Damien Woody and Mike Tannenbaum have crossed paths in Bristol hallways as colleagues at ESPN. But they also spent time with one another with the New York Jets, with the two-time Super Bowl champion anchoring the right side of the offensive line and Tannebaum serving as the team’s general manager.
It was Tannebuam, who worked in tandem with then-head coach Eric Mangini, who signed Woody to a five-year, $25 million contract with $11 million in guaranteed money. He was part of an offensive line that included the likes of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, and Brandon Moore. However, Woody, who has been with ESPN since he announced his retirement in 2011, only played three seasons for Gang Green. That’s because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a Wild Card round win over the Indianapolis Colts.
While this story has been told before, Tannebaum offered a different perspective, touting Woody during an appearance on ESPN’s This is Football podcast with Kevin Clark.
Clark asked Tannebaum who is the most “badass” player he’s ever worked with.
Five minutes of amazing Rex Ryan Jets stories with @RealTannenbaum.
-Damien Woody winning a playoff game on a blown achilles.
-Rex not practicing kick returns after announcing the other team can't score.
-Wanting the opponent to know it's a run. pic.twitter.com/Xd0mvFd2IV— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) October 5, 2023
“This one is really easy for me, Damien Woody finished an NFL playoff game with a torn Achilles and played right tackle,” Tannenbaum explained. “There are just moments in your life, like, to win a road playoff game is the absolutely most indescribable thing. It was awesome. I’m standing at the front of the locker room. We’re in Indianapolis. We beat the Colts. Road playoff win. And I will never forget it. I will go to my grave.
“We had white jerseys on there’s this massive red Gatorade punch stain on the front of [Woody’s] jersey. I got a suit on and I’m hugging one guy after the next, totally euphoric. And here’s D-Wood walking in, completely somber. You see D-Wood on TV, he’s a big, jovial, happy guy. We just had a road f’n playoff win and I’ll never forget, he walked in totally mundane and I’m like, ‘What is wrong with you?’ Everyone’s going apoplectic. And he was in so much pain. He was playing literally on one leg. You could actually watch him play with no Achilles tendon. I don’t think there’s another feat in North American sports history that is more consequential, more heroic, and defies medical logic than Damien Woody finishing an NFL playoff game at right tackle with no Achilles tendon.”
Following New York’s 17-16 win over Indianapolis, the Jets traveled to Foxborough and upset New England in the Divisional Round. They did so without Woody, who was placed on injured reserve. Woody had just returned to the lineup, after missing three games at the end of the regular season due to arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He was then dealing with a torn Achilles at the end of his career. The Jets released Woody and he retired a few months later.
No, Woody didn’t try any experimental Achilles treatment(s) like Aaron Rodgers is doing. Instead, he’s still showing off his toughness on ESPN’s Get Up and still rooting for the Jets.
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) October 5, 2023
