Goolsby recovered, will now use strength to aid football team
By Danny Gillham
Sports Editor

The statistics for Josh Goolsby against Northwestern were hardly overwhelming: one tackle.

It didn’t matter though. The junior linebacker was just happy to be on the field.

Goolsby has returned to the linebacker rotation after a series of injuries kept him off the field since the second game of last season.

As a sophomore, Goolsby started one game against Nebraska. The following week versus North Texas, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Requiring surgery, Goolsby couldn’t play for the rest of the season.

After rehabbing the knee, Goolsby had a strong spring and was ready for the upcoming season.

However, just weeks before fall practices began, he tore his pectoral muscle maxing out on the bench press. It looked as if Goolsby would spend another season on the shelf.

For someone who worked so hard to get back on the field, it became very depressing for Goolsby.

“I had reconstructive surgery done on my knee, and I worked hard to get back in the spring,” Goolsby said. “Then this happened, and at first they said I would be out the whole season. When they told me that I was devastated.”

Good news came, though, when it was found out that the muscle was only partially torn, and he would have to sit out four to six weeks for rehabilitation.

“It was a sigh of relief,” Goolsby said, “… and just a good feeling knowing that I wouldn’t be out for another year.”

Head coach Gary Patterson said he is pleased with Goolsby’s performance and feels he adds an extra element to the linebacker position.

“I thought he did real well,” Patterson said, “… especially for a guy starting off playing with one arm, because he was initially tentative with the other one. He brings a 240-pound body to what we call the 50-side, where people mostly run their power game. It’s good to have a guy like that back in there because he is a guy that is hard to run over.”

The contribution of Goolsby to the team does not stop at linebacker, as defensive coordinator David Bailiff pointed out.

“It’s not only with the defense, but with special teams,” Bailiff said. “To get him into the linebacker rotation, the punt team rotation and the punt block rotation, it takes a lot of stress off of everyone.”

Senior LaMarcus McDonald is glad to have Goolsby back. With the staple of the Frogs’ team being their defense, McDonald said that his experience makes the unit better.

“Josh brings a whole lot more experience to the team, because he has game experience,” McDonald said. “He brings a physical presence, because he is such a big guy. With him added to the defense, it’s a big plus out there.”