Charles Woodson is getting back to his Ohio roots to take a small percentage of an ownership stake in the Cleveland Browns.
Woodson, the Fremont native and Pro Football Hall of Famer, is purchasing a 0.1% ownership stake from owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, The Athletic’s Diana Russini first reported. There was no comment from the Browns or Haslam Sports Group.
The 48-year-old Woodson would be following a similar path as his former University of Michigan teammate, Tom Brady, who recently purchased an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to Russini’s report, Woodson’s purchase of the ownership stake is “contingent upon Woodson agreeing to similar broadcasting restrictions to Raiders owner Tom Brady and removing his name, image and likeness from businesses he is involved in.” Woodson, who played for the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers over an 18-year career, owns a wine and whiskey business, but according to the report, “would cease allowing his NIL to be used on packaging for new bottles of wine and whiskey businesses he is involved in to secure his Browns ownership stake, as it violates the league’s alcohol policy.”
Forbes, in August 2024, valued the Browns at $5.15 billion. A 0.1% stake would be valued, according to those valuations, at $5.15 million.
Woodson, a three-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was a 1995 graduate of Fremont Ross High School. He was Ohio’s Mr. Football in 1994, won the 1997 Heisman Trophy at Michigan was the 1998 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The No. 4 overall pick by the Raiders in 1998, Woodson had 65 career regular-season interceptions, including 11 returned for touchdowns, with 33 forced fumbles, 18 fumble recoveries, two which were returned for scores. He was a part of the Packers team that won Super Bowl 45 in February 2011.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Charles Woodson buying a stake in Cleveland Browns from the Haslam family
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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