really think a lot of. He\'s the kind of guy that makes this profession something that you like to engage in. He\'s the epitome of a professional. He does epitomize that in every sense. What he did in playing and his approach to the game.

"I just have a high regard for him personally as well. These are some of the kids you don\'t worry about when their career is over, because he\'s gonna do well."

And Woodson did quite well of holding his emotions in check as he flashed back through his career, thanking the ones who helped him reach this status. And it might have been easier for Woodson to do that, simply because he knew he was doing the right thing.

Like nearly all professional athletes, they have their own vision of how they would like to see their careers end. For Woodson, he admitted he wanted to intercept a pass in the Super Bowl during the final seconds to score a touchdown in a win and then "tell Jerry, \'I\'m done.\'"

Instead, Woodson\'s career comes to a far different conclusion, a long way from the Super Bowl dream. His came to an end on the Cowboys\' practice field at Valley Ranch about two months ago, when he was working feverishly to return this season. Woodson said he was trying to backpedal in a drill, but was struggling with the exercise. In fact, assistant trainer Britt Brown, who works firsthand with players during their rehab and always one to speak his mind, evidently sensed Woodson was struggling.

"He basically told me, \'You need to take it on in,\'" Woodson said of that fateful day. "I saw it in his eyes. I saw the look in his eyes and I knew it was pretty much over for this year. Then I sat down with my wife and we talked about my career, and we just came to the agreement that it was time to move on.

"When I walked off the field in Carolina (last January in the playoff loss to the Panthers), I would\'ve never thought it was going to be my last game. At no point in time, did I think it would be my last game. But that\'s the way it goes. It just didn\'t work out. I guess it was just my time."

So just where does Woodson move onto?

At 35, and still in good health, the former safety said he has plenty of options open, but is in no rush to make any big moves.

"Today, this week, I don\'t know," Woodson said. "And that\'s really what I do. I just take it day-by-day. I\'m not going to rush into things. It\'s all out there right now. I\'ve got some irons going. I\'ve got some opportunities. But it\'s just about me making a commitment. And right now, I\'m just going to wait and see."

Woodson\'s next move could be into television. Not only has he worked a few NFL Europe games for Fox, but that just seems to be the natural path for the premier players he\'s played during the glory days in Dallas.

Both Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston, who made their way to Valley Ranch to show their appreciation, have gone into TV, both working as color analysts for Fox. Michael Irvin is working on ESPN as a studio analyst, and before returning to the NFL this year, Deion Sanders had been on CBS pre-game show.

"I think I\'d be really good," said Johnston, a teammate of Woodson from 1992-99. "He\'s very intelligent about the game. He has a name that carries credibility. Those are important things that you earn during your career. I think if that\'s what he wants to do, he\'ll be great."

And there is no doubt about that. Because for 12 seasons, Woodson was a great player for the Cowboys. He was a great teammate. He was a great friend.

Woodson was great, because he did want to be great. And even that was something the unselfish one himself couldn\'t even overlook.

"When I put that helmet on, I laid it on the line," Woodson. "Not just for this team, but for everyone here. I laid it on the line every time I put that helmet on. I wanted to win so bad, that nothing else really mattered. The most important thing was giving everything I had each time I stepped out on the field. And I think I did that. And when you can say that, it\'s not as hard to walk away."

Certainly not as hard as it will be to replace him.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news_800.cfm?id=21453EA3-D1FC-6C98-67A55CEF42BEDF72

We\'ll miss ya woody.

[clips]

woodson was truly a stellar player...one of the best that has ever played the game...he\'s makin\' the right decision tho...any type of back surgery is hard to come back from..i wish him the best...now all we gotta do is beat the giants and i\'m a happy cowboy fan..

There goes our defense.

I played HS ball with him.....

[videoholic]

SO does he still get to keep the keys to the party house they have?

[GmanJoe]

I never liked the Cowboys. Ever. I hate them, in fact.

[clips]

Originally posted by GmanJoe
I never liked the Cowboys. Ever. I hate them, in fact.

gman, are you a steeler fan? if so, are you still swoll from that whoopin\' we put on that a$$ in 96?

[GmanJoe]

I still have plenty of memories from the Steelers beating the Cowboys in \'76 and \'79.

And if Niel O\'Donnell hadn\'t choked and thrown that interception and ended the Steelers\' momentum in the 4th quarter, it could have been three Superbowl wins over the Cowboys.

Originally posted by Halberto
There goes our defense.

What little defense we have anyhow.

Gman this thread is to honor a true professional, not diss one team or the other.