Andre Goodman might have turned 31 years old this past August, during his eighth year in the NFL, but when it comes to football, consider him a late bloomer.
Goodman, who grew up in Greenville, S.C., didn’t play a down of competitive football until his junior year of high school, and that was as a wide receiver. His first significant action as a defensive back wasn’t until his junior year at the University of South Carolina.
It only makes it all the more impressive that Goodman ended up a third-round draft pick in 2002, by the Detroit Lions, and has played in nearly 100 NFL games, with 64 starts.
Goodman was with the Dolphins last year and signed with the Broncos as a free agent in March. He has two interceptions this season. He is married (Shana) and has three children: sons Fabian (8) and Andre II (6) and daughter Kennedy (4).
Q: What took you so long to start playing football?
A: I just loved basketball and didn’t care to do anything else. I went out for football almost as a dare — someone challenged me to play.
Q: How did that turn into a college scholarship?
A: It’s high school, so a lot of time you’re just more athletic than the guy on the other side of the ball, and I only played wide receiver, never played defense. Only time they put me in on defense was in end-of-the-game situations. I played receiver and I only knew two routes, a slant and a slant-go. That’s it, and that’s what got me to college.
Q: How did you end up playing cornerback?
A: I got recruited as a receiver, but didn’t run one route when I got to South Carolina. We worked out one day and they moved me to corner. When the head coach calls you in the office and says, “We want you at cornerback,” you don’t say “Nah, I want to play receiver.”
Q: What was that transition like, from offense to defense?
A: I had to learn how to tackle. I had never tackled in high school, so I had to learn everything about that side of the ball. That first two-a- day camp, because when everyone else was going once, they’d make me go four times in a row. Go again, go again, go again. It got pretty bloody for me. It was a great introduction to the game of football for me, because even though I played some in high school, I wasn’t really introduced to football, because I just ran away from everybody. On the defensive side of the ball, that’s football.
Q: Your wife and three kids didn’t move to Denver with you for this season. How difficult has that been?
A: I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. I honestly thought I was strong enough, and I thought football would take up enough of my time, because even when she was with me in Miami, when you’re in season, football is what you do. So I kind of thought, if I can’t be the father I want to be, let me come up here and focus on football. But it’s just me and a book, and it gets tough. A lot tougher than I thought it would be. I wouldn’t ever do it again.
Q: How have you stayed in touch?
A: I tried the Skype, we did that for a good couple of weeks, but I’m not good at small talk, and she knows that. My daughter is a chatterbox, though. She will talk to me for 30 minutes about school. I can put the phone down, go get lunch and come back and she’ll still be talking. She forces me to talk.
Q: What have you learned from being a parent?
A: A lot of patience, and it has just simplified life. I don’t have desires outside of my wife and kids. At the end of the day, if I can be a guidance for them, that’s a great purpose for me.
Q: What do you see yourself doing when your football career is over?
A: I always wanted to be a guidance counselor in a school. That’s where I always thought I’d end up. . . . I would love to go back to school. I’m actually looking forward to going back to school. That will be primary when I’m done.
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
About Goodman
Position: Right cornerback
Age: 31
Hometown: Greenville, S.C.
College: South Carolina
NFL career: Third round (No. 68 overall) draft pick in 2002 by Detroit. Played four years for the Lions and three for the Dolphins before signing with Denver in March.
Season stats: Nine starts, 21 total tackles, one sack, two interceptions, five pass break-ups.
Career stats: 64 starts, 231 total tackles, 14 interceptions, 65 pass break-ups, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries.
