He’s A Winner At Double Jeopardy Nothing Trivial About Woodson

Charles Woodson lists Biblical Characters, Food and Hodgepodge among his favorite Jeopardy categories, presumably because the TV game show lacks a category titled Clutch Performers.

Weeknights at 7:30, the Michigan cornerback positions himself in front of the TV and gets ready for battle. His roommate, safety Marcus Ray, often gets stuck with Humility for a hundred.

One recent encounter was particularly lopsided.

“He blew me out,” Ray conceded. “I was the David Boston of Jeopardy.”

It doesn’t get much worse than that.

Boston was the Ohio State receiver who foolishly questioned Woodson’s credentials prior to the Buckeyes’ visit to Ann Arbor. Woodson declined comment at the time, preferring to save his rebuttal for the game. He finished with a 37-yard reception, a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown and an interception in the end zone.

Michigan won 20-14 in a game that decided the Big Ten Conference championship and moved the Wolverines within a Rose Bowl victory of the national championship.

As Woodson put it afterward: “A foolish man talks every time he has something to say. A wise man talks only when he has to.”

Woodson, a two-time All-America selection and Heisman Trophy winner, has never been the cocky type. But his confidence has never wavered, as Ray learned two years ago.

“It was my sophomore year, his freshman year, and I had lost my confidence because I got beat deep against Northwestern,” Ray recalled.

As Ray struggled the next few weeks, coach Lloyd Carr became concerned enough to summon the strong safety to his hotel room the night before a game. Their meeting left Ray feeling more miserable than ever, at least until Woodson could intervene.

“Charles said, ‘Well listen here, if you’re going to act like that, if you’re going to feel sorry for yourself, then we can’t be friends,”’ Ray recalled, “and I said, ‘No, no.’

“I’ve thought about that conversation ever since. Charles has always kept his confidence and that’s one thing I respect about him and that’s helped me get to where I am today.”

Which would be … in Woodson’s shadow.

Ray finished second in the Big Ten this season with five interceptions. Woodson was first with seven.

Ray considers himself a decent Jeopardy player. Woodson is on another level. “I usually win, so he doesn’t have too much fun playing it,” Woodson cracked.

Confident as ever, Woodson has called himself the best player in college football, but only because someone asked. He would otherwise prefer a less flamboyant approach.

“I’m just not that way, unless I’m pushed to be that way,” Woodson said. “My mother isn’t a person like that, and that’s who I follow most of the time.”

Georgia Woodson supported three children by working 12-hour shifts at a bottle factory near their home in Fremont, Ohio. She still works there, operating a 3,000-pound forklift.

“We had problems I won’t get into, different things that our family knows about, and she handled them the best that she could,” Woodson said. “I mean, I made it this far.”

Many expect Woodson to ease his mother’s burden by passing up his senior season at Michigan for the financial rewards of the NFL. Woodson hasn’t revealed his intentions publicly, but even his coaches seem resigned to an impending departure. “I think he could play in the NFL right now,” defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann said. “I don’t think he needs another year of college. I’d love for him to have another year, but talent-wise, there’s no question that he could play at that level.”

That talent, combined with Woodson’s competitiveness and work ethic, have been crucial to Michigan’s 11-0 run this season, Herrmann said.

Instead of being content with the AllAmerica status he earned as a sophomore, Woodson remained in Ann Arbor last summer, holding a part-time job while improving his stamina with a rigorous training regimen.

Superior conditioning was vital because Woodson was determined to make an impact on offense and special teams, in addition to playing cornerback. His regimen included running up and down the aisles at 102,501-seat Michigan Stadium.

“I get all the recognition and a lot of the awards, but I still work hard every day,” Woodson said. “That’s something that people can look at and players can follow.”

All the way to a national championship, perhaps.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 color photos

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FAST FACTS Personal: Charles Woodson, junior cornerback, 6-1, 197 pounds. Full ride: Drives 1986 Cadillac that was high school graduation gift from family and friends. Mileage over 140,000. Highlights: As a freshman, picked off two passes while containing Terry Glenn, Ohio State’s All-American receiver. Gained 57 yards on a reverse the first time he touched the ball as part of Michigan’s offense. Has scored six career touchdowns, including four this season. Led Big Ten and was second in the nation with seven interceptions. Has 17 career interceptions. Has broken up 26 passes in career, tied for most in Michigan history.