Former Oakland Raiders defensive back Rod Woodson, wide receiver Bob Hayes, guard Randall McDaniel, defensive end Bruce Smith, linebacker Derrick Thomas, and owner Ralph Wilson are the Class of 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees.
The six-man class was elected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. The newest members of the Hall were selected from a list of 17 finalists that had been determined earlier by the committee.
The 2009 class increases to 253 the number of all-time greats permanently honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Enshrinement of the Class of 2009 took place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, on Saturday, August 8.
The annual NFL Hall of Fame Game will be played on Sunday, August 9 and broadcast live by NBC. The Tennessee Titans (formerly known as the Houston Oilers) will face the Buffalo Bills as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the American Football League.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival is a multi-day celebration of the enshrinement of the newest Hall of Fame Class. Held in Canton each year, the festival includes 15 special public events and culminates with the Enshrinement Ceremony and NFL Hall of Fame Game.
Two other major events are the Enshrinees Dinner (Friday, August 7), and the Enshrinees GameDay Roundtable (Sunday, August 9). It was at the Enshrinees Dinner where each member of the Class of 2009 was presented his gold Pro Football Hall of Fame Jacket. At the GameDay Roundtable, the members of the Class of 2009 will be featured center stage to share memories of the game and their personal feelings about being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
ROD WOODSON
Cornerback/Safety. . .6-0, 200. . .Purdue. . .1987-1996 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002-03 Oakland Raiders. . .17 playing seasons, 238 games with 229 starts. . .Steelers first-round draft pick (10th player overall), 1987 NFL Draft. . .First-team All-America at Purdue. . .First interception of pro career resulted in 45-yard touchdown return. . . From 1991-94 recorded 12 sacks and 19 interceptions, returning three for TDs. . .In 1995 suffered serious knee injury with recovery time projected to be six to 12 months. . . Returned to action in just four months and played in Super Bowl XXX. . .Member of NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s. . . NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 1993. . . Intercepted 71 passes in career; third on NFL all time list. . . Is NFL’s all-time leader in interception return yardage (1,483). . .Holds NFL record for most interceptions returned for TDs (12). . .Six-time first-team All-Pro choice (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001). . .Earned All-Pro honors as cornerback, kick returner, safety. . .Chosen to play in 11 Pro Bowls – seven with Steelers, three with Ravens, and one with Raiders. . .Born March 10, 1965, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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