Rod Woodson said the Ku Klux Klan tried to burn down his house when he was 11, a night that still haunts the Super Bowl champion. He described the incident as a defining moment in his life.
KKK Threatened Woodson as a Child
Woodson recalled waking at 2 a.m. to flickering lights and flames licking the back of his two‑bedroom home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He said the fire started in the back of the house, just outside the bedroom window.
He ran to wake his father, and the family escaped as fire officials launched an investigation. No injuries were reported.
Fire, Gasoline, and a Narrow Escape
Woodson said the Klan doused the house with gasoline, but barking dogs forced the attackers to flee before the fuel could ignite. The gasoline had partially dried by the time the men returned, preventing an immediate blaze.
Racial Harassment and Identity
Half‑Black and half‑White, Woodson faced threats from the Black Panthers as well, receiving letters and phone calls targeting his mixed heritage. He said the harassment added pressure to his already complex identity.
He quoted his father’s advice: “You are who you are. You’re the best of both worlds. Everybody asks you to choose — what are you?” Woodson said his father urged him to embrace both sides of his heritage.
Woodson’s NFL Legacy
Woodson played 18 NFL seasons, logging 238 games, 1,158 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 71 interceptions and 12 pick‑six returns, an NFL record. He earned 11 Pro Bowl selections and won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens.
Now 61, Woodson remains a prominent voice on race and sports, reminding listeners that his identity is fixed. He said, “I am who I am,” and he has lived that truth on and off the field.
