Fort Wayne native and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson opened up on OutKick’s “The Craig Carton Show” about a harrowing incident from his youth. Woodson, whose father was Black and mother White, said he was 11 years old when he was awakened in the early morning by flames licking the back of his two‑bedroom house.
“I woke up, it was like 2:00 in the morning. I look up and we only had a two‑bedroom house… I look and I see this flickering light outside our window and I’m like, ‘What the heck?’” Woodson recalled, describing how he and his two brothers scrambled to get out of the bedroom while their parents rushed to the scene.
Klan Threat and Failed Arson
According to Woodson, the family later received a threatening letter from the Ku Klux Klan demanding they leave the neighborhood because of their mixed‑race background. He said the Klan had doused the house with gasoline, but the attackers were startled when neighborhood dogs began barking, causing them to flee before the gasoline could fully ignite.
“We were very blessed that the gasoline had dried a little bit,” Woodson said, noting that the partially dried fuel prevented the house from going up in flames when the perpetrators returned.
Continued Harassment
Woodson also mentioned that the Black Panthers, who were active in the area at the time, sent letters and made phone calls to his family, adding another layer of tension for the mixed‑race household. He said his father’s response was simple and steadfast: “You are who you are. You’re the best of both worlds. Everybody’s gonna ask you to choose, ‘What are you? Black? Why? What are you?’”
Woodson emphasized that those questions still surface for him today, but he remains confident in his identity, stating, “I am who I am.”
From Fort Wayne to the NFL
Woodson grew up in Fort Wayne, staying in the same home through high school before moving farther out. He later earned a 18‑year NFL career, playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders. Over 238 games, he recorded 1,158 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 71 interceptions and set an NFL record with 12 interception returns for touchdowns, culminating in a Super Bowl victory with the Ravens after the 2000 season.
His recollection of the KKK incident underscores the personal challenges faced by mixed‑race families in the Midwest during the 1970s, and serves as a reminder of the resilience required to overcome hate‑filled threats.
Woodwood’s story was shared during a recent interview, offering both a historical perspective and a personal testament to perseverance in the face of bigotry.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
