NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson shares a valuable parallel between football and golf

University of Michigan legend and NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson refuses to put aside his Wolverine pride, even for a certain Buckeye.

This interview originally appeared in the December 2025 issue GOLF Magazine.

GOLF: What is your favorite part of golf?

Charles Woodson: That there is always room for improvement and that you can never figure out the game. No matter how well you play one day, the next day can be completely different. You can play a golf course one day and tomorrow the golf course would look and play completely different. But it’s the same golf course. And so you can never perfect it. It’s a hard game, but it’s fun and it’s always a challenge to try to get better.

G: What are some of the biggest parallels you see between football and golf?

CW: I played defense and in that position you have to have a short-term memory because a lot of things are going to happen on the football field. If you get defeated, you should forget about it pretty quickly. In golf you can be playing well, and then suddenly you hit a wayward shot and you’re in trouble. You have to forget that, because there are 18 holes. You must have a short-term memory.

G: You started with Woodson Bourbon Whiskey. Fuzzy Zoeller has his own brand of whiskey, and he once said that when he wasn’t playing well, he wouldn’t mind tasting a product on the golf course to help him play better. Have you ever thought about tasting your own product on the golf course?

CW: [Laughs] I was thinking about it this morning! My friends asked me if I had a product. I was like, “No, man.” I was putting the stuff away. But tomorrow there might be a product. I have a large golf bag.

G: Michigan and Ohio State don’t always see eye to eye. If you had the opportunity to play golf with Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus, would you be willing to ignore your distaste for Ohio State for a few hours?

CW: Not a chance, because he wouldn’t forget his dislike for Michigan! It means the rivalry is alive and well, and I’m sure if I had the chance to play with him he would tell me something about the championship they won this year. We won it last year. You have to keep that up.

G: At last year’s American Century in Lake Tahoe, you defeated both Larry the Cable Guy and Blake Griffin. They’re both here this year. Do you think you’ll remind them of that?

CW: We’ll see. Let’s get through the tournament first.

G: You played in the Pro Football Hall of Fame golf tournament in Ohio. Are there any Hall of Fame football players who you think could also be Hall of Fame golfers?

This interview, conducted during the 2025 American Century Championship, has been edited for length and clarity.