ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Charles Woodson had gotten word that Oakland fans had mobilized through social media to hold a rally at his

Posted in IYH Forums by jokergreen0220 at 09:08, Feb 13 2020

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Charles Woodson had gotten word that Oakland fans had mobilized through social media to hold a rally at his free-agent visit to the Raiders. Even Woodson was blown away by the reception that included more than a hundred fans decked out in Raiders gear and costumes waiting at the team facility for his arrival Tuesday. "It was overwhelming," he said Wednesday. "I think that if at any time Id ever forgotten what the love was like in Oakland, I was definitely reminded yesterday." The love from the fans, the belief in general manager Reggie McKenzies rebuilding project and a one-year contract worth up to $4.3 million all led to Woodsons decision to return to his original team seven years after leaving as a free agent for Green Bay. "I was actually scared of leaving the facility and not having a deal done," he said. "I dont know if I would have made it out of there. But that was a big deal, and receiving that kind of welcome, it definitely put me in a mindset that it would be a good decision to make it happen." Woodson came into free agency after being released by Green Bay in February looking to play for a Super Bowl contender and met with upper echelon teams San Francisco and Denver during the process. Nothing came together with the 49ers and the Broncos werent willing to make the same commitment as the Raiders, leading to Woodsons decision to sign with Oakland. While the Raiders are coming off a four-win season and havent made the playoffs since Woodsons fifth season in 2002, he has trust in McKenzie after spending six seasons together in Green Bay where McKenzie worked in the Packers front office "After talking to Reggie, I got a good feel about how he felt about the team and that just really gave me confidence that theyre going in the right direction," he said. "Going into the facility yesterday, I felt good about where things stood, and if I signed I was going to be going to a team that has good players on the team. The game is about fundamentals and playing good football, and they have some good players, and if we can put it together then well win games." Woodson, the fourth overall pick in 1998 by Oakland, returns to the Raiders as a safety at age 36. He will likely slide in at free safety in place of the departed Michael Huff and the Raiders will use his versatility to upgrade a defence that struggled last season. Woodson said he has fully recovered from a broken collarbone that sidelined him for nine regular season games last year. Woodson is an eight-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has 55 career interceptions, 17 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and 11 interception returns for touchdowns in eight seasons in Oakland and seven in Green Bay. "Im just going to bring the intensity," he said. "Im a football player so Im going to bring a lot of intensity, somebody thats passionate about the game, and a guy that knows how to make plays. Thats what Im going to bring. I think when guys watch me play, I think that raises the level of other guys because of the way I play the game. Im going to bring that mindset, that mentality to the game, the same as I always have and have fun doing it." One of Woodsons first orders of business will be negotiating with new teammate Tracy Porter to get his old No. 24 jersey back. He wore that uniform in his first stint with the Raiders, owns a Napa winery called TwentyFour and has many fans eager to bring out their old Woodson jerseys to wear to games next fall. "Well definitely have to have that conversation," Woodson said. "We havent had it yet. Raider Nation has me back but I dont know if theyll have me back without the 24 on my back." Custom Saints Jersey China . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Vonn Bell Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.customsaintsjersey.com/custom-mario-edwards-jr-jersey-large-2312e.html . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. Bruce Clark Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Keith Mitchell Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. NEW YORK -- Brock Yates, a longtime auto racing journalist who helped launch the popular and off-beat Cannonball Run races in the early 1970s and wrote the hit movie of the same name, has died.Yates died Wednesday in the western New York city of Batavia, according to his son, Brock Yates Jr. Yates was 82 and had been suffering from Alzheimers.For decades, Yates was an editor and columnist at Car and Driver and he started the Cannonball RRun to protest what he considered unduly strict traffic laws.ddddddddddddHe later became a screenplay writer, working on Smokey and the Bandit II and then The Cannonball Run, which came out in 1981 and starred Burt Reynolds. He also wrote more than a dozen books and was a racing commentator for CBS television. ' ' '