Steelers legend Rod Woodson sounded like he was talking about executing a successful NFL defense.
Recognition. Accurate diagnosis. Self-awareness. Knowing where your help is. Decisive action.
But the NFL Hall of Famer wasn’t talking about how to execute a zone blitz, or the concepts of the 3-4. He was talking about something that’s affected his family away from football.
Cancer.
Now the retired Super Bowl champion is doing what he can to help people win their battles against it.
Woodson is one of the NFL Alumni members who has jumped on board a joint effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand its “GEAR UP Against Cancer” program to various NFL markets. One of them is Pittsburgh, where Woodson played from 1987-96.
The campaign — which plans to feature media interviews, public service announcements, and social media outreach — is designed to encourage fans of the league to get screened against various forms of cancer, especially lung cancer.
“The smartest thing to do in our lives as we get older is to get our yearly checkups,” Woodson said during an interview last week. “We grew up in an era where my mom smoked, and the windows were up in the car. Luckily, I haven’t had any issues with any type of lung cancer. But, I know some family members who did smoke, and they did have lung cancer. They caught it early. Getting screened is the easiest, best way to try to combat this thing.”
However, a significant message from the initiative is to make people aware that lung cancer isn’t limited to just smokers. CDC data states that 10% to 20% of lung cancers (roughly 20,000 to 40,000) each year occur in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
Factors such as genetics, air pollution, radon, asbestos and second-hand smoke exposure are all potential risks.
“We always say, ‘You have to be a smoker to get it.’ That’s not a true statement,” Woodson said. “If you are exposed to (one of those factors) for a period of time, it can give you lung cancer. The smartest and best thing to do is to find that early detection. Go out there and get screened.”
As Woodson noted, some people fear screenings because they fear the potential of a positive test. But he suggested that doing nothing out of fear of bad news is the worst possible approach.
“I’ve been thinking about doing different things in my life and with my mental health and my brain. I’m like, ‘Do I really want to know if I do have anything wrong with me?’ That’s probably the worst-case scenario of how we should think as human beings. But we look at our family members and our friends and the people who still want to be with us — who still count on us — then we should do the little things that are easier,” Woodson continued. “Get screened yearly to make sure everything is fine, or, if there is an early detection of it, the modern technology and advancements they’ve had fighting cancer — especially lung cancer in the U.S. —have just been tremendous.”
For Woodson, this initiative is personal.
“People in my family have different types of cancer. My wife was just screened for skin cancer, and she had early signs of it, and had to get some of that removed from her, from her upper nose area,” Woodson added. “I just want to get the word out there to have people do their part to maintain a healthier life.”
Woodson discussed some other topics as well:
• Woodson currently serves as a color commentator for Baltimore Ravens broadcasts. He won Super Bowl XXXV with that team. While Woodson spoke to TribLive prior to Mike Tomlin’s resignation, we were able to get his thoughts on the Ravens dismissing John Harbaugh after 18 years on the job.
He says owner Steve Bisciotti wanted Harbaugh to “move on from a couple of coaches,” and Harbaugh balked at that idea, as was reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
A key pressure point in the John Harbaugh dismissal, according to those familiar with today’s discussions, was his refusal to entertain any conversations about potentially moving on from offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 6, 2026
“Steve decided to go in a different direction. Do you get a better coach than John Harbaugh? No. Do you get another coach who came through Baltimore in some form or fashion? Probably, but is he going to be better than John Harbaugh? They’re like the Steelers. They’ve had three coaches in their lifespan,” Woodson said. “John has been there the last 18 years. Do you get another coach who has been there 18 years? I don’t believe you will. I don’t believe you will (with) any team anymore. I don’t think that the Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh timeframe is going to be for any coach in the league anymore. I think the max would be 10 years for most coaches in this league, and they will be done.”
• Woodson, who was on the broadcast for that wild regular-season finale in the Ravens’ booth at Acrisure Stadium, also discussed what it’s like to see two of his former teams do battle under such intense circumstances twice a year.
“What I tell people all the time, I’m biracial in life. I’m biracial in football. The Steelers and the Ravens are so similar — everything they do outside of the colors, outside of the cities that they reside in,” Woodson said. “The way the Rooney family and Steve Bisciotti run their organizations, the way the head coaches run their organizations, it’s rare. … It is always fun to call those games. It is always fun to watch those games. It is good to have that hard-hitting, old-school vibe to it. That was always refreshing to see in the modern era of football.”
• While Woodson won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000-01, he went to another in 1995-96 with the Steelers. The 30th anniversary of Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys is Jan. 28. While the Steelers lost that game 27-17, Woodson still has fond memories of the experience.
“Anytime you can get into the Super Bowl and have an opportunity to win one — to be the best of the best — it’s pretty amazing,” Woodson said. “Those are blessings that you can never forget. You always have an opportunity to reminisce and be around your buddies.”
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