NFL DraftProspect Interviews

NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: R.J. Goodwin, DL/LB, Notre Dame College

R.J. Goodwin of Notre Dame College is a solid NFL Draft Prospect (Photo courtesy of R.J. Goodwin)
  • R.J. Goodwin
  • Notre Dame College
  • Twitter: @rjgoody47

2018 Accolades & Statistics

  • 2018 All-MEC Honorable Mention.
  • 88 Total Tackles – 8.0 TFL – 2.0 Sacks – 1 FF – 1 FR.

What is your name?

  • RJ Goodwin.

Where do you play College Football?

  • Notre Dame College.

What position do you play?

  • Middle/Outside Linebacker and Special Teams.

What is your height/weight?

  • 5’11″ 230lbs.

Did you play any other sports growing up? If so, what were they?

  • Yes, I played basketball and baseball up until high school.

Who is the toughest player you have competed against in College?

  • DJ Greene – RB at NDC.

Are you listening to music before a game? If so, what?

  • Yes, I listened to “Married to the Game” by Future, “I’m a Dog” by Gucci Mane, and “I Am” by Yo Gotti before every football game.

Who is your role model & why?

  • My dad because he showed me how to work hard and he taught me a lot of lessons.

While in College, what has been your favorite & least favorite class?

  • My favorite class was Global Marketing and my least favorite class was Accounting.

What made you choose Notre Dame College?

  • I chose NDC because I liked the fact that it was located in Cleveland, Ohio and the culture of the football team was family oriented.

Outside of Football, what has been your favorite experience while in College?

  • Gaining more friends from all over the world.

Growing up, who was your favorite NFL Team & NFL player, & why?

  • My favorite team was the Cincinnati Bengals but my favorite player growing up was LaDainian Tomlinson because I was running back during my little league football days and I wanted to run the football just like he did. I even wore his football cleats.

If you could be in any movie of your choice, what would it be & what character would you play?

  • I would want to play Denzel Washington in The Equalizer and play Robert McCall.

If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who are they?

  1. Dwyane Wade.
  2. My Grandmother.
  3. Tupac.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose & why?

  • Muhammad Ali because he is one the best athletes ever and how big his role was in the Civil Rights movement. He was leader and hero to a lot of people because he always did the right thing and wasn’t scared to address inequality.

Who is your favorite superhero & why?

  • Flash because he is faster than everyone and because he can go wherever he wants in seconds.

What is your definition of hard work?

  • Doing whatever it takes plus more to accomplish or win at something you want in life.

What is the most unexpected lesson you learned while in College?

  • I learned to always be prepared for any situation that is presented and to never put myself in a situation where I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to do. Also that patience is a very important virtue that is going to be needed in order to be a successful man.

What is something you wish you could go back & tell yourself as a High School Freshman?

  • Believe in yourself and stop over thinking everything.

Why do you wear #45?

  • It was the number given to me but I liked it because it was close to my high school number.

What is the best part of your hometown, Cincinnati, OH?

  • The scenery and food are amazing. Also, the people from Cincinnati are very passionate and supportive of everyone who makes it out of the city.

Who do you choose: Jordan, LeBron, Steph or Kobe? Why?

  • LeBron because he is the best player I’ve ever watched. I didn’t see Joran play until he was with the Wizards and old. Steph is the best shooter and Kobe is the best scorer I’ve ever seen. But LeBron is the GOAT.

Are you a PS4 or Xbox One guy? What games are you playing right now?

  • PS4 and I play Call of Duty, 2K19, and MLB the Show.

What has been your most memorable moment as a student-athlete?

  • Leading my team in winning a conference championship and making it to the Final 4 of the playoffs.

If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?

  1. Play football professionally.
  2. Spend a day with my grandparents.
  3. To be a happy and successful man in the future.

What is your hidden talent?

  • Making people laugh.

If there is a book written about R.J. Goodwin, what is the title?

  • “The Underdog.”

What are three things on your “Bucket List?”

  1. Travel the United States.
  2. Buying my parents a house.
  3. Skydiving.

Are you binge watching anything right now?

  • Criminal Minds.

If you had one free hour each day, how would you choose to use it?

  • Work out more.

If you could tackle any NFL RB, past or present, who would it be & why?

  • Adrian Petersen because he is the best RB in my generation and because I’ve had a lot dreams about how that will go so it would be a dream come true.

What are three words to give NFL scouts that define R.J. Goodwin?

  1. Versatile.
  2. Explosive.
  3. Coachable.

What is your inspiration?

  • My family. I want to make sure nobody in my family will struggle anymore financially or mentally.

What current/former NFL player do you compare yourself to?

  • London Fletcher and Kwon Alexander

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