OAKLAND — There are times when Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson communicate with little more than a look and a nod.

It’s a world known to precious few, one that includes early athletic superiority, explosive play-making ability, a crowning achievement within a team setting and, finally, inexplicable success at a relatively advanced age.

“We’ve been in the same position, and I think we played the game in similar ways,” Charles Woodson said. “As a player, it’s a natural thing. It’s not like anyone has to tell you, ‘When you get this, this is going to happen.’ You just kind of know it. I’m pretty sure he was the same way.

“There isn’t a whole lot that needs to be said.”

Charles and Rod Woodson were teammates with the Raiders in 2002 and 2003, with Charles injured through most of 2002, Rod out for most of 2003 and the organization going from AFC champions to a run of losing seasons that continues to this day.

Charles will be at free safety and Rod on the sideline coaching the defensive secondary when the Raiders host the New York Jets on Sunday (1:05 p.m.).

They’re not related but may as well be brothers, given the way their careers took shape.

“We both played outside corner, we played nickel, dime, we played safety,” Rod Woodson said.

Rod Woodson, 50, was a first-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Purdue in 1986. He quickly established himself as a star player, at which time Charles, while growing up in Fremont, Ohio, was idolizing Walter Payton, Deion Sanders and, yes, a young Rod Woodson.

“As far as watching the back end, Rod was definitely one of my guys,” Charles said.

Now the Woodsons can’t turn a page in the record book without bumping into each other.

Rod is third all-time in interceptions with 71, Charles is tied for sixth with 64 — including four this season at age 39. They are tied for first all-time with Darren Sharper with 13 defensive touchdowns.

Each was a fixture in the Pro Bowl — Rod 11 times and Charles with eight. Rod was the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 1993, Charles won the award in 2009 with Green Bay.

When the Woodsons won a Super Bowl, it came with an organization other than the team that drafted them. With Rod at free safety, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens won the championship (including an AFC title game win over Charles’ Raiders). With Charles as a jack-of-all-trades corner, the Green Bay Packers became world champions in 2009.

With Charles battling through a broken shoulder and then a broken ankle in 2002, and Rod going down with a knee injury that would end his career in 2003, they never excelled on the same team at the same time as players.

Now Rod is urging Charles to break the record they share for defensive touchdowns.

“Obviously, he’s a future Hall of Famer, a first-ballot, gold-jacket guy. We all know that,” Rod said. “But what I didn’t know about him was how tough he is mentally. I mean, he’s been banged up and beat up out there. He could shut it down in practice or games and nobody would blame him. But he’s been out there every play.”

When Rod was 37, he had eight interceptions for the Raiders and his 98-yard interception return against Denver on a Monday night helped turn a 4-4 season into an AFC championship.

Likewise, Charles is thriving at 39 and Rod is marveling at his skill set.

“I think what separates Wood is that he’s aggressive toward the ball,” Rod said. “Most DBs are trying to get knockdowns and tackles. I don’t know how many fumbles he’s caused (27), but it’s a lot. You’ve got 11 players on offense and 11 on defense. They’re all playing for one ball and Charles knows how to get it, and that makes him valuable.”

Rod acknowledges that Charles doesn’t need much coaching. Their conversations have more to do with what Charles is seeing and how that can be related to other players.

“He can self-correct and he knows when he’s wrong, knows when he’s right,” Rod said. “What we really want is for him to speak to the young guys, for him to teach them what he knows.”

When Rod had a big year at 37, he was relying on experience as much as skill. Same goes for Charles at 39.

“Your skills diminish. Wood’s skill set, comparable to when he came from Michigan, is completely different,” Rod said. “But he’s way smarter than he’s ever been. He knows angles and he anticipates. He’s seen every formation. He sees it, believes it, and he goes.

“Plus, his name is Woodson, so that’s pretty good too.”

For more on the Raiders, visit the Inside the Oakland Raiders blog at ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders.