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100-Yards: Get to know Rod Woodson, the head coach of the Vegas Vipers

XFL Rod Woodson
Posted at 1:50 PM, Feb 15, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-17 16:15:41-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Join KTNV sports reporter Tina Nguyen as she walks 100 yards with Rod Woodson, the new head coach of the Vegas Vipers!

100 Yards: Vegas Vipers head coach, Rod Woodson

Tina Nguyen: We are joined today by the head coach of the Vegas Vipers, Rod Woodson! Coach, when you step onto a football field, what memories come back to you?

Rod Woodson: Oh, my gosh. From childhood, when I was 9 years old just starting to play football in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Powell Raiders. Also, just loving the game, loving being out with all the players, and bringing all the different individuals from different parts of the city together for one common goal. Football may have always been it for me — being on this grass has always been fun. I'm an Indiana guy — kind of a country guy — so I'm a grassroots football junkie. You know, I love the basics of football.

Nguyen: How did growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana shape the person that you are today?

Woodson: When I grew up in Indiana, I was biracial and born in the 60s, though I grew up in the 70s. We had our lumps — my dad's from the south and my mother's from the north, my dad was African American and my mom was German. Some of my dad's family didn't like my mother because of the color of her skin, and some of my mother's family didn't like my dad because of the color of his skin. So I realized at a young age that family is deeper than the color of your skin — it's really a belief that involves being on the same page and having the same values.

Nguyen: For anyone who has coached before, the goal is to always be the head guy. So what have you learned so far in your first job as a head coach?

Woodson: I'm an administrator — like a supervisor — I'm overlooking everything. So it's not that [I] can't input because [I'm] now the head coach, but it's definitely a delicate balance between trusting the people that you hired to do their jobs and giving a little input here and there.

Nguyen: As you embark on this journey as a head coach, what do you hope to build and accomplish with the Vegas Vipers?

Woodson: First, as I told [the players] in our first meeting, I want them to believe in the person they see in the mirror — that's very critical. If that player doesn't believe in themselves, they'll never accomplish anything in life. Secondly, I want them to be a better version of themselves tomorrow than they are today. The only way to do that is be honest with yourself — be honest with the person that you see in the mirror. And we're going to be honest, as coaches. I think that's the only way that anybody can grow, so if you can grow as a mature individual person, then I can have mature players. I've never seen an immature individual be a mature football player, it's never gonna happen. So we're looking for those guys, who aren't thinking about the obligation, but the opportunities.

Nguyen: The opportunity for these guys to get the chance to play in the NFL, what does that really mean to some of these players that do take the field?

Woodson: For so many guys, it's needed. Football is the only sport that doesn't have a minor league, because the feeder league is college.

But there's a gap between guys who come on in college and the guys who are still learning skills or struggling with something that's not quite clicking. It's not about being athletic, it's more mental than physical. But we want to keep teaching those guys because it's really a simple game, but it's not easy to play at a high level on a consistent basis.

Nguyen: Rod Woodson, the head coach at the Vegas Vipers. Thank you so much for your time, we appreciate it!

The Vegas Vipers season will kick off their season against the Arlington Renegades on Saturday on ESPN/ABC at 2 p.m.