Latest news with #Woodson
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Stefon Diggs already provided one Patriots rookie with his welcome to the NFL moment
FOXBOROUGH — New England Patriots rookie Craig Woodson's 'welcome to the NFL' moment came early in his career. And luckily, it occurred during practice rather than a game. After Tuesday's padded training camp practice, Woodson spoke with reporters about a particular play that involved four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. 'Stefon got over me. I gotta have better leverage on that,' Woodson said. 'Plays like that let me know I'm here, this is the NFL, everybody's good. So I've just got to be on my 'A' game.' And the quarterbacks are also giving him a wake-up call. "One thing I've learned is that these quarterbacks, they are good," Woodson said of his first NFL training camp. "They can make those throws from sideline to sideline, so I have to have that range." Woodson was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft out of the University of California. For his final three years with the Golden Bears, Woodson had a starting role. Specifically in 2024, he recorded 45 solo tackles, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups across 13 games. And he credits his time at Cal for helping prepare him for the NFL. "Cal really prepared me for this moment. We did a lot of coverage and different things," Woodson explained. "So I think just having that comfortability from college and then coming here just helps." Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Boston Globe
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Patriots safety preview: Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers must return to form or this position will need to be addressed
By the numbers: 3: The number of defensive touchdowns scored by Dugger in his career. Only three players in Patriots history (Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest) have more. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 5: According to Pro Football Focus, the number of positions — deep safety, strong safety, slot cornerback, defensive line, and outside cornerback — played by Woodson at Cal last season. Advertisement The skinny: With all the turnover on both sides of the ball the last 18 months, Dugger and Peppers feel like part of a bygone era. (Dugger, a second-round pick in 2020, is one of the last players on the roster to have played in a postseason game as a member of the Patriots.) But heading into 2025, both remain at the top of the depth chart. That being said, both need to find a way back following uncharacteristically subpar seasons. Related : Advertisement The Patriots figure to get some help from Hawkins and Pettus, who provided good depth in 2024. Nicknamed 'The Eraser' in college, Woodson flashed positively during spring workouts and will almost certainly be a part of the mix. He was versatile at Cal but could ultimately be a fit at free safety if everything works according to plan. And Epps is part of the conversation, as well. In the end, this is a position that will need to be addressed moving forward, as Peppers and Dugger are approaching 30. Their physical approach would have taken a greater toll on a lesser player, but if they can rebound, the possibility of a short-term return to the stability the duo has offered in the past is enticing, particularly as part of the new scheme installed by coach Mike Vrabel and How does this position rate against the rest of the league? Middle of the pack, with the chance to improve if Dugger and Peppers are back in form. There's plenty of good here, including the depth provided by Hawkins and Pettus. If Woodson is able to step in and play on a consistent basis, the ceiling for this group could reach even higher. Advertisement Quote of note: 'I don't think anybody's really sorted out anything as far as roles on this football team yet. I like the people. I like the players. You haven't seen Dugger on the field just because he's working through something, which is not uncommon in the spring. I love Jabrill's energy. I like his passion for the game. I like his energy when he comes in the building. Those things are all very positive, and then the new players and the new additions are trying to carve out a role, as well.' — Vrabel, speaking in May about the safeties. Biggest story lines: Can Dugger and Peppers rebound? Were the inconsistencies in Dugger's usually steady game last year solely the result of his ankle injury or the first sign of something more concerning? Could Woodson find a spot in the starting lineup as a rookie? Christopher Price can be reached at
Indianapolis Star
30-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana spent nearly $15 million to change basketball coaches. How much Mike Woodson was paid
