Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson was approved by the NFL clubs as a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns last month. He is an Ohio native who grew up 85 miles west of Cleveland in Fremont.
Woodson was a first round pick of the Raiders in the 1998 Draft. He was an outstanding defensive back for Raiders and Packers during an 18-year career. He retired in 2016 with a Super Bowl XLV ring and nine Pro Bowl selections. Woodson was inducted into Canton in 2021.
“Charles has an incredible legacy on the field,” the Haslam family said in a statement after Woodson was approved as one of their partners “but the work he’s continued to do off the field and his entrepreneurial spirit emphasized to us what a great fit he was for our organization.”
The 48-year old Woodson was a remarkable high school player in Fremont who was voted “Mr. Football” as a senior. He enrolled and played at the University of Michigan where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1997.
“I’m from a working-class community so ownership was never part of my earlier conversations with the (Browns majority owners Jimmy and Dee) Haslam’s,” Woodson says. “Over the last year, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the leadership team at the Browns. I’m excited about the opportunity to be a part of the bright future for this team and to be a service for the entire organization as well as the NFL.”
Woodson joins his former Michigan teammate Tom Brady as a new NFL owner. Brady was approved, as was Raiders alum Richard Seymour, last October as limited partners of the Raiders.
We at NFL Alumni are pleased to see our brothers become owners in our great sport. We hope this positive trend continues.
