It’s no secret that Eddie Goldman is tough. One must be to play the position he does. Nose tackles in a 3-4 defense do the dirty work. They are so vital to the scheme’s execution and yet rarely reap any of the rewards of notoriety because their stats never show it. Not that this bothers Goldman. The big defensive tackle isn’t a typical young player. He doesn’t seem to care for the spotlight. Perhaps this is why he fits that position so well, and why the Chicago Bears love him so much.
Usually, answers can be found as to what makes a great player in their upbringing. Goldman wasn’t born this tough. Indeed as Adam Jahns of The Athletic discovered, the defensive tackle endured a pretty harsh introduction to football when he got to high school. For an idea, one merely has to hear the story of what his usual practice field was like. Did he have nice facilities, fresh green grass, and the works?
Not even close. If anything, it was a field out of one’s nightmares.
Goldman was raised at Friendship Beach, which doesn’t have any sand or any waves.
It does have dirt and dust. Rocks and worse. The most scenic part is a small hill that’s used for drills and conditioning.
Friendship Beach is the practice field for his high school.
“It’s just a field that’s 30 percent grass and 70 percent dirt,” Goldman said. “We called it a beach because in D.C. we really didn’t have beaches. So that was the closest thing to it.”
The field had to be scoured for needles and drug paraphernalia. When Goldman was in school, a dead body was found with bullet wounds there.
Eddie Goldman certainly proved his love for football
This explains a lot about who Goldman is. One has to truly love the game of football to persevere through experiences like that. A lot of kids would’ve been scared away by the threat of gang violence or injury from random needles on the field. Not Eddie. Nothing was going to stop him from chasing his dream. If he could play through experiences like that, then Sundays are likely a cakewalk by comparison. It’s little wonder he’s the lone survivor of the Bears’ 2015 draft class.
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Chicago currently employs the 6th-best run defense in the NFL. Goldman is the primary reason for this. His ability to command double teams, hold his ground, and clog up the middle makes life difficult for running backs. This, in turn, allows inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan to do what they do best. That’s hunt the ball carrier and get him on the ground. His services could prove vital in Washington against an old rival in Adrian Peterson.
