Fans of the New York Jets will want to hear what Jared Goff has to say this week.
My close buddy and quarterback for the Detroit Lions spoke on “Renaissance Man” about one of the most significant professional adjustments he’s experienced: getting moved from the Los Angeles Rams to the Motown Lions. It was just prior to his old team winning Super Bowl LVI the previous year.
Goff told me, “I’d be lying if I claimed it wasn’t difficult.” However, you discover who you are, who your character is, what you are genuinely made of, and what you truly care about.
The self-reflective quarterback, who led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019, utilized the change to not only improve his own performance, but also to inspire his teammates, including the Lions’ coaching staff.
“I delved deeply into that during the offseason,” he remarked. “How can I truly raise my team and make them the best that they can be, in addition to being the best that I can be? So I devoted a great deal of time to that and conducted extensive research.”
My hometown team is having success with the deep dig. As the NFL season draws to a close, Goff’s squad has a 7-7 record and chances of making the playoffs. He was quick to inform me that the Lions, who have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, have the personnel “to make a run” this winter.
“I’ve been on good teams. This is my eighth year in the league, and this seems like a really good squad and a really good club that can make a run,” he stated with cautious confidence. “We still must do it. We must exert effort and win some of these remaining games. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of, but we’re in a terrific position and playing our best football when it matters.”
Since the huge transfer, No. 16, who I call Jared Montana since he grew up in Northern California as a 49ers fan, is also dominating off the field. Goff manages the stylish JG 16 clothing line and has assured that a significant portion of its profits go to a scholarship fund for Detroit’s kids. I am pleased to report that he partners with Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, the school I established in 2011, and the FATE mentoring program.
According to him, the opportunity to do so much good for young Lions supporters has been more than ideal.
“When I was traded here, everything was ideal. This is a community that could use it, one that is so wonderful to be a part of, and one that is so appreciative of everything,” Goff said. This relationship was a dream come true for me, and we raised a substantial amount of money for those children.
With Goff at quarterback, virtually every team in Detroit is winning these days. When it comes to the Lions storming into the playoffs, however, Goff will be the first to admit that there is still work to be done.
In these last [few] weeks, having guys back, our offensive line is healthy and playing so damn great. “We keep saying we’ve gotten our horses back at wide receiver,” he added. Therefore, playing quarterback with [this squad] is a lot of fun, and I’m enjoying my time right now.
Jalen Rose, a native of Detroit, was a member of the University of Michigan’s Fab Five, who shook up college basketball in the early 1990s. He played in the NBA for thirteen years before becoming a media figure. Rose is an analyst on “NBA Countdown” and “Get Up” as well as a co-host on “Jalen & Jacoby.” He executive-produced “The Fab Five” for ESPN’s “30 for 30” series, authored the best-selling book “Got to Give the People What They Want,” is a fashion tastemaker, and co-founded a public charter school in his hometown, the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy.
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