Hartselle's Goodwin has grown into a star
Aug. 10—HARTSELLE — If there's any player who represents what the Hartselle football program has become under Bryan Moore, it's Jakaleb Goodwin.
As a freshman, in Moore's first year as Hartselle's coach, Goodwin started as a safety. Now, as a senior, he's one of the top cornerbacks in the state.
But Goodwin's development doesn't just show his improvement as a player, but the improvement of the program as well. Now the Tigers don't have to rely on freshmen to step up early; instead, they have juniors and seniors ready to play while the young players can grow.
"I think Jakaleb is the perfect representation of where we've come as a program," said Moore. "He was perfectly capable as a freshman and we were blessed to have a few freshmen that year that helped us. Ideally though, you would like to be able to let those young guys grow and not throw them into the fire early."
"I think we're at that point now," he added.
Of course, Goodwin starting as a freshman certainly had its advantages. The senior now has three years of starting experience under his belt.
Goodwin moved from cornerback to fill a need at safety as a freshman. As a sophomore he moved back to cornerback, much to his delight, and has grown into the team's top cover corner.
"I was happy to help my team, but I didn't really like safety," said Goodwin. "There's not enough action."
The lessons learned from those three seasons has helped Goodwin become a star at defensive back who has gained college interest despite his 5-foot-8 frame.
"Height doesn't matter. You just have to work hard and have confidence that you're better than the person you're going up against," said Goodwin.
When you're the team's No. 1 cornerback, that usually means you go against the opposing team's top receiver. And when facing a top receiver, you're not always going to win every play.
Against Athens last year, facing off against the Golden Eagles' star receiver Jayshon Ridgle, a South Alabama commit, Goodwin allowed a touchdown early.
However, he shook it off and came back to pick off two passes in the end zone that were intended for the 6-2 Ridgle.
That ability to play the next play has been what's helped him become a top defensive back.
"You can't allow a bad play to affect you," said Goodwin. "I know that I'm going to get the job done no matter what."
Goodwin says he takes inspiration from his "favorite player," NFL star Jalen Ramsey. Like Ramsey, Goodwin uses confidence to go up against top receivers, although he admits he doesn't do as much trash talking.
"I don't really say much on the field. I just let my play speak for itself," said Goodwin.
Hartselle will open the season Aug. 25 at Austin. After two consecutive undefeated regular seasons, the Tigers will enter the season as the preseason 6A No. 3 ranked team. It's Hartselle's highest preseason ranking since 2012 when the team was ranked No. 1 after winning a state championship in 2011.
Expectations are high for the Tigers this season and expectations are high for Goodwin as well.
"Jakaleb has come a long way. He didn't love the weight room at first, but now he's embraced that and become a lot stronger and faster," Moore said. "He's become a leader and someone that we can trust to not only be a lockdown corner, but to lead other guys and help elevate their play."
Last season Goodwin finished with 61 tackles, four interceptions, 17 pass breakups and a sack. As for what he expects for his final season though, Goodwin kept it simple.
"I'm just going to go ball."
