In the Game: Give us a summary of your athletic career, from your youth to today.
Randell Godfrey: I grew up here in Valdosta playing at the Pine Bell Recreation Center. My first coach there was Russell Woods. I started playing pick-up games with my friends when I was 7 years old. That turned into playing organized football at the rec center.
As I got older I started playing for the Lowndes Middle School team in the 6th grade. I started out playing quarterback and running back, and by the time my 8th grade year rolled around, Coach Wilson at Lowndes High School encouraged me to practice with the varsity in the spring. During a spring practice, while I was playing quarterback, one of the defenders laid a big hit on me and cracked one of my ribs. That was the last day I knew I wanted to play on offense because I did not want the ball in my hands anymore.
When I arrived at Lowndes HS as a freshman I began at safety. I started on the varsity team and had a pretty good year. As sophomore year rolled around I was moved down to linebacker during the middle of the season because I was playing the run too much and getting beat over the top. That was when the coaches and I realized I had a knack for stopping the run and getting after the quarterback. It was Jerry Davis, our O-Line and strength coach, who got me to the level of confidence that no one could stop me. I along with some other leaders on the team, such as Damien Shiver and Anthony Harden, began working out harder in the weight room, pushing our teammates and everybody began to buy in. Over my last 2 seasons at LHS, I thought we had some of the best teams but we couldn’t get over the hump. Back then it was only 2 teams that got into the playoffs and it had always been Valdosta and Moultrie (Camden County). I just loved playing though. I was very fortunate my senior year to be the defensive player of the year for the region and state. I became an All-American and it felt everything was going my way.
I really enjoyed high school. I also ran track and played basketball. I used track to keep in shape for football, I ran the 100, 200, 4×100, and shotput. For me it helped me stay ahead of other linebackers. I was able to stay fast and maintain the gains I had made in the weight room. The reason I played basketball was to relax. I couldn’t dribble very well but I still started on varsity for 3 years. Basketball was the just an outlet were I could play carefree and not deal with the stresses of football.
I had several other offers to play football in college. My 5 official visits were to Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. I had my mind made up at the end of my sophomore year to go to Georgia. A guy named Frank Oracle was the man who recruited me to Athens. He was a great guy and ended up being my linebacker coach at UGA. All the hard work I put on and off the field had paid off. I started as a freshman at UGA because I played in a tough region in high school, back then it was Quad A that allowed me to be ready for the stiff competition. I was just excited because I was well prepared to get into the SEC and I was able to perform at a level that allowed me to win SEC freshman of the year, make freshman All-American, and do great things early in my career at Georgia. I was surrounded by so many good players that it made my job easier. Going in starting for Ray Goff was a dream come true. Coming in and starting all 4 years was a blessing. A lot of NFL scouts had me going first round and I was very excited. Unfortunately I got injured my senior year; I tore my hamstring and missed 6 games This was the time first time I faced adversity, being on the outside looking in, not being able to help my teammates win. I had never really missed games until then. It was unfortunate my senior year went the way it did.
After that season, during my pro day at UGA, Barry Switzer and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff worked me out. They fell in love with my play and work ethic and took me in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. That was a blessing to play on my favorite team. Not only did I get drafted by them, I also had the opportunity to go in and start as a rookie.
I was fortunate to be put in the right places at the right times and being around some good people. I actually saw Mr. [Jerry] Jones last week at the Seattle vs. Dallas game talked about that. The fact that they drafted me and the experience I had there, that was great. I went on playing 12 years in the NFL for the Titans, Chargers, Seahawks, and the Redskins. So it was a great experience and that’s pretty much my football journey.
ITG: What would you say was your proudest moment or favorite memory from high school?
RG: Even though we lost and I thought we played our butts off that night, it has to be the Winnersville Classic my junior year. We ended up losing 10-3 but it was close. It was the best game we had ever played. We really wanted to beat them bad, unfortunately back then it was at Valdosta. It would have been the first time we had beaten them but we came up short.
A lot of times you don’t hear people say one of their proudest moments is a loss, but I was proud at how my team responded and how we played that game. The score turned out in their favor, but times began to change after that. In the years to come, Lowndes’ teams started beating them which is good. That game had a lot to do with it and the way we played. I don’t have many memories because my ultimate goal was to make the playoffs and have a chance to go to the state championship in high school, which I never had that opportunity. I thought we had good enough teams to make the playoffs, we just didn’t…we didn’t do it.
