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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Rookie running back Mike Goodson is sure to have lots of homework after his NFL exhibition debut Monday night at Giants Stadium.
His first appearance in a Carolina Panthers’ uniform was part frightful (two fumbles and a taunting penalty) and part delightful (a game-high 43 yards rushing, including a scintillating 14-yarder for a touchdown).
“I think it was a good experience (for) a young guy (in) my first game,” said Goodson, a fourth-round pick whose dazzling skills have stood out in training camp practices.
“I think it gave me a lot of things to work on, but it also gave me some things I did well. I’ll go back and look at the tape and start to get ready for the next one.”
Goodson wore a huge smile in the locker room, happy to finally be on the stage he’s dreamed about since a young boy. But the extremes of his performance got the attention of his coaches even before their film breakdowns.
“There was some good with the bad,” said coach John Fox.
“He’s a rookie and he’s going to make rookie mistakes. You never know where you are until you play that first one. There’s a lot of promise, but definitely a lot of things we’ve got to work on.”
The Panthers think Goodson has a chance to be the team’s kickoff returner this season. He returned the first two Giants’ kickoffs, gaining 21 and 20 yards, respectively.
Team officials also like Goodson’s abilities as a pass receiver. He had two catches for 16 yards, but fumbled at the end of both of them – all in the final five minutes of the first half.
Fullback Brad Hoover praised Goodson’s speed and overall progress, but added “he’s got to hold on to the ball.”
Goodson’s first fumble came after he gained 8 eight yards for a first down on fourth-and-3. The Giants recovered at their 30, ending a potential scoring drive for the Panthers.
Teammate Duke Robinson, a guard, recovered Goodson’s other fumble on the final play of the first half.
Goodson played only the first possession in the third period, but set out to make amends for his first-half mistakes.
“After that, you kind of come out and play a little harder,” he said.
Safety Quinton Teal’s interception early in the third period gave Carolina’s offense possession at the Giants’ 30 – right where Goodson fumbled earlier.
Goodson responded with his two best plays of the game.
From the 30, he took a quick pitch to the left from quarterback Matt Moore and darted 16 yards along the sideline for a first down.
“It was a great block by (wide receiver) Ryne Robinson,” said Goodson. “He kind of sealed the edge for me. I just got down the field.”
The next play exemplified the game-breaking talent the Panthers believe could make Goodson a big asset for the offense. He took a handoff from Moore and started to his right, but saw the way clogged and quickly reversed field to the left, zooming into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.
“From a dead stop to 100 miles per hour. He’s special,” said quarterback Jake Delhomme.
Goodson said he’s been encouraged to improvise in situations like that.
“I was kind of just using vision. (Running backs coach Jim Skipper) always talks about reading our keys,” he said.
“The (Giants’ defensive) ends were spilling real hard, cutting in. So I knew that by bouncing outside, there would be nobody there, so I kind of just took it upon myself to take it out there.”
Once in the end zone, Goodson’s exuberance became excessive. He made a throat-slashing gesture toward the Giants, resulting in a 15-yard taunting penalty assessed on the ensuing kickoff.
“I just went back to my college days on that,” Goodson said with a grin and a shrug. “I was told by Skip not to do that anymore, so I’ll try not to.”
His mistakes notwithstanding, Goodson was giddy about the significance of his first NFL exhibition.
“It felt great,” he said. “This is what I’ve been waiting on my whole life, and I finally got to do it.”
Because the game was nationally televised by ESPN, Goodson figured his father, Mike Sr., was watching with other inmates at a federal prison in Yazoo City, Ms. Mike Sr. is serving a 20-year sentence for mortgage fraud.
“I think he would be proud of me,” said Mike Jr.
Asked how he thought his dad reacted to his touchdown run, Mike Jr. said: “He probably went crazy.”
