End of an era

Jet, Jan 24, 2005

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Caption: END OF AN ERA: Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson announces his retirement during a news conference in Irving, TX. The 35-year-old Woodson, the last remaining player from the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl dynasty in the 1990s, leaves the NFL after 13 stellar seasons with the team. "Every time I put that helmet on (I knew) that I was representing not only my family, not only my friends but I was representing the best," said Woodson, a five-time Pro Bowl player. "I was representing the best organization in the world." In a career that began in 1992, Woodson, who missed the entire 2004 season with a back injury, leaves as the team's career leader in tackles with 1,350. "For 13 years, he was everything you could ask for-unselfish, reliable, dependable, a team player first and a team leader always," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "He's a living, breathing example of the saying that character does matter."