Abe Woodson

Abe Woodson

Woodson in 1964
No. 40, 42
Position:	Cornerback / Return specialist
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1934-02-15)February 15, 1934
Place of birth:	Jackson, Mississippi
Date of death:	February 8, 2014(2014-02-08) (aged 79)
Place of death:	Las Vegas, Nevada
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
NFL draft:	1957 / Round: 2 / Pick: 15
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (1958–1964) St. Louis Cardinals (1965–1966)
Career highlights and awards
5× Pro Bowl selection (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963) 5× All-Pro selection (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)

Abraham Benjamin Woodson (February 15, 1934 – February 8, 2014) was an American football cornerback and kick returner who played nine seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the San Francisco 49ers. He also spent two years with the St. Louis Cardinals.^[1] As a kick returner, there were few who were better. Of all kick returners in NFL history, his average of 28.7 yards per return is well ahead of any others who have returned over 5000 yards worth of kicks. He had 193 returns for 5538 yards. He was also dangerous on punt returns, averaging 9 yards a return in his prime with the 49ers. Woodson played high school football for Austin High School in Chicago Illinois. Prior to joining the NFL, he played at the University of Illinois.

After leaving football, he worked as a life insurance agent. He later lived in Las Vegas where he served as a prison minister in connection with the Churches of Christ. He died on February 8, 2014, aged 79 just a week shy of his 80th birthday.^[2]

References