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana University agreed to pay former men's basketball coach Mike Woodson $6.5 million as part of a settlement agreement signed in April, per records obtained by The Herald-Times. Amid speculation about his future, IU announced in February that Woodson would step down at the end of the 2024-25 season. He remained on the bench through the team's season-ending loss to Oregon in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Woodson finished out his tenure with a 82-53 record and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances in four seasons. He had two years left on a contract extension he signed in 2023 that also increased his buyout protection to 100% of his remaining salary, a figure that would have been $8.4 million. Indiana agreed to pay Woodson a $6.5 million lump sum "as if he were terminated without cause." Per the agreement, the amount was paid out within five business days of the effective date of a contract that was signed by both parties as of April 17. Insider: Darian DeVries lands first recruit, a 4-star guard, for IU basketball's 2026 recruiting class There was no language about mitigation in the contract, but Woodson has since landed a job with the Sacramento Kings as associate head coach. As per the agreement, Woodson released the school of liability for all claims connected with his employment that includes language about age discrimination and wrongful termination. The contract states Woodson was given 21 days to review the document before signing it and was "encouraged to seek legal counsel before signing." Insider: How Mike Woodson stepped down, bringing new era to IU basketball There was also a non-disparagement clause in the agreement that said Woodson may not disparage, "University or any of its successors, divisions, or affiliates, or any of their respective current or former trustees, officers, employees, agents, representatives, attorneys, or insurers, in their representative as well as their individual capacities." It was a costly transition for IU moving on from Woodson as the school also covered the cost of new coach Darian DeVries' buyout at West Virginia, which was believed to be north of $4.6 million. DeVries received a six-year, $27-million deal to become coach with an annual base salary starting at $3.7 million. Indiana has also paid buyouts in recent years to Woodson's predecessor Archie Miller ($10.3 million) and former football coach Tom Allen ($15.5 million). Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter.
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee football has 'all eyes' on Charles Woodson Jr.
Tennessee football has 'all eyes' on Charles Woodson Jr. 2027 prospect Charles Woodson Jr. ranks as a four-star by 247Sports. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound safety is from Lake Nona High School in Orlando, Florida. On Sunday, Woodson Jr. posted a recruiting graphic with him in a Tennessee uniform at Neyland Stadium. His Vols' football graphic displayed "all eyes on you" above Neyland Stadium's video board. He is the son of Charles Woodson. Woodson played at Michigan from 1995-97 and won the 1997 Heisman Memorial Trophy. He won the award over Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf, Randy Moss, Curtis Enis, Ricky Williams, Tim Dwight, Cade McNown, Tim Couch and Amos Zereoue, in voting respectively. PHOTOS: Peyton Manning through the years Manning finished in second place, 272 points behind Woodson. The Michigan defensive back and wide receiver received 433 first-place votes to Manning's 281. The former Tennessee quarterback also received 263 second-place votes to Woodson's 209. Both are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Charles Woodson Faces Tom Brady Again, Now as Browns Owner
The Super Bowl isn't just a game—it's a giant convention, a who's who of football money, where the members of the sport's ownership class rub shoulders and make deals. During the run-up to last year's event in Las Vegas, Cipriani, the upscale Italian eatery at the Wynn Plaza, served as the backdrop for one such meeting, featuring one of the game's most accomplished players and an NFL power couple. Hall of Famer Charles Woodson dined with Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, along with their daughter-heir Whitney and her husband JW Johnson. For nearly two hours, the Haslams and the Fox broadcaster discussed an array of topics, from football and team operations to Woodson's humble upbringing in Fremont, Ohio. Woodson, named Ohio's Mr. Football in 1994 after a stellar career at Ross High School, told the Haslams that even in his wildest dreams, he could never imagine being an owner of his hometown NFL team—the same storied franchise that drove him to become a pro football player. Advertisement More from Woodson left Las Vegas optimistic about the conversation. However, he still had no real indication that the Haslams would offer to sell him a stake in the Browns and let him become the franchise's first outside minority partner in their family ownership group. 'It could've gone either way from there,' Woodson said in a phone interview. 