LAS VEGAS – Darren Woodson believes he must be a Corridor of Famer. Darren Woodson believes he will probably be a Corridor of Famer at some point.
However that day has not arrived as the previous Cowboys security was left on the doorsteps of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame for the second straight 12 months.
A finalist but once more, Woodson was handed over for the 2024 Class, which was introduced Thursday earlier than NFL Honors, simply three days earlier than Tremendous Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The 2024 Corridor of Fame class included Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar.
“I am joyful for the fellows that received nominated. They are much deserving of that,” Woodson mentioned on Thursday. “I might be mendacity if I advised you I am not disenchanted. I am disenchanted that I am not going into the Corridor of Fame. I can not management the end result. My whole life has been that means. I’ve all the time needed to work myself again up. Factor had been arduous generally in my life, however they ultimately simply labored out. And I am banking that sooner or later, this may work out.”
Woodson, the Cowboys’ all-time chief in tackles with 1,350, performed 12 seasons from 1992-2003. He is a five-time Professional Bowler and helped the Cowboys win three Tremendous Bowls.
“You’ll be able to’t do something. It isn’t like I can return and play this sport or do one thing to persuade somebody. It’s what it’s,” Woodson mentioned. “The work is on the market. For me, the toughest factor is that I put this work on the market a very long time in the past. A whole lot of that’s simply forgotten in time. It sucks, nevertheless it’s the truth.”
The Corridor of Fame course of begins yearly with over 100 potential candidates which are cutdown to 25 semifinalists after which 15 finalists, which had been introduced in December. That is the second 12 months Woodson has made it to the spherical of 15.
A 12 months in the past, he was in Phoenix, his hometown, for the announcement and mentioned he was “disenchanted, however not damaged” by the information.
This 12 months, Woodson’s sentiments are extra of the identical, particularly for these near him.
“I am not a lot disenchanted for myself, I am extra disenchanted for my household. They have been with me via this for thus lengthy. If it occurs, it occurs. Good keen that it occurs a while quickly.”
Whether or not that happens subsequent 12 months or the 12 months after or perhaps a few years down the street, Woodson stays assured that he’ll sometime put on that coveted Gold Jacket.
“My confidence is that it’ll occur,” Woodson mentioned. “Once more, it is by no means been the simple street for me – in something in my life. Nothing has been simple for me. I am an proprietor of two companies. In these companies, we’ve our ups and downs. However I am a agency believer that I am deserving of it. And I nonetheless consider at some point it’ll occur.”
