6 days until kickoff, and Darren Woodson's legend is still being overlooked

We are under a week to go, everyone. Yesterday, Vontaze Burfict welcomed in the one-week mark in our countdown to kickoff - and Burfict also enjoyed a win, as he started his first season as a coach with UNLV on Saturday - and the minutes are just slipping by now.

Today, with just six days until Arizona State kicks off their season, it's time to look at another Sun Devil legend, but one who still hasn't received the recognition he truly deserves. Today, it's Darren Woodson's day.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Woodson starred at Maryvale High School as both a running back and linebacker. He dominated on the field, even scoring six touchdowns in one game once, and an ESPN article in 2008 would name him one of the best high school players in Arizona history.

Woodson decided he wanted to stay close to home for college and picked Arizona State, but a hiccup with his academics prevented him from qualifying for a scholarship. Dedicated to being a Sun Devil, Woodson walked on to the team instead.

Playing linebacker, Woodson's position coach was a young coach named Lovie Smith, who later went on to become the head coach for the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans of the NFL. Between Woodson's ferocious style of play and Smith's development ability, Woodson was named the Sun Devils' most improved player in his sophomore season, one that saw him lead the team in tackles.

Woodson remained a key cog in Arizona State's defense from there. In his three years as a starter, Woodson was named Second Team All-Pac 10 twice and First Team All-Pac 10 as a senior, as well as being named an All-American honorable mention.

As Woodson sought to pursue his NFL dreams, though, he encountered a common critique: at 6'1" and right around 220 pounds, Woodson was undersized for a linebacker. At Arizona State's pro day, Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Dave Campo asked Woodson to try some defensive back drills, working on a hunch he had.

A month later, the Cowboys drafted Woodson with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the draft, but as a safety. He ended up being the third safety off the board, despite having never actually played the position. Campo, and Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, believed that Woodson's physicality would translate to what they were looking for.

That turned out to be exactly correct.

Woodson became a starter in his second season, and never let up. He finished with a whopping 102 tackles that year, and would post at least 70 tackles in all but one of his 11 seasons as a starter. He became known as an enforcer on the Cowboys defenses that helped power the franchise to three Super Bowl wins in four years.

A five time Pro Bowler and a three time First Team All-Pro, Woodson also enjoyed rare longevity for his style of play. To this day, he remains the only Cowboys player to have played for both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, the latter of whom coached the team from 2003 to 2006.

Woodson is almost universally regarded as the greatest safety in the franchise's storied history, and some believe he may even be the best defensive player in Cowboys history.

Despite that, Woodson has yet to receive the ultimate honor. Arizona State inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2005; in 2009, he was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame; and in 2015, he became just the eighth defensive player in Cowboys history to be inducted to the team's Ring of Honor.

Yet the Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn't get the hype. Woodson has been eligible for a gold jacket since 2008, and he's been on the preliminary list of nominees every year since 2011. Year after year, though, Woodson is left out of the Hall of Fame.

This past year, Woodson watched as his Sun Devil teammate - the illustrious Eric Allen - received his gold jacket before Woodson. There's no question Allen was deserving, but Woodson's continued snubbing is curious. It seems likely to continue, too, with players like Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, and Drew Brees all being eligible for the first time next year.

Of course, the Hall of Fame isn't everything, and it doesn't erase the impact Woodson has had. He bled maroon and gold through and through, and is a Sun Devil for life that also reached the highest highs in the NFL. He's objectively deserving of a gold jacket, but having one won't change how special a player Woodson was.