Kobe Bryant won't be the only living legend to wear the number 24 that will hang them up in 2016.
Charles Woodson, 39, announced on Monday that he'll retire at the end of the season (which is only a couple weeks away for the Oakland Raiders).
Compiling 65 total interceptions, 11 defensive touchdowns and 20 sacks, Woodson will ride off into the sunset as one of the NFL's most decorated defensive backs. What is perhaps most compelling about the former Michigan Wolverine's career is that he'll be known for his contributions to two historic NFL franchises.
Drafted onto the Oakland Raiders in 1998 as the fourth overall pick, Woodson was an immediate impact playmaker and household name. In his inaugural season, Woodson caught five interceptions and would continue to be amongst the league's best defensive backs up until his injury plagued final years in Oakland.
Woodson would move on to the Green Bay Packers, and it was his leadership and playmaking ability in the secondary that helped Green Bay hoist their fourth modern era championship in Super Bowl 45. Woodson's role on the Packers redefined him as a jack-of-all trades playmaker who was willing and able to line up on virtually any place on defense. 11.5 of his 20 career sacks and 38 of his 65 interceptions came as a part of the green and gold.
As rarely things do in sports, Woodson's career has come around full circle in an elegant way. Although the Raiders' playoff push saw the final nail in the coffin in the hands of his former team, Woodson has seen the lowly Raiders franchise ascend from pure dilapidation, to unquestioned competence. As his second term with his first - and ultimately his most recognizable - team ends, he passes the torch to capable donors of the silver in black in Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper.
When pundits and analysts look back at the illustrious career of Charles Woodson, it won't be debated that his heart belongs to the East Bay. His oenophiliac disposition is nurtured by the wineries of Napa Valley, and like a sultry Cabernet Sauvignon, number twenty-four seems to only get better with age.
