KKK Tried to Burn Down Our Home When I Was 11, Says Super Bowl Champion Rod Woodson

Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson has said that when he was just 11 years old, the Ku Klux Klan tried to burn down his family's home. He recounted the terrifying experience during an appearance on OutKick's 'The Craig Carton Show.' Woodson's father was Black and his mother was White.

Woodson said he woke up at about 2:00 in the morning. Their house had only two bedrooms; his parents' bedroom was on one side, and the three boys stayed in the other bedroom. He said, 'I wake up, I look and I see this flickering, these lights outside of the back of our window and I'm like, What the heck?'

He said he looked and their house was on fire, right below their window. He then ran to get his father and notify him that the house was on fire. The family got out of the house, and the fire department conducted an investigation.

Woodson said they received a letter a week later from the KKK saying, 'If you guys don't get your mixed race butts out of this area, it's going to happen again.' He said, 'And so, it was the KKK.'

The 61-year-old grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He said the Ku Klux Klan doused the house in gasoline, but dogs began barking, causing the attackers to flee before returning. By the time they returned, the gasoline had partially dried, preventing the house from immediately going up in flames.

Woodson said they were 'very blessed' that the gasoline had dried a little bit. He said, 'We stayed in the same house, you know, for all my childhood until I got to high school and then we moved out a little bit further out.'

The 11-time Pro Bowler said the Black Panthers also gave his family issues because they were half-White, saying there were letters and calls to the house.

Recalling his father's words, Woodson said his father used to say, 'You are who you are. You're your best of both worlds. Everybody's gonna ask you to choose, What are you? You black? Why? What are you? What are you?' Woodson said they still ask that question, and his answer is, 'Listen, I am who I am.'

Woodson played in the NFL for 18 seasons, spending 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one with the San Francisco 49ers, four with the Baltimore Ravens and two with the then-Oakland Raiders.

In his illustrious career, Woodson played in 238 games, recording 1,158 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 71 interceptions.