SAN FRANCISCO - Just because something has happened four years in a row, doesn't make it any easier.
That's feeling Darren Woodson can speak to as he was once again left of the ballot for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
A finalist for the fourth straight year, Woodson is now getting used to coming this close to the doorstep of the football immortality, but not getting his name called … again.
But if you think it's going to change his attitude about the process, or maybe force him to change his strategy in how he promotes himself or doesn't … think again.
Basically, Woodson says his 12-year career, the Super Bowls, the Pro Bowls and all the tackles in between, should speak for itself. It just hasn't yet to the voters.
"You can look back and look at what I did," Woodson said of his career. "I'm not going to campaign and do these little things to bring attention to me. I've never been that way and I'm not going to do that. So when it doesn't happen … I've been built all my entire life that the birds are going to chirp the next day and I'm going to run my businesses the next day. Life is going to go on. Do I want it? Yeah, of course, but it's not going to break me."
While Woodson's biggest supporters seem upset with the voting process, Woodson doesn't ever allow himself to go there.
"You know, I don't take shots at the voting process… I just don't," Woodson said. "There's just a code of the process at hand. Like, you get a call and they tell you, you made it or didn't make it. You basically just adhere to that code. Whoever does get int, they should be honored. It should be there. Its not about the guys going it. If you don't get in, it sucks. But you still honor the guys who did make it. We should be celebrating those guys."
This year, those guys are Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly and Drew Brees.
But it's not like Woodson doesn't have the credentials worthy himself. As a five-time Pro Bowler, Woodson was the defensive catalyst for nearly the entire decade of the 1990s. He is the team's all-leader in tackles and second in special teams tackles. To this day, Woodson is the only player in Cowboys history to play for five head coaches – Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Bill Parcells.
And Woodson doesn't just believe he's worthy of the Hall of Fame. But he knows it.
"Look, I played multiple positions," Woodson said. "I didn't play one single position. I started Super Bowl games covering the slot, being the third corner. I've line dup at the safety position. I've run down on special teams for 11 years of my career. I'm second all-time leading tackler on special teams, first all-time leading tackler on defense. I think I played so many games and I did so many things for the Cowboys organization … and we won those years. I feel like I should be recognized for that. Sometimes you don't get recognized and that's where it hurts. I think that the pain point is where you say, 'I've done so much and didn't you see that?' And a lot of times they don't."
They haven't yet. But Woodson's head will remain as high as his achievements … until one day the right people finally see it.
