His 2012 team went 10-2, won the Colonial Conference Patriot Division title and lost to two undefeated teams - South Jersey Group 2 champions West Deptford and South Jersey Group 1 titlists Penns Grove.
"I tried to teach these kids to win ball games but also to learn how to win in life," Valentine said. "I wanted them to learn something that would be of value to them for the rest of their lives, that they could use to be good fathers, good husbands, good people."
Paulsboro coach Glenn Howard, whose teams battled Woodbury in the Colonial Patriot and in South Jersey Group 1, said Valentine's retirement was a big loss for South Jersey football.
"He's one of my favorite people in the whole coaching profession in South Jersey," Howard said. "He's a class guy."
Valentine said he was fortunate to have a veteran coaching staff that included longtime coaches such as Butch Gale, Willie Murray, Al Mailahn and Jimmer Bundy, among others.
"I was so lucky to have great assistant coaches," Valentine said.
Valentine, 55, plans to remain at Woodbury as a health and physical education teacher. He took over the football program before the 2002 season after six years as an assistant under former coach Jim Boyd.
Valentine, a linebacker at East Carolina University, was a second-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1979 draft. He spent three years with the Steelers and played with the Eagles in 1982 and 1983.
Valentine earned a Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh.
"Football is part of my life but it's not my life," Valentine said. "I want to sit back and enjoy some other things in life."
Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com. Follow on Twitter @PhilAnastasia.
