Post by fwp on Mar 12, 2010 19:44:02 GMT -5
www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/12/in-goodman-they-trust-wenatchee-valley-venom-wide/
It’s appropriate that the expansion Wenatchee Valley Venom have put so much faith and trust in the abilities of wide receiver Phil Goodman.
They’re both starting from scratch.
Goodman, the tremendously gifted wide receiver, is enjoying a rebirth of sorts with Wenatchee’s new indoor football franchise.
He was the first player signed by the Venom last September and has been designated as the team’s franchise player. But more importantly, perhaps, he has been given the keys to the castle by Venom coach Keith Evans and general manager Mark Helm, despite a past drug arrest and minor scraps with the law. In the six months since his arrival in Wenatchee, Goodman has criss-crossed the valley, stumping at schools, service clubs and everywhere in between for his new team.
“First of all, I’m thankful that they look at me well enough and respect me well enough to trust me to handle that responsibility well,” Goodman said. “Knowing that they have that trust and confidence in me makes me take the success of the team on and off the field more personally. I take full responsibility to be the liaison between our players and the front office. I’m heading the troops.”
When it comes to playing football, Goodman has always been up front.
From his youth in Vallejo, Calif., outside San Francisco, to Sacramento Community College and across the country to Temple University in Philadelphia, Goodman has put up big numbers and made big statements everywhere he’s been.
“I was a young cocky kid with all the hype on me,” Goodman said of his formative years. “You couldn’t tell me anything, and my head was too big to fit through the door, but I’ve always been confident about how I played.”
He had two nearly identical seasons on less-than-stellar Temple teams in 2003 and 2004, catching 47 passes for nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns.
In his first season with the Tri-Cities Fever indoor football team in 2008, Goodman had 63 catches for 846 yards and 20 touchdowns, but was suspended for the last three games of the season after being arrested after practice on an outstanding warrant from California.
His criminal troubles began in 2006, when he was picked up in Vallejo for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He spent a night in jail, before pleading down to a lesser charge and serving 16 months of probation and 30 days of house arrest.
In May 2008 and again the next month, he was pulled over for speeding in Richland without a valid driver’s license. Benton County police deemed him to be violating the terms of his probation in California and treated him as a fugitive from justice.
“Benton County told me they could hold me for up to a year, and it took 42 days of begging to get California to come up and get me,” Goodman said.
After some legal wrangling, Goodman spent Nov. 8, 2008, through Feb. 9, 2009, locked up in Solano County, California.
Family support
Today, he is open and candid about these struggles, and hopes his example can steer others towards respecting the law.
“Because my situations from the past were so publicized, it’s almost more of a respect thing from my teammates (in Wenatchee) who have noticed that I’ve been able to come out of it and still have the success I’ve had,” Goodman said. “I’ve become more of a listening ear for teammates who have gone through those negative things. We just have to be more aware of things around us. When you’re young, you can feel invincible. Immaturity is always a part of it, but where I grew up, marijuana’s almost like a cigarette. No matter how you feel about it, the law is the law, and you can’t run from it. They will follow.”
Goodman credits his mother and his grandparents for supporting him through his struggles and keeping him on the straight-and-narrow.
“They’re my supporting cast,” he said. “They let me know that I got myself into it, but they helped me get out of it. They helped me make things right and kept me grounded.”
Venom officials have been pleased with the way Goodman has handled his off-the-field responsibilities as franchise player.
“He’s done a great job. Everyone I’ve talked to at the schools or the other groups we deal with has said what a great guy he is, how articulate he is and good he is with the kids,” Helm said. “He’s taken that leadership role on the field, too. We picked the right guy.”
“He was a kid who made a mistake,” said Evans, who coached Goodman at Tri-Cities. “He manned up and dealt with it. He made a bad choice, but he’s grown up. It’s ancient history for us. He’s gone over, above and beyond everything we’ve asked him to do, on the field and off.”
Familiar faces
Partly through Goodman’s own doing, he is surrounded by familiar faces on the Venom.
“Almost everyone on this team is of some connection to me and the homes I’ve had,” Goodman said. “Will Bradley and I went to college together at Temple and know each other very well. Ruschard Dodd-Masters and I grew up together back home in Vallejo. Steven Beard is like a little brother to me. I feel very comfortable here.”
Goodman is confident that comfort level will translate to on-field success.
A born showman, Goodman is already quoting Terrell Owens when asked about what Venom fans should expect from him this season.
“T.O. says, ‘Get your popcorn ready.’ I guess here I’ll say, ‘Get your coffee and apple pie ready,’” Goodman laughed. “People can expect a show. I’m going to put on a good show. I’m going to give you your money’s worth and bring it every night.”
This time around, Goodman will take the field with a broader understanding.
“My stance in this community puts me in a situation where people will be more aware of any mistakes,” he said. “It’s a lot more than just my close circle of family and friends. There are kids that see me. There are more people depending on me, some that I don’t even know. The guy working concessions, hoping that we keep fans in the seats so they get business. The fan spending $20 on a ticket wants to see Phil Goodman help produce a win. It puts more weight on my jersey than just my shoulder pads. I take that weight with honor, because my face is the face of the team.”
Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157
adamowsky@wenworld.com
It’s appropriate that the expansion Wenatchee Valley Venom have put so much faith and trust in the abilities of wide receiver Phil Goodman.
They’re both starting from scratch.
Goodman, the tremendously gifted wide receiver, is enjoying a rebirth of sorts with Wenatchee’s new indoor football franchise.
He was the first player signed by the Venom last September and has been designated as the team’s franchise player. But more importantly, perhaps, he has been given the keys to the castle by Venom coach Keith Evans and general manager Mark Helm, despite a past drug arrest and minor scraps with the law. In the six months since his arrival in Wenatchee, Goodman has criss-crossed the valley, stumping at schools, service clubs and everywhere in between for his new team.
“First of all, I’m thankful that they look at me well enough and respect me well enough to trust me to handle that responsibility well,” Goodman said. “Knowing that they have that trust and confidence in me makes me take the success of the team on and off the field more personally. I take full responsibility to be the liaison between our players and the front office. I’m heading the troops.”
When it comes to playing football, Goodman has always been up front.
From his youth in Vallejo, Calif., outside San Francisco, to Sacramento Community College and across the country to Temple University in Philadelphia, Goodman has put up big numbers and made big statements everywhere he’s been.
“I was a young cocky kid with all the hype on me,” Goodman said of his formative years. “You couldn’t tell me anything, and my head was too big to fit through the door, but I’ve always been confident about how I played.”
He had two nearly identical seasons on less-than-stellar Temple teams in 2003 and 2004, catching 47 passes for nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns.
In his first season with the Tri-Cities Fever indoor football team in 2008, Goodman had 63 catches for 846 yards and 20 touchdowns, but was suspended for the last three games of the season after being arrested after practice on an outstanding warrant from California.
His criminal troubles began in 2006, when he was picked up in Vallejo for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He spent a night in jail, before pleading down to a lesser charge and serving 16 months of probation and 30 days of house arrest.
In May 2008 and again the next month, he was pulled over for speeding in Richland without a valid driver’s license. Benton County police deemed him to be violating the terms of his probation in California and treated him as a fugitive from justice.
“Benton County told me they could hold me for up to a year, and it took 42 days of begging to get California to come up and get me,” Goodman said.
After some legal wrangling, Goodman spent Nov. 8, 2008, through Feb. 9, 2009, locked up in Solano County, California.
Family support
Today, he is open and candid about these struggles, and hopes his example can steer others towards respecting the law.
“Because my situations from the past were so publicized, it’s almost more of a respect thing from my teammates (in Wenatchee) who have noticed that I’ve been able to come out of it and still have the success I’ve had,” Goodman said. “I’ve become more of a listening ear for teammates who have gone through those negative things. We just have to be more aware of things around us. When you’re young, you can feel invincible. Immaturity is always a part of it, but where I grew up, marijuana’s almost like a cigarette. No matter how you feel about it, the law is the law, and you can’t run from it. They will follow.”
Goodman credits his mother and his grandparents for supporting him through his struggles and keeping him on the straight-and-narrow.
“They’re my supporting cast,” he said. “They let me know that I got myself into it, but they helped me get out of it. They helped me make things right and kept me grounded.”
Venom officials have been pleased with the way Goodman has handled his off-the-field responsibilities as franchise player.
“He’s done a great job. Everyone I’ve talked to at the schools or the other groups we deal with has said what a great guy he is, how articulate he is and good he is with the kids,” Helm said. “He’s taken that leadership role on the field, too. We picked the right guy.”
“He was a kid who made a mistake,” said Evans, who coached Goodman at Tri-Cities. “He manned up and dealt with it. He made a bad choice, but he’s grown up. It’s ancient history for us. He’s gone over, above and beyond everything we’ve asked him to do, on the field and off.”
Familiar faces
Partly through Goodman’s own doing, he is surrounded by familiar faces on the Venom.
“Almost everyone on this team is of some connection to me and the homes I’ve had,” Goodman said. “Will Bradley and I went to college together at Temple and know each other very well. Ruschard Dodd-Masters and I grew up together back home in Vallejo. Steven Beard is like a little brother to me. I feel very comfortable here.”
Goodman is confident that comfort level will translate to on-field success.
A born showman, Goodman is already quoting Terrell Owens when asked about what Venom fans should expect from him this season.
“T.O. says, ‘Get your popcorn ready.’ I guess here I’ll say, ‘Get your coffee and apple pie ready,’” Goodman laughed. “People can expect a show. I’m going to put on a good show. I’m going to give you your money’s worth and bring it every night.”
This time around, Goodman will take the field with a broader understanding.
“My stance in this community puts me in a situation where people will be more aware of any mistakes,” he said. “It’s a lot more than just my close circle of family and friends. There are kids that see me. There are more people depending on me, some that I don’t even know. The guy working concessions, hoping that we keep fans in the seats so they get business. The fan spending $20 on a ticket wants to see Phil Goodman help produce a win. It puts more weight on my jersey than just my shoulder pads. I take that weight with honor, because my face is the face of the team.”
Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157
adamowsky@wenworld.com