Florida State defensive line prospect Eddie Goldman, a Washington, D.C., native, said his physical nature has helped him develop into a top draft prospect.
When Eddie Goldman was a kid, his father quizzed him on past defensive tackles of the NFL. He answered with the names of favorites and underdogs alike.
But there has been one player in particular Goldman has idolized throughout his life — and, more importantly, through his football stardom.
Goldman, a Washington, D.C., native, considers himself a "tough, hard-nosed type guy," just like Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jay Ratliff.
Ratliff is physical; he likes that. With a little mix of finesse, Goldman told reporters at his NFL Scouting Combine press conference he likes being considered one of the top run-stuffers in the draft.
"It's repetition," said Goldman, who said he owes it all to practice. "At practice, you practice your get-offs and hand placement, coming out of your stance in certain ways."
In 36 games with 27 starts at Florida State, Goldman recorded 62 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and six sacks. But it didn't always come easy for the 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle.
It took practice.
Goldman entered his collegiate career behind a deep rotation of upperclassmen at his position. He said he had to learn to tweak his technique and stance to adapt to the collegiate level.
Check out these photos of Eddie Goldman, a speedy and power defensive lineman from Florida State University.
His sophomore year he started over the two upperclassmen. Even so, he said he still was learning.
Aggression is in his nature, but it was not until the 11th grade when he said he started unleashing it into each snap. College is when he harnessed his intensity through the techniques he learned from his peers.
What happens before the snap is critical for Goldman.
Goldman said having a point of attack is most important at his position. This is when he turns it on and has really made his mark on NFL team's scouting reports.
"That's what I try to work hard at every day," Goldman said. "I think [the draft] was a result of my hard work and watching film, studying and stuff like that. I expected it, but at the same time, I'm humble as well about it."
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