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Two years ago, you couldn't pay cornerback Charles Woodson to show up in Green Bay during the offseason. Now, you can barely get him to leave town.
Woodson returned to Wisconsin in February to work out, long before the Packers' voluntary offseason program began. He appeared again in early March, has been a regular participant in the organized team activity practices, and plans to stick around until mid-June.
What gives? Has Woodson fallen in love with Wisconsin? He owns a condominium in Green Bay and enjoys bowling, so maybe there's something to that theory.
It's a far cry from Woodson's early Packers days. After signing a seven-year, $37.1 million free-agent contract, plus incentives, on May 1, 2006, Woodson made himself scarce. He only showed up for team functions that had the word "mandatory" attached.
"Now I've been here three years, this is where I'm going to be," Woodson said last week after an OTA practice. "So, of course it was a transition period coming here from Oakland, being in Green Bay, not knowing anything about Green Bay. Once the season is over, I was trying to get back home. Now I've been here a while, different things bring me back through Green Bay. … I'm a Packer."
There has been a sense Woodson, a Heisman Trophy winner and four-time Pro Bowl player, was a fish out of water in small-town Green Bay. He propagates that notion, but in a joking manner.
When asked why he was spending so much time here, Woodson replied tongue in cheek: "What happened was I got on a plane and I was headed south. Somehow we took a wrong turn and I ended up here. I said (to the pilot) 'Damn, what's going on?' But he said, 'We're here. We can't do anything about it. You're stuck.' So I'm here."
The Packers have been overjoyed to have Woodson, who has combined for 12 interceptions and 36 passes defensed over the past two seasons and arguably could have made the Pro Bowl either year. General Manager Ted Thompson landed a whopper in one of his rare casts into free-agent waters.
Not only has Woodson found success on the field, but he's seemingly content off it.
"I think Charles is a lot more comfortable here, and it's great to have him back here working," coach Mike McCarthy said.
McCarthy is no small reason Woodson likes it here. Rather than insisting Woodson practice through injuries, McCarthy cuts him some slack. The philosophy has kept Woodson active (30 of 32 starts) and productive.
Woodson, 31, said he feels better physically than at any time during the last five offseasons, and his positive attitude is bound to rub off on younger teammates.
"You try to be an example as much as possible," Woodson said. "And whatever they can learn from me, then that will be a plus for the team."
Woodson returned to Wisconsin in February to work out, long before the Packers' voluntary offseason program began. He appeared again in early March, has been a regular participant in the organized team activity practices, and plans to stick around until mid-June.
What gives? Has Woodson fallen in love with Wisconsin? He owns a condominium in Green Bay and enjoys bowling, so maybe there's something to that theory.
It's a far cry from Woodson's early Packers days. After signing a seven-year, $37.1 million free-agent contract, plus incentives, on May 1, 2006, Woodson made himself scarce. He only showed up for team functions that had the word "mandatory" attached.
"Now I've been here three years, this is where I'm going to be," Woodson said last week after an OTA practice. "So, of course it was a transition period coming here from Oakland, being in Green Bay, not knowing anything about Green Bay. Once the season is over, I was trying to get back home. Now I've been here a while, different things bring me back through Green Bay. … I'm a Packer."
There has been a sense Woodson, a Heisman Trophy winner and four-time Pro Bowl player, was a fish out of water in small-town Green Bay. He propagates that notion, but in a joking manner.
When asked why he was spending so much time here, Woodson replied tongue in cheek: "What happened was I got on a plane and I was headed south. Somehow we took a wrong turn and I ended up here. I said (to the pilot) 'Damn, what's going on?' But he said, 'We're here. We can't do anything about it. You're stuck.' So I'm here."
The Packers have been overjoyed to have Woodson, who has combined for 12 interceptions and 36 passes defensed over the past two seasons and arguably could have made the Pro Bowl either year. General Manager Ted Thompson landed a whopper in one of his rare casts into free-agent waters.
Not only has Woodson found success on the field, but he's seemingly content off it.
"I think Charles is a lot more comfortable here, and it's great to have him back here working," coach Mike McCarthy said.
McCarthy is no small reason Woodson likes it here. Rather than insisting Woodson practice through injuries, McCarthy cuts him some slack. The philosophy has kept Woodson active (30 of 32 starts) and productive.
Woodson, 31, said he feels better physically than at any time during the last five offseasons, and his positive attitude is bound to rub off on younger teammates.
"You try to be an example as much as possible," Woodson said. "And whatever they can learn from me, then that will be a plus for the team."
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