'It was a great meeting, at least I felt like it, but you never know how someone is feeling on the other side. From there, I didn't know anything.' The interest was, in fact, mutual. Woodson and the Haslams sat down again for another meeting near Woodson's home in Orlando, Fla., during NFL owners' meetings a month later. The family eventually invited him out to Browns headquarters in Berea to tour the team's facilities and training grounds and meet with team executives and staffers. Woodson soon received a formal offer to join the ownership group, a minority deal approved by NFL owners last month. He reportedly paid $5 million for his .01% stake. Advertisement 'I'm from a working-class community, so ownership was never part of my [previous football] conversations,' Woodson, a nine-time NFL Pro Bowler who retired in 2015, said. 'But I feel like I deserve the opportunity for what I was able to give to the game. In some ways, I feel like this is the game repaying me back, and I'm thankful for that.' Woodson isn't the only Fox employee to be an NFL limited partner; Tom Brady, Woodson's friend and former Michigan teammate, officially bought into the Raiders last year. Woodson and Brady are tied together in NFL history through the infamous 'Tuck Rule' game in 2001, but the two remain close more than 20 years later. He says the former New England Patriots quarterback reached out to him to send a note of congratulations last month. The two will fight for bragging rights when the Raiders host the Browns on Nov. 23. 'Here's two guys who came into the University of Michigan together in 1995, and here we are [30] years later and now we're both NFL owners,' said Woodson, who won a national championship and Heisman Trophy with the Wolverines. 'How about that? We're co-workers and opponents again.' Woodson, 48, is the latest former pro athlete to join an NFL ownership group. His purchase highlights the league's push to diversify ownership. The last few years have featured a swath of diverse leaders joining the league as limited partners, from former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes (Atlanta Falcons) to a trio of former Toronto sports stars in Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Jozy Altidore (Buffalo Bills). Advertisement Both of those deals were orchestrated by Shepherd Park Sports CEO Derrick Heggans. The former NFL attorney with close ties to league owners also played an integral role in Woodson connecting with the Haslam family. The former All-Pro defensive back's entree into the Browns ownership started with a phone call a couple years ago from former Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, who plays golf alongside Woodson every year at the American Century Championship celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev. Fitzgerald, a savvy investor who once owned a stake in the NBA's Phoenix Suns, asked Woodson if he'd ever considered team ownership. If so, he said he should meet with Heggans. Soon after, Heggans and Woodson were discussing possible cap table openings, including with the Las Vegas Raiders, the franchise for which he played 11 of his 18 NFL seasons. Heggans ultimately convinced Jimmy and Dee Haslam to consider Woodson, given his football championship pedigree and deep roots in the Buckeye state. 'He's a favorite son of Ohio,' Heggans remembers telling Jimmy Haslam. 'Once you're that, you're always that. … Ohio is proud of Charles Woodson and would love to welcome him back home. He becomes your secret weapon.' As a part team owner, Woodson, like Brady, will be subjected to the league's broadcast restrictions—he will be barred from production meetings with owners and players, and he will not be able to enter other teams' facilities. He says it's not a problem due to his studio analyst pregame role on FOX NFL Kickoff. Advertisement '[Brady's] job is much different than mine,' Woodson said. '[Brady] has to have much more of a touchpoint with each team that's playing each week where he's the analyst. He's more intimate with that process, so he's got a lot of restrictions on him and what knowledge he's privy to.' Woodson says his job 'is a different animal.' Being a limited partner in an NFL team may also impact Woodson's other ventures. He owns a liquor company (Woodson Whiskey) and wine company (Intercept Wines), and reports have stated he will have drop the 'Woodson' name from his whiskey venture, since the NFL's alcohol policy states no team owner can use their name, image and likeness for promotional purposes. Woodson says he hopes his new ownership position will be beneficial for his brands from an awareness standpoint even if that means potentially changing the way he promotes his businesses. The Super Bowl champion has ambitions of marrying his former and current ventures, hoping to make his wine company a leaguewide NFL partner, like California-based Barefoot Wine. Advertisement Woodson, nonetheless, is pumped to be part of the Browns' organization. He looks to contribute in a variety of ways, including with on-field matters, he says, if head coach Kevin Stefanski and the front office are interested in his perspective. When he's not handling his Fox analyst duties or elevating his businesses, he's spending time as a defensive coach for his son's high school football team (Lake Nona) in Orlando, Fla. But now he can also add owner to his lengthy football resume. It's a dream come true for the kid from Fremont. 'It's incredible news,' he said. 'Incredible.' Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
