QA with Richard Goodman
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By Gene Williams & Aslan Hajivandi
The number one feel good story for the summer workouts is the outstanding performances turned in by freshman Richard Goodman. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver has been tearing up the passing drills and no defensive back has been able to contain him.
The first few weeks here, the players have really talked you up, and they're really impressed with you. Does that give you some reassurance that you can compete at this level?
Yeah it feels good. Just really, personally, it lets me know that hard work pays off. All the hard work as far as going into my senior year and after my senior year preparing myself to come up here. I'm just showing them what I did and what I worked on before I came here
Most of the recruiting services didn't rank you very high but the way you looked at the end of your senior year and the way you look out here it seems you should have been ranked higher. Looking back do you want to prove them wrong?
Everybody has their own opinion. Everybody is not fortunate enough as far as being in the right position; you know early in high school I made some mistakes. I was able to be blessed to have the opportunity to come play at Florida State and get the offers from Oklahoma and Auburn. Personally, I felt I was one of the top players in the country, but I wasn't fortunate enough to get the high ranking, but in the end I was able to choose where I wanted to go to school.
So you weren't bothered by the low rankings even though you knew you were a better player?
I wasn't really worried about the rankings, I just didn't want to go to a school that I wasn't happy with. Like the rankings really didn't bother me, because, like all across the country you have players that nobody knows about and they end up blowing up in college and end up playing at the next level. That's all I'm trying to do, try to make a name for myself and just show that coming out of high school I was one of the better receivers in the country.
Did you know going into your senior year you would have the offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Auburn?
I didn't think I would have them, but my coach from Pop Warner football always told me that hard work pays off. And I knew as long as I keep trying to approach this goal that I'm trying to reach as far as to play big time D1 football, that eventually they (offers) would come. I didn't think I would be at Florida State or have offers from Oklahoma, but I was just praying that I'd be playing D1 football.
As much as you improved over the last year, how does it feel to go up against guys like Antonio Cromartie? (asked before Cromartie's injury)
Cromartie, he's considered one of the best defensive backs in the country, you know, he has a big frame, he's a real big, tall guy that can run. So just being able to compete with him gives me the opportunity to better my game and hopefully give him some work as well as he's giving me.
Who do you compare yourself to? Is there a receiver out there you try to pattern yourself after?
I watch a lot of film of Peter Warrick. As far as the way he runs his routes, the things that he does after he catches the ball, I just love it. In a way he reminds me a lot of myself, my high school highlight film is a split screen with me and him, we have a lot of similarities. I don't have very much film of him in the NFL, but every other day I go up to the film room just to watch things like back when he was here, as far as the spring games and the 1-on-1's just to watch him and see how he did things to get open and make plays
Do you watch more film here than you did in high school?
Not really. The film I watched in high school was mainly just game films and highlight reels; films here as far as routes are making them quick as far as coming out of your breaks faster, and making the DB turn his hips they way that he doesn't want to…little things, as far as reading coverage and everything it's more upper level and professional.
Are the routes much different at this level?
The routes are very similar, it's just they're a little deeper. In high school the quarterback's arm isn't as strong and accurate, so at the next level you're able to push your routes a little deeper because the quarterback's arm is a lot stronger.
Will you line up at split end or flanker?
I'm hoping to do both. Personally I like to get out on the split, and to be able to showcase my talent on the DB's. I like to get in the slot against linebackers and make them miss and turn little gains into big gains.
Do you do primarily kickoff or punt returns?
I do both. I'm going to try to do both, but anything that will help lead this team to a national championship will be fine, but I'm trying to do both.
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