The Athletic names Charles Woodson as top college player of the 90s

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There were a lot of premier college football players in the 1990s, ranging from some of the Miami Hurricanes linemen and skill positions, Ohio State running backs, enigmatic quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb, and plenty of other faces who became household names. But, in the eyes of The Athletic, one name tops them all: Charles Woodson.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman made a list of the top 25 college football players of the 1990s, and while one Michigan football Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard, made the cut at No. 15, it wasn't just that Woodson was ranked higher, he was ranked highest.

Feldman included the former Wolverines star as the top overall player in college football in the entire decade.

1. Charles Woodson, Michigan, CB/WR/KR

Career: 16 interceptions, 370 receiving yards, 167 rushing yards, six total touchdowns

Best season: 1997 Heisman Trophy winner; seven INTs, 11 catches for 231 yards and two TDs, one rushing TD and one punt return TD

He went to Ann Arbor as Ohio’s “Mr. Football.” Most schools recruited him as a running back, but Michigan recruited him as a cornerback. Smart move. He’s arguably the greatest DB in the history of football. Woodson thrived every step of the way, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1995. The next year, Woodson set a UM record with 15 passes broken up and made first-team All-American, also getting about 10 plays a game on offense. In 1997, Woodson led UM to the national title, its first in almost a half-century, as he picked off seven passes, averaged over 20 yards a catch and was a dangerous return man.

Woodson’s spectacular one-handed INT in a 23-7 win over No. 15 Michigan State gave oxygen to his Heisman campaign. Then, Woodson led UM to a big road win at No. 2 Penn State, scoring on a 37-yard reception while also holding Nittany Lions star Joe Jurevicius to 20 yards. Woodson was dominant against Ohio State, making a 37-yard reception on a third-and-long to set up the game’s first touchdown. Then, he forced a three-and-out and broke a 78-yard touchdown on a punt return. In the second half, he snuffed out OSU’s first drive by picking off a pass in the end zone. A month later, Woodson helped slow down Ryan Leaf and Washington State, picking off his eighth pass of the season and breaking up four in a 21-16 Rose Bowl win that lifted the Wolverines to a share of the national championship.

Woodson's punt return against Ohio State might not be quite as memorable as Howard's, with the former receiver striking the pose after, but it was crucial, given the tight score and the implications placed upon Michigan with a national championship on the line.

After a long, lucrative NFL career with the Raiders and Packers, Howard became an intermittent football analyst for Fox Sports, doing both college and NFL, while also launching his own whiskey brand. His son, Charles Woodson Jr., is committed to the 2027 class as a three-star safety out of Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: The Athletic names Charles Woodson as top college player of the 90s

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