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10 things you probably didn't know about Jared Goff, the Los Angeles Rams 24-year-old star quarterback
10 things you probably didn't know about Jared Goff, the Los Angeles Rams 24-year-old star quarterback
Meredith CashJan 31, 2019, 20:46 IST
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
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Third-year quarterback Jared Goff has led the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl for the first time since the franchise returned to the City of Angeles.
Despite ranking in the top-10 in the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback rating this season - a feat Tom Brady did not accomplish - the 24-year-old has less name recognition than almost all of the New England Patriots, including kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
Jared Goff was born and raised in Northern California. He played football at Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield, California before taking his talents to UC Berkeley for three seasons, making him the fifth quarterback from Cal to start in a Super Bowl.
2. He was the No. 1 overall pick
After his junior year, Goff was selected by the Rams with the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft just as the franchise returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis. The Rams picked Goff instead of fellow first-round quarterback Carson Wentz, who has done well himself with the Philadelphia Eagles.
3. He's accomplished a lot in his three years in the NFL
Aside from leading his team to the Super Bowl, the 24-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler and, in 2018, he came within 143 yards of breaking the Rams' single-season passing record.
4. Professional sports are nothing new for his family
Jared's father, Jerry, played professional baseball and spent six seasons with various MLB teams, including the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros.
5. He wears the number 16 to honor Joe Montana
Growing up in the Bay Area, Goff was a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers. He wears the number 16 on his jersey in honor of legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.
6. He has an enzyme deficiency
Despite working day in and day out to improve his build while at Cal, Goff measured in at a meager 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds after his junior season. He began working with a strength and speed coach who discovered that he had an enzyme deficiency that prevents him from properly breaking down proteins. Instead of using red meat and protein shakes to bulk up, Goff turns to chicken, turkey, and fish. In a very short span, he was able to gain 15 pounds while shredding 3% body fat.
7. People think he looks like Ryan Gosling
Really. According to Google trends, some of the most popular searches related to Jared Goff question whether or not the quarterback had an acting career in his past or starred in "Remember the Titans."
8. He once surprised a college football team by pretending he was a transfer
Well after he began his career in the NFL, Jared Goff went undercover as a college transfer vying for the starting quarterback spot for the Ventura College football team. Needless to say, the players were very surprised when he took off his disguise.
9. He's allegedly terrible at Madden
"He's not very good at Madden; he can't read defenses in Madden," Cal teammate Steven Moore told 247Sports' Ryan Gorcey back in 2015. "He can't read defenses as good as he can in person. I think that’s because he thinks when he's playing quarterback, and he throws the ball, he knows he can lob it in to throw it straight, and the [virtual] quarterback doesn't do it. He gets frustrated with that type of stuff. Because he's as good as he is, it makes him worse at Madden."
10. He was featured on Outdoor Channel's show "Gridiron Outdoors"
He went on his first-ever hunt with fellow former Cal quarterback Mike Pawlawski. Check out the video here.
Now check out his coach in Los Angeles, who is the youngest ever to reach a Super Bowl:
