What would Charles Woodson’s career have looked like had he transferred from the Michigan Wolverines? The former defensive back’s life has come full circle now that his son committed to his alma mater, and he shared how he almost quit maize and blue.

Woodson was chatting with Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark on the Pivot Podcast. He laughingly recounted an incident with his Michigan head coach, the legendary Lloyd Carr, that had him looking for the exit door. 

The story goes that one day, Woodson was suffering from an unexpected backache. He informed the head equipment manager about it, who said told Woodson he could leave. However, Carr, who was unaware of their conversation, asked him to stay. 

“Basically, a kid in his feelings, and I've told the story, but it's crazy,” the 1998 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year started. 

After a series of miscommunications, from Woodson changing into gear but not wearing his cleats to Carr taking offense to Woodson talking with his teammate, the head coach gave him an ultimatum: either he pays attention or leaves.

“I walk over there ‘if you're not going to pay attention in practice, then you can just leave.’ I said, ‘All right, I moving my little a** off the field and kept walking, everybody looking like, ‘Dam, what y'all doing?’” Woodson said on the podcast in 2023.  “I changed clothes; I went to my dorm. ‘Mom, I'm leaving. I don't want to be here no more. She like, ‘What are you talking about? ‘I'm like, yeah.’”

But as history has it, Woodson stayed for one of the most illustrious seasons of Michigan’s college football history. He became, and remains to this day, the first-ever primarily defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy in 1997. 

The Wolverines had a perfect 12-0 record, and Woodson recorded 33 returns for 283 yards. 

So, What Changed Charles Woodson’s Mind?

The former Oakland Raiders (Las Vegas Raiders) and Green Bay Packers player shared what game and conversation changed his mind. Woodson shared that his defensive back coach, Vance Bedford, asked him to hear what Coach Carr had to say.

“That was right before that's the week of the Ohio State game...I want you to go down to his office. I want you to just shake your head, apologize, come back,” he told. “You'll be playing this week against Ohio State.” 

Woodson refused to play and was adamant until he spoke with his mother. Woodson has revered his mother, a single parent, and her message changed the situation.

“Well, if you're not going to apologize for yourself, do it for me,” she asked him on the phone. 

He led the Wolverines to a 20-14 victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes and went on to have an 18-year NFL career. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar