It was very apropos that Charles Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that Aaron Rodgers was named the 2020 NFL MVP on February 6, 2021. Why? Because it was the 10th anniversary of Super Bowl XLV when the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium.
Woodson would be playing in his second Super Bowl on February 6, 2011, while Rodgers would be playing in his first. Woodson had played in Super Bowl XXXVII when his Oakland Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Bucs 48-21.
That was a painful loss for Woodson, who was playing hurt in that game. Earlier in the 2002 regular season, Woodson has suffered a shoulder injury which caused him to miss eight games. Then after coming back from that injury, Woodson endured a cracked fibula bone in his right leg which caused him to miss the last three games of the season. Still, Woodson started every game in the postseason for the Raiders, which included the Super Bowl.
It was obvious that Woodson was affected by his leg injury against the Bucs in that Super Bowl, but he still picked off a pass.
In Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers, Woodson was having a strong first half, as he had three tackles and was his usual effective self in the secondary. But with 2:00 to go before halftime and the Packers leading 21-3, Woodson dove to deflect a deep pass thrown from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Mike Wallace. No. 21 did his job and the pass fell incomplete, but something was wrong.
In America’s Game: The 2010 Green Bay Packers, Woodson talked about what happened on that play. “Crack. I broke my collarbone and I just thought it can’t end like this.”
The Steelers would later score on that drive after Woodson’s game-ending injury and the score stood 21-10 at halftime.
Rodgers talked about the injury to Woodson, also in America’s Game: The 2010 Green Bay Packers. “One of my best friends on the team. A guy I respect the most is out. You just don’t know what to say to him. So I just went over there to comfort him and to say I’m going to get this one for you.”
Woodson wouldn’t be playing anymore, but he addressed the team at halftime in the locker room.
“All of the emotion came out. I cried like I never cried before. I tried to just tell the guys that you know how bad I want it. Go out there and get it done.”
The guys, led by Rodgers, got it done. Rodgers was just fabulous during the game, as he completed 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdown passes without throwing a pick. It led to Rodgers being named Super Bowl MVP for the game.
Nothing was bigger than the throw he made in the 4th quarter, with the Packers barely hanging on, as they led 28-25 with just under 6:00 to go in the game. The Packers were facing a 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Rodgers then threw a frozen rope to wide receiver Greg Jennings for 31 yards. The Packers later put three more points on the board on that drive, as kicker Mason Crosby booted a 23-yard field goal to make the score 31-25. That score held up and the Vince Lombardi Trophy was coming home to Green Bay.
That was a night to remember, as was the night 10 years later when Woodson would be put among the best of the best in Canton. Back in November, when Woodson was named among the 25 semi-finalists for 2021 for a place in Canton, Rodgers spoke about his friend.
“I think he’s the most talented guy I’ve ever played with,” Rodgers said. “His ability to impact the game was unbelievable. And he, for sure, made me a better player going against him every day in practice. The most savvy defensive player that I’ve ever seen on the field. Incredible ability to diagnose routes in real-time. Fantastic at his disguise. He’s a guy who had over 50 interceptions, over 20 sacks. Did it all. From Heisman to Rookie of the Year to NFL Defensive Player of the Year, won a championship, was a huge part of what we did in 2010 and became a fantastic leader in the locker room. He had five interceptions in his rookie season and five in his 18th year. That is unbelievable, unbelievable. A good friend, but just a fantastic player.”
When Woodson was inducted last night, he became the 27th member of the Packers to be given a place in Canton and the third in four years, as Jerry Kramer was inducted in 2018 and Bobby Dillon was inducted in 2020.
Rodgers is a fantastic player as well. Winning his third NFL MVP award puts Rodgers in elite company. Rodgers is now one of six players in NFL history who have won at least three NFL MVP honors. The players are running back Jim Brown, quarterback Johnny Unitas, quarterback Brett Favre, quarterback Peyton Manning (who actually has won five NFL MVP awards) and quarterback Tom Brady.
Manning was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class along with Woodson, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, guard Alan Faneca, safety John Lynch, wide receiver Drew Pearson, head coach Tom Flores and contributor Bill Nunn.
Brady and Rodgers will be joining all of them at some point in Canton.
In 2020, Rodgers had one of the best seasons of his career, as he was named First-Team All-Pro for the third time in his illustrious career, as he threw a career high 48 touchdown passes versus just five picks for 4,299 yards. Rodgers also had a career best completion percentage of 70.7. Rodgers led the NFL with a passer rating of 121.5, which was the second best of all time in the NFL. The best passer rating ever also came from Rodgers in 2011 when he had a 122.5 mark. 2020 was the ninth year Rodgers was able to go over the 100 mark in passer rating.
Bottom line, last night was indeed a very appropriate night for both Woodson and Rodgers to be honored.