Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson is still searching for the right ingredients to a winning recipe in the XFL.
During the windy and rainy Las Vegas evening, the Vegas Vipers head coach paced back and forth on the sidelines of Cashman Field watching his team dominate the DC Defenders in the first half. Coming out of the locker room after shutting out their opposition, the Defenders scored 18 unanswered points – spoiling the Vipers home opener.
The former Silver and Black cornerback and defensive backs coach was visibly disgruntled following the Vipers loss Saturday. With Woodson being the ultimate competitor, it's clear his disdain for losing his higher than his joy of winning. As a former player and now head coach – winning is not a luxury, but the expectation.
"I embrace it, they have to embrace," said Rod Woodson on his team looking for their first victory. "I'm not on the field anymore. So they have to figure out who they want to be, what type of team they want to be and do they want to do it every single down for a complete game. If they do that, they win. If they don't, they will lose again and we will lose again."
In attendance at the game was former Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis. He was Woodson's defensive coordinator for four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and his son is the running backs coach of the Vipers under Woodson. The longtime NFL coach has developed a strong friendship with Woodson, since winning Super Bowl XXXV alongside him.
"This is a great opportunity for Rod. This is something he wants to do, he wants to coach, so it's great experience for him," said Marvin Lewis. Two weeks into the season, everyday is a lot to learn and every week you just keep going. That's what that position is all about. ... You're in charge, so at some point you have to feel good about immersing yourself into the whole thing. Ultimately when you're the head coach, all the responsibility falls back on you."
Vipers quarterback Brett Hundley believes Woosdon has done a great job of leading his team up to this point. Hundley spent eight seasons in the NFL, accounting for 122 yards of total offense in Saturday's game. The Vipers also have three former Raiders on their roster, including wide receiver Martavis Bryant, edge rusher Vic Beasley and running back Rod Smith.
"He's been amazing since day one," said Brett Hundley. "He's been truly, truly just himself and that's what you want from a head coach. He leads well, he's obviously great in what he does so he brings a lot of experience, even for us quarterbacks. We get to meet with him and see what he's telling us about the defense we're playing. ... I just think it's an awesome opportunity for him."
Despite starting the season 0-2, Woodson knows the type of commitment it takes to win football games. He made it clear to his team they'll have to stay the course in order turn things around this season.
"I told my players 'I still believe in them.' They have to look in the mirror and see if they still believe in themselves," said Woodson. "It seemed like it waned in the second half, I'm really disappointed in that. I'm not going to change the process, they have to believe in the process."
