There are many ways for a former NFL player to stay connected to the game. Joining the media is among the most popular, as is going into coaching or becoming an executive.
Some former players have even bigger ideas and set their sights on owning an NFL team. Tom Brady becoming a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders is an example of that.
The Cleveland Browns almost had a Hall of Fame part-owner as well. Former NFL defensive back Charles Woodson was actually announced as such last May, but those plans ultimately fell through.
Woodson recently revealed why he passed on his Browns ownership stake, saying he could not step away from the liquor brand he is associated with.
“I thought I was going to be a proud owner of the Browns but it wasn’t able to happen because I wasn’t able to take my name off of my product,” Woodson said. “It’s what made the product. It’s how I started, so I wasn’t able to do that.”
The NFL approved Woodson’s role as a limited partner for the Browns at its most recent spring meeting. With his 0.1 percent stake, it was the first time anyone had been added to Cleveland’s ownership group since Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam purchased the franchise from Randy Lerner in 2012.
However, due to league rules regarding alcohol promotion, Woodson would have been required to remove his name, image and likeness from his popular liquor brands. He started Intercept Wines by Charles Woodson in 2019 and Woodson Bourbon Whiskey in 2020.
It would have been interesting to see if any of the Browns’ 2025 season, the firing of head coach Kevin Stefanski, and the eventual hiring of Todd Monken would have gone differently if Woodson had been involved. He had correctly predicted that Joe Flacco would be the starting quarterback to begin the season, based on the veteran’s lengthy experience.
Woodson is an Ohio native who was named the state’s Mr. Football as a high school player. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy and college national championship at Michigan, then played in the NFL for 18 seasons with the Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
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