SEATTLE – On a team that includes a 390 pound offensive lineman and a 250 pound wide receiver, it would be easy for D’Andre Goodwin to get lost.
At 170 pounds, Goodwin is the lightest player on the Washington football team’s roster and just a freshman on a team trying to turn around a disastrous two-year run.
But Goodwin, the cousin of former Washington linebacker Joe Kelly (who played 10 years in the NFL) actually has caught the eye of his coaches, who point to the Lancaster, Calif. native as one of the freshmen who have been most impressive early in fall camp.
“He’s showing some good things,” head coach Tyrone Willingham said. “He’s showing some good speed, some good hands and a good work ethic.”
Goodwin had 20 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 245 yards and three touchdowns, as a senior at Antelope Valley High School. He got to Washington earlier in the summer and has formed a nice connection with quarterback Isaiah Stanback.
“He’s starting to trust me more,” Goodwin said. “I’m not like his go-to receiver or anything. But I catch everything that goes to me.”
More than anything, Goodwin said the past two weeks have been a learning experience. He’s learning how to make better releases and how to set up cornerbacks better, using junior Anthony Russo as a mentor. He said he’s finding that he can no longer just rely on his athletic ability.
“I can’t just run away from everyone like I did in high school,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said he believes he can be a deep threat when he’s given the chance, but said he’s just as good catching short passes and turning them into long gains. He hopes to play this year, but if he redshirts, it will give him a chance to get a bit bigger. He hopes to get to around 180 or 185 pounds.
“I do want to get bigger,” Goodwin said. “But if they can’t get their hands on you, they can’t hurt you. …I don’t want to slow down so I don’t want to gain too much.”
Tee it up: One of the changes the NCAA implemented this season to “improve” the game is switching from a two-inch tee to a one-inch tee. The belief is that it will result in shorter kickoffs, making the chance of a return better and giving offenses better field position. Willingham believes his kickers – either Michael Braunstein or Sean Douglas – should be able to handle the change.
“I’m hoping with the legs we have, we’ll still be able to get the ball deep in that area so we don’t have returns,” Willingham said. “It’s a very nice thing if you can have the offense start their drivers on the 20-yard line or deeper.”
Willingham said that while the change seems minor, it will have significant ramifications on special teams play. Shorter kickoffs means changing the timing of the coverage teams and of the blocking teams, and where blocks are set up will have to be changed.
He also said that it’s possible he could use Douglas rather than Braunstein on kickoffs, though he’d rather not.
“You try to stay away from one guy having both (kicking and punting) responsibilities,” Willingham said. “The two actions are different. It’s amazing how the soccer style kick action has a way of working its way into the punting style of some guys. You see that they’re not able to maintain that consistency as with that more vertical action of the punting style.”
Early signing thought: Willingham was asked about a story in the Tucson Citizen about talk of there being an early signing period in football as there is in basketball. Shockingly, Willingham said there were good things and bad things about it.
It would help programs in that they would no longer have to so closely nurture recruits for several months after they’ve given verbal commitments. It would also help hot programs by taking advantage of a good start to snatch top recruits.
“If you are doing very well right now, most young people gravitate to you and it puts a lot of pressure on the other guys,” Willingham said. “And those kids won’t hold out and wait and see. ‘If we want to get in with that great school, we better do it now.’”
Gold jersey winners: Cornerback Roy Lewis won his second-straight gold jersey Wednesday. Also getting the award were fullback Mark Palaita and Trenton Tuiasosopo (special teams).
No personnel movement: Willingham said there has been no movement on the academic front, and reported no new injuries. He said defensive tackle Jordan Reffett (knee) is back at practice and that cornerback Jordan Murchison has a bad knee that will keep him from practicing every so often.
Locker praise: Willingham was asked by a Bellingham radio station about freshman quarterback Jake Locker, and the coach said what he’s been saying all along: Locker is looking good but has a long way to go. But he added: “He gets a few ‘ooohhhs’ and ‘aaahhhs’ from his teammates, and that’s what coaches like to see.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
