It has been 17 years since Charles Woodson played in a college football game.
There are players starting for the Oakland Raiders that were born the same year he began his college career as a Michigan Wolverine. And Woodson is not just playing in the NFL. He’s starting and he’s leading the league in interceptions – hallmarking a defense and a team that is in the middle of a successful youthful rebuild.
And then you have Tom Brady.
Woodson’s former college teammate is not just halfway through his sixteenth season as a pro, but is in the midst of a vengeful renaissance that shows no sign of stopping – unless of course the QB is pacified by hoisting his fifth Lombardi. The 38-year-old arm is still firing. Brady is hitting near a 70 percent completion rate and is on pace for the best TD to INT ratio of all time.
Brady (10) and Woodson (2) teammates on Michigan
There must have been some Ponce De Leon magic in the water down at the Michigan dining halls.
There’s the old adage that the NFL stands for Not For Long. It’s been proven time and time again. Take Jonas Gray for example. One year ago, he rushes for 201 yards, earns the honor of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and is cut 10 months later. Or even better yet, David Tyree. His helmet catch gave the Giants their third Superbowl. Yet, over a six year career only makes 53 other receptions. The league is full of them. One season wonders. One game wonders. One play wonders.
There’s, of course, exceptions to every rule. But when you take in account that the average NFL career is less than three years, it only makes what Woodson and Brady have accomplished that much more magnificent.
Both Woodson and Brady have their rings, they both have their accolades, and they’re both getting up there in age. Much unlike the rapid decline of the running back position (past the age of 30), these two former Wolverines are like a fine wine...only getting better with age.
It’s absolutely absurd to see the level that a 38 and 39-year-old are playing at. It’s a gift for fans as well as young players. In a recent AMA (ask me anything) on reddit, Redskins starting QB Kirk Cousins answered which quarterback he idolized growing up, his answer:
“Well, what's kinda funny is a lot of the QBs I grew up watching are still in the NFL. They go from people I watched and learned from to people I'm competing against. I was in 7th grade when Tom Brady won his first SB….It's kinda a weird position where I'm now considered a peer of theirs, but they've been doing it for so much longer--these are guys I've looked up to for such a long time, and now they're competition. ”
The longevity of both players is legendary.
And despite what TB12 says it takes a hell of a lot more than avocado ice cream and hummus to stay at the top of the league.
We’ve seen the clear decline in players like Peyton Manning. Yet, Woodson and Brady have, in combat with the wear and tear of an NFL career, essentially found the fountain of youth. To them, it’s obvious, their competitive spirit and love of the game keep them around.
Brady is quoted as saying (both last year and this year) as wanting to play 10 more years. Not just because he will have nothing better to do, but that he would not have any idea of what to do after football. He has no desire of stopping. In the past two years Brady has upped his game.
From 2014 to 2015 he has increased accuracy on his passes 20 yards or further from 31 percent to just over 40 percent. He’s more mobile, while he’ll never burn anyone (except for maybe Brian Urlacher – that one time), inside and outside the pocket than ever before. The Patriots and his passing game are both crafted around his longevity. Meaning short, quick passes to receivers that allow Brady to stand tall in the pocket in deliver and not worry about taking shots, even if his O-line is half-rookie, half-shambles.
Woodson, as of this article, has snagged his 65th interception – tying him for fourth all time. As a safety he plays one of the most athletic positions on the field, being relied to not just make game changing plays in the passing games, but also being the first man in on any type of run blitz. And on a young Raider defense, he is asked to play an even more important role as a leader. With all these responsibilities on a near 40-year-old body, it’s ridiculous to see the numbers he is putting up. He’s on pace to break his interception personal best, as well as pass defenses. And in the 2014 season he recorded the most tackles he ever had. He is certainly playing at the top of his game.
Nearly 15 years ago, the two players met in the playoffs on the infamous Tuck Rule play. That should bring into perspective where their careers started and how far they have come. Brady has four rings since then. A plethora of accolades. Woodson, with a ring of his own, has 54 picks since that fateful day in snowy Foxborough. Crazy to think about how many split second decisions led them to where they are today.
These two Michigan stars are what the NFL should stand for. Forget any marring of cheating stigma. They improve not for any records or fame. They play to play the game. To have fun with their childhood love. They want little more than team victories and to become the best at what they do. It’s true sportsmanship and that competitive drive to be the best that makes them the most fear inducing of competitors.
You know you’ll get their all every down. Every snap. It empowers them.
And it’s why they are undefeated – against time and age, at the very least.
