Abe Woodson
Woodson in 1961 | |||||||||||
| No. 40, 42 | |||||||||||
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| Positions | Cornerback Return specialist Halfback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | February 15, 1934 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | February 8, 2014 (aged 79) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 188 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Austin (Chicago, Illinois) | ||||||||||
| College | Illinois | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1957: 2nd round, 15th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Abraham Benjamin Woodson (February 15, 1934 – February 8, 2014) was an American professional football cornerback and kick returner who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly with the San Francisco 49ers. He also spent two years with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He is considered a progenitor of the bump and run coverage technique as a defensive back, was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls and multiple All Pro teams, led the NFL in kick return average three times and returned five kickoffs for touchdowns over his career. In 2021, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Woodson to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2021.
Sports Illustrated described him at cornerback as "one of the rare players who has waterbug reflexes, greyhound speed and an appetite for tackling."