ITG: What makes the Lowndes v. Valdosta rivalry so great?
RG: It’s one of, if not biggest rivalry in the state of Georgia. It seems like yesterday I was sitting in the stands watching the Lowndes and Valdosta greats play that game back in the mid, late 80s. It just felt the same way when I was on the sidelines this year. The energy and the community support are strong. You look back at it and it’s really the only time you see the entire county come together and cheer on our kids. That’s what I like about it, everybody in the community comes together and cheers for the kids and for the players it’s an adrenaline rush that’s hard to explain. You never have the chance to experience again. I think that’s what that game is all about; the energy, fan support, and the community come together.
I had to send footage to my buddies here in Gwinnett because they don’t believe we put over 12,000 people in a stadium, sometimes its 14,000. They didn’t want to believe it.
ITG: What do you remember about the recruiting process from high school to college? Is there any advice you would give to someone who is currently going through it?
RG: The main thing for athletes is to just stay focused. I was fortunate enough to not have all this social media around me. But these kids just have to be careful how they present themselves. A lot are missing out on D1 scholarships because they’re make mistakes and getting in trouble. When I encourage kids I bring them into my house, bring up my old letters and show them my old stuff and tell them to cherish this moment. It’s an experience of a lifetime.
I remember teams coming to Valdosta airport and fly me out for games. That was my first time really flying. When you’re an All-American you’re treated like royalty. Shoot for being the best, when you are the best you get treated like the best. You fly out, go visit colleges, eat like crazy, and stay at nice hotels. It was just another experience.
I hate seeing kids commit so early and not getting a chance to experience the recruiting process. Why flip flop when everything is right in front of you? Its guys I train up here and talk to on a daily basis that still make mistakes and get in trouble at school. They have to take the hard route to get into a university; writing letters to the dean, because they make mistakes in high school.
These kids need to stay focused, walk a steady line, and remember who you are and the opportunity put in front of you. If kids can really understand what’s out there and what you can eventually have, it is crazy. I ended up playing as a freshman at University of Georgia and people just treated me right. It was a lifestyle and chance to experience that I will always treasure. I want my kids to go see that game in Jacksonville; playing in front of 100,000 people is something to look forward to. I hate seeing a kid make one mistake and letting it all slip away. Staying focused on the task at hand and just finishes what you set out to do. That’s the biggest thing with these boys now.
ITG: How would you advise student athletes on which college to attend? Assuming they have multiple offers.
RG: I would tell them to way all of their options and create goals. Look at the graduation rates of athletes at the university. I was fortunate to have a mom who was an educator and she wanted to know how well student athletes were doing academically. I also looked at my opportunity to make a difference early. I looked at the depth chart and if a school had a started who was a freshman or sophomore I stayed away. My goal was to play early and not have to sit and watch. I thought I was going to Florida State or Florida until I really looked at it. They had a lot of great linebackers at FSU; Marvin Jones, Derrick Brooks, and Kirk Carruthers, but I really wanted to go to FSU. So after I continued to weigh all my options, I knew UGA was losing Dwayne Simmons in the middle, so I knew that was an opportunity to compete with a guy who also hadn’t had much of an opportunity to play. I knew if I worked hard there would be a chance to play. I was fortunate enough that my parents didn’t put a lot of pressure on me, but I do tell athletes to let your parents play a role. Get their advice when a certain guy comes in to do a home visit. I remember when Bobby Bowden, former FSU coach came for a visit. He sat in our kitchen and ate with us but my parents didn’t really understand a word he said. I asked them how they felt about him, and they gave honest opinions. I tell the kids to let your parents play a role but at the end of the day it’s your decision. Don’t say “my dad told me to go here” or “my parents sent me here”, go because you want to go and make a difference and most of all get a free education.
ITG: Where are you today; what are you doing nowadays?
RG: Right now I live in Atlanta; I train about 8 linebackers from the SEC and other areas and get them ready for the NFL Combine. I am trying to get on with an NFL team and just try and help some players adapt to the lifestyle. I want to make a difference in their lives. I’ve watched a lot of my teammates make mistakes, no one is perfect but if you can just advise kids to make the right decisions like saving money, staying out of trouble, and prolonging their careers that’s a plus. My kids are starting to get older and other people are coaching them, it has made me want to do the same. I’m trying to reach out and help. I don’t want get too busy where it takes time out of my kids’ lives, but I also want to something that I love, and that’s either coaching football or being in the player personnel department helping players make the right decisions.
