Packer Central

Woodson Focuses on Family During Hall of Fame Induction Speech

“When I say, ‘When I go in, we all go in,’ I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Woodson said on Sunday night in Canton, Ohio.

Bill Huber

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Charles Woodson promised that his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech would be centered on family.

And it was. He was introduced by his mom, Georgia. A teary-eyed Woodson then sang to her.

“Momma, you know I love you. Momma, you’re the queen of my heart. Your love is like tears from the stars.”

He said his passion and work ethic came from her. He watched her "work her fingers to the bone" to provide for him, his brother and sister.

"You hear a woman can't raise a man. I call bullshit," he said.

His sister, he said, is battling COVID. Recollections of her phone calls on the way to practice brought him to tears. One of his most poignant messages during his 10-minute speech was directed to his children.

“To my boys Charles and Chase, you guys don’t quite understand it right now,” he said. “You haven’t been through anything, you haven’t fought for anything as hard and as long as I have. But once you go through life, you go through your own journey, and life throws its obstacles at you, when you turn 35, 40 years old, you’ll begin to understand why a grown man would stand up here and cry.”

He added: "Love your mother the way that I love mine."

Woodson’s legend started with the Oakland Raiders but was cemented during a superlative seven-year run with the Green Bay Packers in which he was selected to four Pro Bowls, led the NFL in interceptions twice and was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. He was the heart and soul of the 2010 team that won the Super Bowl.

Charles Woodson cries during his emotional induction speech.

Charles Woodson hugs his mom and presenter, Georgia Woodson.

Woodson and his mom unveil Woodson's bronze bust.

Charles Woodson is congratulated by Calvin Johnson.

Having urged the fans to stand, Woodson said, “There’s no one bigger than the team. No one bigger than the team. The things we were able to accomplish,” Woodson said before telling the fans to keep standing. “We did this together. Together! Me and you. We were Mr. Ohio together. We were Heisman Trophy winners together. We were national champions together. We were Defensive Rookie (of the Year) together. Defensive Player of the Year together. Super Bowl champions together. So, when I say, ‘When I go in, we all go in,’ I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

Overall, he ranks fifth in NFL history with 65 interceptions and second with 11 interceptions returned for touchdowns. A nine-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL’s all-2000s team, he was an easy first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame.

“Love everyone, give everything, never doubt, build your legend,” Woodson said at the end of his speech. “Thank you. We in the Hall of Fame, baby.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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