It isn't every day where a former player has the opportunity to become part-owner of an NFL franchise, let alone one that is less than 100 miles from their hometown. Well, that dream became a reality for one former Green Bay Packers star on Thursday.
Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson is buying a minority stake in the Cleveland Browns, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic. Much like Tom Brady, Woodson will be required to follow the same sort of broadcasting restrictions placed on the legendary quarterback after he bought a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
The difference between the stake in the Raiders that Brady owns and what Woodson is set to acquire is that Brady owns 5% of the Raiders, and Woodson's stake would be a much more modest 0.1%. That is still a large financial investment on Woodson's behalf as the Browns are valued at $5 billion, meaning his 0.1% ownership stake cost $5 million.
Woodson spent seven seasons as a core piece of the Packers' defense and played some of the best football of his career during his time in Green Gay. The Heisman Trophy winner started in all 100 of the games he played for the Packers and put up some extremely impressive numbers, totaling 467 tackles, 38 interceptions, 11.5 quarterback sacks, and 10 total touchdowns.
The fan-favorite had one of the more impressive stretches in team history from 2008-2011, as Woodson was named to four consecutive Pro Bowls and was either a first or second-team All-Pro selection. Perhaps most importantly, Woodson was on the roster that brought Green Bay an NFL championship with the Packers' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
For Woodson, becoming a part-owner of an NFL team is quite an accomplishment that he and his family should celebrate just as much as they did all of his achievements during his time in Green Bay.