Technically, Darren Woodson spent his 12 seasons with the Cowboys designated as a strong safety. He wore a safety's number and he hit harder than anyone on the team, so rightfully, that's what his position would be.

But Woodson had the awareness and agility to play free safety, and at times he did. He also had the power and vision to play close to the line of scrimmage, and so when needed, he moved to linebacker, a position at which he excelled in college at Arizona State. In addition, Woodson had the quickness and ball skills to be a cornerback, and often on third downs he would be used in the slot. On top of that, he spent the majority of his career helping on nearly every special teams unit.

More than anything, Woodson is best described as a football player – one of the greatest to ever suit up for the Cowboys.

When preparation for the 1992 NFL Draft began, Cowboys' secondary coach Dave Campo, who would later become the team's head coach, went to Arizona State to scout a couple of Sun Devils defensive players. But this "linebacker" ran in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash, so Campo included Woodson in his report back to the scouting staff, convincing them they could find ways to use him.

What they got in Woodson, taken in the second round, was an all-around competitor who could run, hit, tackle, make plays on the ball and more than anything be a leader on the field.

And immediately, he made an impact. Woodson helped the Cowboys win a Super Bowl ring in each of his first two seasons, and then made five straight Pro Bowls from 1994-98, staking his claim as one of the best safeties of the decade. He was also one of the top tacklers, becoming the Cowboys' all-time leader for takedowns during the 2002 season, surpassing Lee Roy Jordan (1,236 tackles) and eventually ending his career with 1,350, which still ranks first in franchise record books.

Retiring in 2004 and inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2015, Woodson remains the only player in Cowboys history to have been in the starting lineup for five different head coaches: Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Campo and Bill Parcells.