It’s always a pleasure to reblog stories written by Mark Tomasik over at retrosimba.com.
This week, Mark wrote about former Fighting Illini star Abe Woodson, who was an All-Pro performer for the San Francisco 49ers and was later traded to the Cardinals for John David Crow.
Woodson played two years for the Cardinals as a return specialist and cornerback. He intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble in 13 starts with the Big Red.
THE BIG RED ZONE 
The Big Red just barely missed making the playoffs in 1963 and 1964. You have to wonder if having someone like Abe Woodson on their team might have made the difference. The football Cardinals and 49ers played twice during the early 60’s. And on the kickoff returns Abe Woodson gave the Big Red fits. He averaged 38 yards per return. It’s also great that notwithstanding the problems with discrimination that existed back then he went on to have a successful life and career.
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Great stuff Phil! The Cardinals definitely could have used a kick returner like Woodson during the early 60s for sure.
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