Jonathan Goff
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Goff is an American football
linebacker
for the New York Giants
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Vanderbilt
.
at St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts
, an academic and all-male private high school. During his career he started at many positions including safety, wide receiver
, quarterback
, running back
, and linebacker
. In football, he was a two year captain and an All-conference selection in 2001 and 2002. He also played basketball
and was captain of the track
team, where he succeeded immensely, breaking a longstanding record in the discus. His senior year, he broke St. John's long standing discus record and later that season, he broke his own discus record.
. He played in 46 games with 36 starts, recording 307 tackles
, 15.5 tackles for losses, 6.5 sacks
, three interceptions, three forced fumble
s, and one blocked kick. As a senior in 2007, he was Second-team All-Southeastern Conference
, team captain, leading the squad for the 2nd straight year with a career-high 113 tackles (61 solo), ranking 4th in the conference with an average of 9.42 tackles per game. He Had 3 sacks, 6.5 stops for losses and 6 quarterback pressures and he deflected 5 passes and picked off 2 others for 12 yards in returns. In 2006 Goff was a defensive captain and started every game at middle linebacker, extending career consecutive start streak to 27 games. He was named Second-team All-Southeastern Conference he topped Commodores with 67 solo tackles and 93 total tackles, and ranked among team leaders with four quarterback hurries (T-1st), six tackles for loss (T-5th), 2.5 quarterback sacks (5th) and two forced fumbles (T-3rd In 2005 he concluded season as team's third leading tackler with 47 solo stops and 63 total tackles including tackles for loss (3) and quarterback hurries (2) and sack and two defensed passes. In 2004 he played in every game, starting final four outings at middle linebacker. In 2003 he redshirted.
Goff graduated in December 2007 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. On November 13, 2009, Goff recorded his first career interception on a pass by Donovan McNabb
against the Philadelphia Eagles
. In the Giants' game against the Washington Redskins
the following week, Goff recorded his first career sack, against quarterback
Jason Campbell
. In 2010, he became the starting middle linebacker. He tore his right anterior cruciate ligament
during practice prior to week 1, ending his 2011 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
.
Early years
Jonathan Goff was born to Gwendolyn Tyre and Tobie Goff in Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised by his mother in Stoneham, Massachusetts, with his older brother, Jason. Goff grew up swimming and playing soccer, tennis and basketball. Goff qualified for the Johns Hopkins Gifted and Talented student program based on SAT scores received when he was twelve years old. He began playing football in the 8th grade in the Wakefield (Massachusetts) Pop Warner League. Goff played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
, an academic and all-male private high school. During his career he started at many positions including safety, wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. In football, he was a two year captain and an All-conference selection in 2001 and 2002. He also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and was captain of the track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team, where he succeeded immensely, breaking a longstanding record in the discus. His senior year, he broke St. John's long standing discus record and later that season, he broke his own discus record.
College career
Goff played college football at Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. He played in 46 games with 36 starts, recording 307 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, 15.5 tackles for losses, 6.5 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, three interceptions, three forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, and one blocked kick. As a senior in 2007, he was Second-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, team captain, leading the squad for the 2nd straight year with a career-high 113 tackles (61 solo), ranking 4th in the conference with an average of 9.42 tackles per game. He Had 3 sacks, 6.5 stops for losses and 6 quarterback pressures and he deflected 5 passes and picked off 2 others for 12 yards in returns. In 2006 Goff was a defensive captain and started every game at middle linebacker, extending career consecutive start streak to 27 games. He was named Second-team All-Southeastern Conference he topped Commodores with 67 solo tackles and 93 total tackles, and ranked among team leaders with four quarterback hurries (T-1st), six tackles for loss (T-5th), 2.5 quarterback sacks (5th) and two forced fumbles (T-3rd In 2005 he concluded season as team's third leading tackler with 47 solo stops and 63 total tackles including tackles for loss (3) and quarterback hurries (2) and sack and two defensed passes. In 2004 he played in every game, starting final four outings at middle linebacker. In 2003 he redshirted.
Goff graduated in December 2007 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-2 * | 245 * | 4.63 * | 1.50 * | 2.64 * | 4.26 * | 6.86 * | 35½" * | 9'10" * | 28 * | 29 * | |||||||||
| * represents NFL Combine NFL Combine The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general... |
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New York Giants
Goff was drafted by the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. On November 13, 2009, Goff recorded his first career interception on a pass by Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the Giants' game against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
the following week, Goff recorded his first career sack, against quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. In 2010, he became the starting middle linebacker. He tore his right anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
during practice prior to week 1, ending his 2011 season.