On Sunday, Charles Woodson‘s induction into the NFL Hall of Fame brought back a whirlwind of memories for Green Bay Packers fans. The legendary cornerback was his usual funny, calming, reflective self. But it doesn’t have to be all memories and nostalgia for the Packers faithful. Green Bay can have that same Woodson-like presence this year with star cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Woodson’s speech at the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony lived up to the hype. He sang a song to his mother, reflected on his career, and talked the talk like he always did on the field.
In some ways, Alexander is the spitting image of Woodson. He doesn’t shy from the spotlight but then goes and backs it up on Sundays. He has emerged as one of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the NFL. To top it all off, he’s got an unmatched swagger.
Aaron Rodgers has long said the best player he’s ever played with is Charles Woodson. Last year, he elevated Davante Adams into that category. Soon enough, Alexander could join the party as well.
In a fascinating Matt Schneidman piece, Schneidman spoke with Woodson about Alexander and what he saw in the fast-rising cornerback out of Louisville.
“He is very confident in who he is and what he is as a player, very confident about his game,” Woodson said. “When you talk about being a corner and being out on an island and lining up against some of the top guys in the league, you have to have that type of confidence. Otherwise, you start to get shaky. You watch a game and you can see players that don’t have that confidence. You can see them, throughout the course of the game, not have the confidence that they started with. With Jaire, you see that (confidence).”
In that same piece, Alexander notes that Woodson is his all-time favorite player.
Woodson was a leader who had the ability to say the right thing at the right time. Alexander is certainly vocal, and he’ll speak his mind more if he can take on more of a leadership role with his position group as time goes on.
Keep in mind, this sort of leadership oftentimes comes with comfortability and respect earned over time. Alexander is still only 24 years old and one of the younger cornerbacks on the roster. Woodson was 30 and well established in the NFL after spending eight years with the then Oakland Raiders when the Packers signed him in 2006. Alexander is on the path to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league and has all the confidence in the world.
Teammates rave about Alexander just like they did about Woodson, including Rodgers.
“He has interests outside of football. I think he’s a very grounded human being. I think often (he’s) misunderstood because he’s quiet at times, although he kind of has this sort of Jekyll and Hyde sort of thing. He’s a very quiet, centered, meditated human off the field. And then he’s flamboyant, full-on, DB, lockdown on the field…I really enjoy watching the player develop and I even more enjoy getting to know (Jaire) the person off the field because he’s a really special guy and I enjoy his presence in our locker room.”
That’s coming from QB1, the reigning league MVP, the superstar quarterback who doesn’t give that sort of praise to just anyone.
When Woodson signed with the Packers in 2006, his impact was felt right from the get-go. Even though he was the newest member of the Packers, it became clear that he would be a leader from the start.
Like Woodson, Alexander came in as a first-round pick and made an immediate impact on the defense. As a result, he’s mentioned alongside Jalen Ramsey in the conversation about the league’s best cornerbacks.
Like Woodson, you won’t find a teammate who has a negative thing to say about Alexander. Any Packer will speak about how grounded Alexander is and how much of a spark plug he is for the locker room. He balances both sides perfectly.
The Packers enter this season with plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and a lot is riding on defensive coordinator Joe Barry. Woodson was the clear-cut locker-room leader on the Packers during his time in Green Bay. They have plenty of veterans on defense like Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, and Preston Smith, but nobody is better suited to take the reins than Jaire Alexander. He’s looking more and more like a Charles Woodson type every day.
