American football player (born 1962)
American football player
Michael Carroll Wooten (born October 23, 1962) is a former American football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins during the 1987 NFL season. He played college football at VMI.
Early life
Wooten was born in Roanoke, Virginia. His family moved to Smithfield, North Carolina in 1969 when his father, Carroll Wooten, was hired as an assistant principal and assistant football coach at Smithfield-Selma High School.[1] While attending Smithfield-Selma, Wooten participated in football, wrestling and track. In football, he was an all-state and all-conference selection at tight end and defensive end, playing in the North-South All-Star Game after his senior season.[1] He graduated in 1981.
College career
Wooten attended and played college football at the Virginia Military Institute. His senior year, he was selected as co-captain and received pre-season all-American honors. He graduated with a degree in economics before being commissioned as a Second lieutenant in the United States Army.[1]
Professional career
Wooten played for the Washington Redskins in the 1987 season. The 1987 season began with a 24-day players' strike, reducing the 16-game season to 15. The games for weeks 4–6 were won with all replacement players, including Wooten. The Redskins have the distinction of being the only team with no players crossing the picket line.[2] Those three victories are often credited with getting the team into the playoffs and the basis for the 2000 film The Replacements.
In 2018, Wooten was awarded a Super Bowl ring for playing for the Redskins in 1987, the year they won Super Bowl XXII.[3]
Officiating career
Wooten is now a football referee in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the position of umpire and he was selected to officiate the 2008 ACC Championship Game in Tampa, Florida.[4]
Personal life
Wooten was named to the Johnston County Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. He is married and has two children, Michael and Meredith. His son played as a tight end for the Campbell football team.[1]
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