Ed Goddard
Encyclopedia
Edwin Vinson Goddard was an American football
player. Goddard played college football at the quarterback
and halfback
positions for Washington State University
. Goddard also served as a punter for Washington State. He was named a first-team All-American quarterback three straight years from 1934–1937 and was a consensus All-American quarterback in 1935 and 1936. He was the second player selected in the 1937 NFL Draft
and played two years of professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers
(1937) and Cleveland Rams
(1937–1938).
Goddard was known as the "Escondido Express," as he grew up in Escondido, California
. He reportedly received the nickname from a Los Angeles Times
reporter who saw him running and passing against USC, helping Washington State win against USC for the first time in three years.
During World War II
, Goddard served in the military. He and his wife, Ellen Goddard, had two children. Goddard died at his home in July 1992 at age 77.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. Goddard played college football at the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
positions for Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
. Goddard also served as a punter for Washington State. He was named a first-team All-American quarterback three straight years from 1934–1937 and was a consensus All-American quarterback in 1935 and 1936. He was the second player selected in the 1937 NFL Draft
1937 NFL Draft
The 1937 National Football League Draft was the second draft held by the NFL. The draft took place December 12, 1936, consisting of 10 rounds, with 100 player selections two of which would later become members of the Professional Football Hall of Fame...
and played two years of professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)
The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...
(1937) and Cleveland Rams
Cleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
(1937–1938).
Goddard was known as the "Escondido Express," as he grew up in Escondido, California
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
. He reportedly received the nickname from a Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reporter who saw him running and passing against USC, helping Washington State win against USC for the first time in three years.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Goddard served in the military. He and his wife, Ellen Goddard, had two children. Goddard died at his home in July 1992 at age 77.
See also
- 1934 College Football All-America Team1934 College Football All-America TeamThe 1934 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1934 college football season...
- 1935 College Football All-America Team1935 College Football All-America TeamThe 1935 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1935 college football season...
- 1936 College Football All-America Team1936 College Football All-America TeamThe 1936 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1936 college football season...
- 1937 NFL Draft1937 NFL DraftThe 1937 National Football League Draft was the second draft held by the NFL. The draft took place December 12, 1936, consisting of 10 rounds, with 100 player selections two of which would later become members of the Professional Football Hall of Fame...
External links
- http://washingtonstate.scout.com/2/93254.html"The Forgotten Star" article by John Blanchette, Spokesman-ReviewSpokesman-ReviewThe Spokesman-Review is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, where it is the city's only daily publication. It has the third highest readership among daily newspapers in Washington, with most of its readership base in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.-History:The...
columnist]