Congratulations to Charles Woodson for winning the Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL, and his All-Pro selection.  He no doubt deserved it, and was a dominating player, even from the defensive back position.  He’s the only defensive back other than Deion Sanders to win the award.

    In addition, he happens to be the coolest guy on the planet.

    When I say cool, I mean it in the old school way.  He dresses cool, he walks cool, he speaks cool and is always the coolest person in the room.  He’s under control, and makes those around him comfortable, even though he is obviously cooler than they are.  He’s a great athlete, but doesn’t tell everyone about it, and the guy even has his own wine label. 

      I’m not a Michigan fan, and am a bit of a cynic when it comes to professional athletes.  Usually I don’t root for them, nor am I surprised when the do something selfish and by most of our standards ridiculous.  In fact, when the Packers signed Woodson, I railed against it.  He was coming off a major injury, and had never been a high interception guy.  In fact, when we talked to him in his first training camp, and asked why he chose Green Bay, he very frankly said it was because Tampa didn’t have enough money.   Honest answers are also cool.

      Despite the rocky start, Woodson has aged well, and since he has grown up in the last two years, he has turned his life around to match up with the cool he already had.

     This year Woodson donated $2 million to a children’s hospital in Michigan.  When asked why, he said it was time.  He is now a father.  He is now a husband.  That makes his cool meter go up even more, and puts him in a class few athletes can match: cool even when you take away his athletic accomplishments.