Sports

Goins to Pursue Football, Military Career at Citadel

Eric Goins will play football for The Citadel this fall

As Eric Goins embarked on his college hunt, he hoped he would be able to continue playing football, but focused on pursuing an education that would give him a career in the military.

He found a school where he could do both.

Goins, lauded for his work on the field as both a defensive back and a punter/kicker and off the field as a stellar student, has committed to kick for The Citadel this fall. He made his decision public at Feb. 3.

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The military is in his blood. His father attended Citadel, his brother attends West Point, one grandfather served in the Navy and another served in the Army, one cousin attended U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and another cousin serves in the Navy.

And then there's another one of his cousins, Ryan Sellers, who just graduated from Citadel and its football program, in which he also served as kicker.

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Many teenagers would feel at least slight apprehension about entering the rigidity of a military school. But not Goins.

"I'm looking forward to that part," Goins said. "I'm looking forward to having that common bond with everyone at my school. We're all doing the same thing. Even if I don't know someone, we're going to have gone through the same stuff so I can relate to them."

Those who know Goins are not surprised at his excitement. He's a rule follower who enjoys structure.

"For him, you're either doing the right thing or you're not," said Ray Goins, his father, who also played football for Citadel. "I think it's a great fit for him."

Goins grew up playing soccer until he switched to football in fourth grade after finding he was "too aggressive" on the soccer field. As he played throughout middle school, he started hearing praise for his talents, which built his confidence. After his freshman year season, he began to think playing college could be a possibility for him.

Both Goins' father and Jason Rowley, head football coach at Oakton High, said he leads by example with his focused work ethic.

"He's a three-sport athlete and any spare moment that he has, he's still working on his skills for all of those sports. He's constantly in the weight room," Rowley said. "He's one of those natural leaders. Not vocally, necessarily, but you can always point to him because he always does things the right way."

In an injury-plagued 2011 season, the 6'2", 210-pound senior averaged 44.7 yards on six punts, tallied 15 touchbacks on 34 kickoffs, and kicked 26 extra points and six field goals. He earned an All-Met honorable mention for his efforts as place kicker/punter.

In the past year, Goins has had surgery and worked through rehabilitation programs for his various injuries. Ray Goins estimated his son played one full game healthy before being injured again in the last game of the football season.

But that has not stopped Eric Goins from being an athlete throughout the entirety of his senior year. Benched with a broken leg for most of the season, Goins is still a part of the varsity basketball team, showing up to practices and games to offer whatever support he can. He also plans to play lacrosse this spring.

"He has attacked his rehab like you would expect him to, and done everything to be able to go down to Citadel and be their starting kicker this fall," Rowley said.

Rowley, effusive in his praise, said Goins epitomizes what the Oakton football program wants for its athletes.

"He is respectful, responsible. His parents raised a great man. I can't praise him enough for the type of person that he is," Rowley said. "I would trust him to represent us as a football program. What he is and what he embodies, on and off the field, is what we expect and hope for for all our players."


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