Could we have a Woodson and Woodson secondary?
After Charles Woodson won the first safety spot on the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2000s All-Quarter Century Team, we only have two spots left to round out the defense! We’re looking for Woodson’s running mate in today’s poll, as Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch get a second chance, while Rod Woodson hopes to join his former teammate.
Rod Woodson
Photo By Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Raiders Stats: 133 tackles, 10 INTs (2 TDs), 19 PDs, 4 FRs (26 games, 2 seasons)
Accolades: Pro Bowl (2002), 1st-Team All-Pro (2002), Hall of Fame (2009)
After a decade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a year across the Bay with the San Francisco 49ers and four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Woodson ended his 17-year career in Oakland. The Hall of Famer only spent two seasons with the Silver and Black, while missing six games during his final campaign, so he doesn’t rank high in the franchise’s record books. However, the 2002 free-agent signing made a significant immediate impact by leading the league with eight interceptions to help guide the Raiders to a Super Bowl appearance. Woodson also had two stints (2011 and 2015-2017) as a coach for the organization.
Michael Huff
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Previously:
Raiders Stats: 441 tackles, 19 TFLs, 11 INTs, 53 PDs, 5.5 sacks (108 games, 7 seasons)
Accolades: 2nd-Team All-Pro (2010)
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, the Texas product was fresh off a National Championship before heading to the Raiders. His ball skills stood out with the Silver and Black, as he ranks in the top 25 in franchise history for interceptions and is third for passes defended*. Additionally, Huff recorded double-digit PDs in three out of his seven seasons with the Raiders. His best overall performance came in 2010, totaling 95 tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks, three interceptions and seven PDs to earn some postseason recognition.
Tyvon Branch
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Previously:
Raiders Stats: 475 tackles, 25 TFLs, 4 INTs, 33 PDs, 9 sacks (75 games, 7 seasons)
Accolades: none
As Huff’s running mate for five years, Branch proved to be a solid strong safety in Oakland. From 2009 to 2011, he had three consecutive triple-digit tackle campaigns and was just shy of making it four in a row by racking up 94 tackles in 2012. As a result, he ranks eighth in franchise history with 367 solo tackles**, per Pro Football Reference.
*PDs didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1999.
**PFR states that solo tackles are “unofficial and inconsistently recorded”, adding ambiguity to the franchise rankings.
So, which defensive back are you going with for the second safety spot on the Raiders’ 2000s All-Quarter Century Team?
Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments section with your reasoning. If you don’t have a commenting account already, you’ll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it’s a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines. Sign up and go to the comments section.