Las Vegas Raiders: Woodson and Flores enter NFL Hall of Fame together

Charles Woodson, the former Michigan star and longtime Oakland Raiders star, has been selected to the NFL Hall of Fame on the first ballot. The former shutdown cornerback and safety had a great career, including a Super Bowl win with the Green Bay Packers. Although he left Oakland, he always thought of himself as a Raider and played like one.

Known for his hard-hitting and aggressive play, Woodson was drafted in 1998 to the then-Oakland Raiders and played there until 2005, when he was released and subsequently signed by the Green Bay Packers. Woodson played another seven years for the Packers as safety and corner, then came back to the Raiders from 2013 to 2015 until his retirement.

In his career, Woodson has 1,220 tackles, 20 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, 65 interceptions, and a highlight reel that rivals John Lynch and Ed Reed.

Joining Woodson in the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is former player and coach, Tom Flores. It has been a long time coming for Flores, who was an absolute pioneer for the game of football. The former Raiders quarterback and the head coach had a stellar career, and it’s hard to fathom how he was not in the HOF yet.

Flores is the first player for the Raiders to wear the No. 15 and threw over 11,000 yards and 92 touchdowns in his career as the quarterback. Not only did Flores win a Super Bowl as a player, but he also took the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins against Washington and Philidelphia.

Between 1980 to 1987, Fores won 83 games including the two Super Bowls as the head coach of the Raiders.

Fans have long complained about Flores not being in the HOF and this year he finally made it, and who better to make it with than a fan favorite Charles Woodson? Both of these players have had lasting impacts on the NFL and the Raiders in general.

Despite winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, Charles Woodson has always considered himself a Raider. In an interview with Silver and Black he stated:

"“Those three seasons really closed out my career the right way. If I didn’t go back. I think there would be a love-hate relationship for the fans. But it was the right decision and I’ll always be part of the Raider Nation.”"

Raider Nation got two more great players added to the HOF today.