BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns and the Haslam Sports Group (HSG) are thrilled to welcome Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee, Super Bowl Champion and Ohio Native Charles Woodson as a limited partner to the ownership group for the Cleveland Browns. The non-controlling minority interests were approved at the National Football League (NFL) Spring Meetings in Eagan, Minnesota today, making this the first time a minority owner has been added to the organization since the Haslam's became controlling owners in 2012.
With Woodson's addition to the ownership group, he will immediately become an asset for the entire Browns organization and the National Football League. Over the last several years the NFL has continued to encourage diversity in NFL ownership. In support of the NFL's efforts, Derrick Heggans of Shepherd Park Sports Properties facilitated the introduction between Woodson and the Haslam Family with a lunch meeting in early 2024, eventually leading to the partnership.
"Charles has left an incredible legacy on the field, forever engraving himself as one of the greatest collegiate and NFL players of all time, but the work he's continued to do off the field and his entrepreneurial spirit emphasized what a great fit he is for our organization," said Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. "As he is an Ohio native, we're so thrilled to have Charles on board as a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns because he knows how much football means to this community. We know he will be instrumental in helping shape the future of the club through his insight and leadership and we are looking forward to having him as part of our ownership group."
"Growing up in Fremont, Ohio, it was a dream come true to play in the National Football League. In my wildest childhood dreams, I never considered the opportunity to become a limited partner of an NFL team, let alone the Cleveland Browns in my home state of Ohio. It is among my greatest honors to join the Haslam and Johnson families and the entire Haslam Sports Group to become a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns, one of the NFL's most storied franchises," said Woodson. "Over the last year, I've enjoyed getting to know the leadership team at the Browns and I'm excited about the opportunity to be a part of the bright future for this team and to help be a resource for the entire organization as well as the NFL. I want to thank Dee and Jimmy Haslam for providing me this amazing opportunity and Derrick Heggans for presenting this rare opportunity to me and facilitating the process."
Woodson has an incredibly decorated career on the field, starting in high school where he won the state of Ohio's "Mr. Football" in 1994, then at the University of Michigan where he won the Heisman Trophy Award in 1997 and led the 1998 co-National Champion Wolverines team. He was drafted as the 4th overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and played 18 seasons in the NFL – a nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time First-Team All Pro, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and won Super Bowl XLV as part of the Green Bay Packers. Woodson also holds the record for the most consecutive seasons with an interception returned for a touchdown with six, tied for the most career defensive touchdowns in NFL history with 13 and has 65 career interceptions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
In his post-playing career, Woodson has been involved in various endeavors. He currently serves as an analyst for "FOX NFL Kickoff" on FOX Sports while also serving as a defensive coach for his son's Lake Nona High School football team in Orlando. In 2019, he launched Intercept Wines by Charles Woodson and in 2020 became the first Black former professional football player to achieve national distribution on a wine brand. He launched Woodson Bourbon Whiskey in 2020. Over the past 10 years, through the dedication and generosity of supporters, the Woodson Fund and the Event on Main have raised approximately $6.5 million for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. These efforts have played a vital role in advancing pediatric care, supporting groundbreaking research, and bringing hope to countless families.
Woodson currently resides in Orlando with his wife April and their two sons.
