Name: Guy Goss

Sport: Football

Position: Defensive Back

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Hinsdale

High School: Hinsdale Central

Lily Goodfellow: When did you start playing football?

Guy Goss: I started playing tackle football when I was in second grade, so I was about seven years old when I started and I have not stopped since then. So, a long time. I can feel the hits and everything a little bit more now.

LG: How did you get recruited to play for COD?

GG: My coach now, Coach Pauley, texted me through Twitter and came to see me play when I was playing in high school. But I decided not to play right out of high school and take some time off. So, when I felt like I was ready to play again, I texted Coach Rahn, and we had a little meeting to see where I was at and make sure I was ready to go and knew the expectations of the team. Obviously, I said the right things and was allowed to come back on the team. 

LG: You’ve had a lot of amazing honors in football. What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?

GG: I would love to say winning the national championship is the greatest accomplishment, but if it’s just me and awards I’ve gotten, it would have to be the Defensive Player of the Year. It was a surprise to me. It’s very rewarding playing a sport and getting peoples’ attention and getting awarded an honor like that. So, I would have to say Defensive Player of the Year was definitely the biggest honor I’ve ever gotten playing football for sure. It was awesome. 

LG: Do you think the team will be the division champs again this year?

GG: 100 percent. Always. We’re looking really good. Still working out the kinks, but we have a lot of talent and obviously great coaches, and we’ve got a lot of guys who want to work really hard every day. And that’s the key to success, to work hard all the time. In my eyes, we’re going to win another national championship.

LG: What are your goals for football and academics?

GG: I don’t have too many goals for football. I think because it is such a physical game, it can end at any time. So, I’ve always thought that every week you play a game, and if you make it through the game, great. As long as I keep playing, that’s my goal, to just play another game. For academics, at least a 3.5 [GPA]. That’s always been my thing. 3.5 and if I get any higher, that’s just the cherry on top. So, just keeping great grades and hopefully going to a really nice four-year institution to get a good degree and hopefully get a good job and find a wife. 

LG: Do you have any idea what school you’ll go to from here?

GG: No, unfortunately. That’s kind of just how football is. I wasn’t a qualifier out of high school, so I have to get my associate’s [degree] first, which I’ve been working really hard at. So it depends on that. I’m hoping to graduate after this semester and then it’s kind of up in the air. It all depends on how I play this year. Obviously, last year was an unbelievably fantastic year for me, but I have to show consistency and show coaches that it was not just a one year thing and that I’m worth taking a chance on. So hopefully through this year, I can do that again and we’ll see. I’m not too worried though. I usually stress myself out when I think too far ahead. It’s easier when it’s in [football] season because I can just focus on what we’re doing then. I told my coaches I’m a Chaparral. I’m really focused on this year and the group of guys we have in the locker room right now. Hopefully, through our hard work, we’ll win another national championship and hopefully, I’ll play pretty well. But as for schools, anywhere is good, just as long as I like the coaches and the environment, I’m totally fine with wherever I go.

LG: Do you know what you want to study?

GG: I have a few different things. They’re kind of oddball things that have nothing to do with each other at all. Exercise science is one of my interests. Obviously, I love working out and have worked out my whole life, so that would be super cool. Something to do with business, like what my dad does, would be another one. And then game design. I love video games, and I would just find it super cool to create a video game that people love to go home and play when they’re done with school like I do. That would be the most ideal one, but that’s a tough one. 

LG: What is the best advice you’ve ever received from a coach?

GG: That’s a good one. This was from a high school coach when I was a sophomore in high school. He told me that there’s a lot of players that are known for their talent and there’s a lot of players known for their speed and other things like that. But I should strive to be the player that is known to have a very high motor and that works as hard as he can all the time. So ever since then I never cared how fast I ran, I never cared how hard I hit or how much weight I moved. I care about how hard I work. Not for other people, but just for myself. Working hard to know that I give everything I have to the game and to my team, and I have no excuses after that. Basically, summing it up, just work hard. That’s always the best thing for anybody is to just work really, really hard.  

LG: Who has been your biggest supporter?

GG: It has to be my mom and dad. They always come to almost all of our games. I have a twin brother who also plays football too, so they have to choose to go to some of his games. But they are always supporting me, whether it’s me calling them a hundred times a day telling them how stressed I am or them coming to watch a game or whatever it is, they’ve never not supported me and they’ve always been there for me. So my mom and dad for sure.

LG: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to?

GG: I haven’t been to many, but I’ve been to some good ones. I saw Morgan Wallen last year in the summer. That was a heck of a concert. That was a very fun one.

LG: What’s your idea of a perfect weekend?

GG: A lot of time with friends. And a lot of time with family. So wake up, probably go see my mom and dad and hang out with them for a bit, and then come back here and hang out with my friends. Nothing too exciting. Just spending time around the people that I love and care about.

LG: What one word best describes you?

GG: These personal questions are hard. I don’t talk about myself too much. I hope hardworking would be the word people describe me as. I try as hard as I can all the time, so I hope that other people think I’m hardworking. 

LG: Thank you very much, Guy!

GG: Thank you! I appreciate it. It was great to see you again.