Darren Woodson

Dallas Cowboy Darren Woodson

Before the Dallas Cowboys

Darren Woodson was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 25, 1969. He attended Maryvale High School, where he earned many honors and titles. In fact, in 2009, he was named by ESPNRISE.com, as one of the best players in high school that ever came out of the state of Arizona. His teammate in high school, who also became a NFL star, was Phillippi Sparks.

Due to his grades in high school, he was unable to obtain a scholarship for Arizona State University. Instead he walked on the team and played throughout his years at the university. Each year he improved his performance and his final three years he was a starter in the outside linebacker position. He was eventually inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 2005.

Dallas Cowboys Career

In the 1992 draft, Woodson was selected in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys. He was given the number 28 for his jersey. The Cowboys molded him into a safety position, where he remained throughout his career.

With his combined skills of running and pass coverage, he became one of the best safeties throughout the National Football League. He was selected to attend the Pro Bowl five times and was described as, “one of the hardest hitters”, in the NFL by Sports Illustrated.

Woodson remained with the Dallas Cowboys throughout his entire NFL career, until the 2004 season, when he retired due to a herniated disc. Woodson has not made it into the Hall of Fame yet, but many analysts believe he deserves serious consideration.

Get to Know Your Dallas Cowboy

From a previous marriage, Woodson has a daughter and two sons.

Where is He Now

Since he retired, Woodson continues to live in Dallas. He was been on ESPN as a football analyst, where he was seen on SportsCenter and NFL Live. He is known for his understanding and insight into the game, that he could add to the shows.

He is on the board of Make a Wish Foundation for Northern Texas and is the founder of GuideHop, where he developed a marketplace for activities and guided tours.

Fun Facts

• 2nd round draft pick, overall number 37
• All Pro selection four times
• Super Bowl champion team three times
• All time leader for the Dallas Cowboys in tackles, 1,350
• 23 career interceptions
• Four forced fumbles
• 11 NFL career sacks
• Two career NFL touchdowns
• Wore #6 during his college career
• 1989 voted most improved player by ASU college teammates
• 803 tackles in his college career
• Inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2009

Darren Woodson was well respected by his coaches, team members, and throughout the National Football League. He was described as a player that could perform many tasks with authority and leadership. He gave the Dallas Cowboys a combination of his incredible strength, speed, and hitting ability. He was hard for teams to develop game plans against, due to the fact that he was all over the field.

On and off the field, Woodson was an example of what the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys wanted to represent to the league and their fans.