He grew up as a huge fan of the Cowboys because his entire family loved the team, but when C.J. Goodwin appeared to have a chance to play in the NFL, the last team he wanted to sign with was Dallas.
“Any team but, to be honest with you,” Goodwin confessed. “I didn’t want to meet my hero and have that hero disappoint me.”
After 53-man roster stints with the Atlanta Falcons (2016-17) and the Arizona Cardinals (2017), he was signed with the New York Giants for a week, with the 49ers for two months, and then Goodwin was assigned to the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals.
That is when, while he was shopping in a bedding store, his cell phone started ringing, and the conversation concerned something about the Lone Star State.
“I was in a store buying a bed, and I got this call from my agent, and he tells me I was getting signed that day and that I had to get on a flight,” he recalled. “So, I had to leave that store and go to Dallas, and I have been here ever since.
“And it is amazing to put that star on my head every time, and my family is having a blast with this. My family is even more excited for a Cowboys game now than they ever have been, and that means so much to me,” Goodwin said. “The fact that my family is so excited about this makes me the happiest of all. Yes, I am in the NFL, but the fact my family loves this makes it even more important to me. That’s what makes this my dream come true.”
Always Be Fast
While playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Goodwin was in the secondary rotation and made two huge first-half tackles against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The Falcons took a 21-3 lead into the locker room at halftime only to surrender 25 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lose 34-28.
During his two-plus seasons with the Cowboys, however, No. 29 plays only on special teams.
“When we punt, I am the gunner, and that means my job is get down field and force them to call for a fair catch. It’s all about field position when it comes to this team,” Goodwin explained. “When we kick off, I’m near the middle and pretty close to our kicker, and my job is to get down the field and mess up the play for the receiving team. I either make the tackle or make the play not what our opponents want it to be.
“When we receive a punt, my job is to go after their gunner, so our guy has a chance to make a play,” he said. “On kickoff return, I block one of their fast guys so our guy can make a play. So, in other words, I just have to be fast the whole game.”
So far this season, the Cowboys are 2-3, but in first place in the NFC East with victories against Atlanta and the Giants and losses to the Rams, Seahawks, and the Browns. During the Cowboys’ 37-34 win over New York this past Sunday, though, Dallas lost quarterback Dak Prescott for the rest of the season with a fractured ankle.
“That was a tough thing to watch when Dak went down,” Goodwin said. “He is such a great leader, so he’s going to be missed, but we’re going to rally around it, and I think we’ll come out stronger on the other end.
“Andy Dalton is a great quarterback, and he’s been in the league for a lot of years. Trust me; if you’re not good enough to on this level, they get rid of you,” he said. “That’s why I’m confident that Andy will fill that void.”
Always from Wheeling
Goodwin made it a priority soon after singing his first NFL contract with the Steelers in 2016 to return home, give back to his community, and never forget the village that raised him.
When he comes to Wheeling, know that this Dallas Cowboy is in his hometown not only to see family and friends, but also to deliver a very powerful message to the young people.
“Home will always be important to me because that’s what made me,” Goodwin said. “My family is there, and the community raised me, too. Plus, East Wheeling and the people there are very important to me, too, and that’s why I will always come home and do what I can for my community there.
“I believe there’s a lot of talent there in Wheeling, and not just in sports. In everything,” he said. “And that talent, for the most part, has been untapped, and that’s why I come home and let those young people see that it’s possible. They have to believe it’s possible, or they will quit trying.”
At the age of 30, which is not young by NFL standards these days, Goodwin and his teammates will welcome Arizona to AT&T Stadium this coming Monday night at 8:15 p.m., and that means 10 regular season games remain.
“I just have to keep my legs fresh and stay healthy because I’m going to play until they kick me out,” he said. “And that’s all I’m going to say about it. I’m going to play until they kick me out.
“And I can tell you now that this is a great organization,” Goodwin added. “I guess I didn’t think it was going to be this good, though, so the last three seasons have just been great. Now that I am here, this is definitely a dream come true for me.”
