Rod Woodson Madden Career 1992-2004 - Peak 99 OVR

Rod Woodson was a two-sport star at Purdue, a world-class hurdler who became one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history, and like several Hall of Famers on these late-90s rosters, he passed through San Francisco for a single season. He spent 1997 with the 49ers, one year in the middle of a seventeen-season career that produced 71 interceptions, third-most ever, and a record 12 returned for touchdowns.

Madden knew exactly what he was for most of that career. The game rated Woodson a 99, its ceiling, as a Steeler in the early and mid-90s, the shutdown corner at the height of his powers and the 1993 Defensive Player of the Year. His 49ers card is a step down, an 82 for the 1997 season, reflecting a great player a year removed from a serious knee injury and in transition, no longer the 99 of his Pittsburgh prime but still a starter worth having.

What makes Woodson remarkable is the second act. He moved to safety after San Francisco, signed with Baltimore, and won Super Bowl XXXV as the leader of one of the best defenses ever assembled, then played on into his late thirties with the Raiders. Eleven Pro Bowls, the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team, the Hall of Fame in 2009. The 49ers borrowed him for a year on his way from one legendary stop to the next, and Madden's 82 marks the exact moment: a Hall of Famer between peaks, briefly wearing red and gold.