Twenty questions with Aric Goodman

Many students will agree the 23-17 loss to Colorado State was as big of a dud as any Colorado Buffaloes fan has seen in a couple of years.

But one bright spot (yes, there were a few) was kicker Aric Goodman. The redshirt junior made a career-long 54-yard field goal in the first half for the Buffs’ first points of the season. All three of his kickoff attempts also sailed into the end zone.

CU Independent sports editor Cheng Sio and Goodman got together for 20 questions the day after the big game.

CUI: Your twin sister Ally plays soccer here and you also have a younger set of twin sisters, Maddie and Renee. What is it like to have not just one, but two sets of twins living in the same house?

Aric Goodman: I think the best word would probably be chaos. I mean everybody always has something to do. My parents try to shuffle us around the best they could. It’s fun, it’s crazy, but everything turned out fine.

CUI: Why did you transfer from the University of Wyoming to Colorado?

AG: I grew up just south of Denver. This is where I’ve always wanted to go. This is where I’ve always wanted to be. A small town kind of atmosphere like Laramie, Wyoming  just wasn’t totally for me.

CUI: Your father, Curtis, was a kicker at the University of Hawaii from 1975-1978. Do you feel like you are keeping the family legacy alive?

AG: Not so much. I mean, I know that’s what he did and that’s how I got started. I played soccer and it was kind of a natural crossover. For me, it’s fun and I enjoy doing it. Obviously, it has brought me a bunch of excitement, a bunch of joy, and a lot of happiness.

CUI: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing football?

AG: I’d probably be playing soccer. I played when I was 8 years old. My club team lost the national championship when I was 17. That’s definitely what I would be doing if I wasn’t playing football.

CUI: What position in soccer did you play?

AG: For my club team, I was a defender, and then [on] my high school team, I was a forward.

CUI: What is the hardest thing about being a kicker that the average fan may not know?

AG: I’d probably say doing the same things every time. Like professional baseball players, they kind of go through their routines. I try to do the same thing every time. That’s real important for the job we do is to keep a level head, just go through our checklist and go out there and make kicks.

CUI: As a kicker, are you treated just like one of the guys?

AG: Yeah, I have to do all the running and all the lifting, the same as everyone else. Fortunately, everyone around here knows that I do it.

CUI: Which game-winner was a bigger thrill, the 52-yard field goal over San Diego State when you were at Wyoming or the 25-yarder to beat West Virginia last year?

AG (after a long pause): I’d probably say the West Virginia kick just because, you know, it was at home and on ESPN on Thursday night. It’s pretty special and on top of it, getting a scholarship afterwards. I’d probably say that one.

CUI: After the West Virginia game, everyone probably loved you and you went from a walk-on to a scholarship player. How was your life after the game?

AG: I was so overwhelmed and whatever, I just went home and kind of went to bed. I really kind of proved to myself that everything I had done and all the hard work I put in came to fruition a little bit.

CUI: After all the hoopla, you missed a school-record eight straight field goals. Would you say your world was turned upside down?

AG: Yeah, it’s pretty unbelievable how fast you can go from the top of the mountain to the bottom. Fortunately, I feel like I kind of dedicated myself to getting back to the top.

CUI: Who was by your side last year when you were feeling down?

AG: My twin sister Ally was big, and then my dad played a big role also just because he’s been there. We’ve been kind of close while I was growing up. Everybody just tried to stay positive and keep me going, keep me working.

CUI: What is your goal for this season?

AG: I’d say just to be consistent. I want every kick to look the same; it’s just the nature of the job. You miss one here or there, you just got to go out there and not miss the next one. You just can’t make the same mistake twice. That’s what I’m looking to do.

CUI: After you made a career-long 54-yard field goal in the 23-17 loss to Colorado State, you raised your arms in celebration. Did you know you made the kick before the football split the uprights?

AG: Yeah. It’s kind of one of those things almost like when you play golf, you hit a perfect drive without looking at it. I hit the ball solid, kind of looked up and saw that it was straight. I knew it had the distance.

CUI: Did you see the CSU fans and players celebrate on the Buffalo logo at Folsom Field?

AG: We all saw that. Obviously, it’s not something that we want to happen and we’re going to work hard this week to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

CUI: What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve even encountered as a football player?

AG: I don’t know if there’s ever one I could pinpoint. I mean, the Texas game last year wasn’t good, and a missed extra-point when I was at Wyoming against Virginia wasn’t good. I don’t think there’s one glaring thing. Those two stand out probably.

(Against Texas, Goodman missed all three field goal attempts—all within a span of 14 minutes and 33 seconds. On Sept. 9, 2006, Goodman’s missed extra-point attempt to force a second overtime sailed wide right in a 13-12 loss).

CUI: What is it like to enter the field every game behind Ralphie?

AG: Unbelievable. Growing up, I was a CU fan and this is where I’ve always wanted to play football. Running out in front of 55,000 people behind Ralphie is…words can’t even describe how cool of a feeling it is.

CUI: What’s better, playing the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Invesco Field at Mile High or at Folsom Field?

AG: I don’t know. It’s kind of cool to be able to play at Invesco just because growing up, that’s where the Denver Broncos played. I’ve been a huge Broncos fan my whole life. That’s kind of the one building that encompasses everything that you want in football.

Then again, going out and playing in college stadiums and on college campuses, I mean that’s what makes college football so great—the atmosphere, the stadiums and having home fans and away fans. I think for me, I probably would rather have it at their respective home stadiums.

CUI: Your favorite movie is?

AG: [My favorite movie is] definitely “Rudy”. It’s the story of an underdog, somebody that never quits. He kept working hard and it finally came to pay off. I feel like it’s kind of a theme for what I’m trying to do now. I was kind of down-and-out last year and I just have to work, keep climbing and keep fighting, and hopefully get back on top.

CUI: If you could spend time with any three athletes or celebrity, who would they be and what would you be doing?

AG: I probably want to play golf with Tiger Woods; what he’s done and what he’s able to accomplish, the mental strength that he has, I think that would be pretty cool to see and be a part of.

Lance Armstrong, I’d definitely like to meet him. What he’s had to overcome and persevere through, it’s pretty unbelievable.

And then, let’s see…the third would probably be Jason Elam. Growing up, obviously as a kicker and a Broncos fan, those two come hand-in-hand. What he’s been able to do at Hawaii and what he’s able to do still in the [National Football League] with the [Atlanta] Falcons is unbelievable. That’s kind of the ultimate thing that kickers strive for is a long, successful career with a bunch of made field goals.

CUI: Aric Goodman, are you a good man?

AG (chuckling): You know, I try to be. I got my problems and whatever just like anybody else, but I don’t know. I feel like after last season and what I had to go through, it taught me a bunch of lessons. I feel like you never know what situation is going to affect you down the road and you just got to be the best person you can be in every situation.

Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Cheng Sio at cheng.sio@colorado.edu.