André Goodman (born August 11, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round, third pick of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina. Goodman has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Denver Broncos.
Early years
Goodman was an all-state wide receiver and defensive back at Eastside High School in Taylors, South Carolina. He was rated the No. 20 prospect by Super Prep during his senior season and was rated the No. 10 receiver in the Atlantic Coast region by Prep Star.
Goodman also excelled in track, setting personal bests of 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.4 in the 200 meters.
College career
Goodman was a four-year letterman from 1998-2001 at the University of South Carolina, where he started the final two seasons for the Gamecocks. During his collegiate career, Goodman totaled 86 tackles, four interceptions and 20 pass break-ups.
As a junior in 2000, Goodman started the first two games at free safety before moving to left cornerback. He registered 35 tackles (28 solo), returned an interception 71 yards and ranked second on the team with 11 pass deflections. In 2001, Goodman started the first eight games and final three games, including the Outback Bowl, at left cornerback as a senior. In the year, he amassed 43 tackles (36 solo), eight pass deflections and was tied for the team high with three interceptions.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Prior to the 2002 NFL Draft, Goodman ran a 4.36 40-yard dash.
Detroit Lions
Goodman was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round (68th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft.
As a rookie in 2002, Goodman appeared in 14 regular season games including six starts. He missed the team's first two games with an ankle injury. On the year, he had 48 tackles, an interception, 12 passes defensed, a fumble recovery and six special team tackles. He saw his first regular season against the Green Bay Packers on September 22, finishing with four tackles. He had a pass breakup in the end zone and five solo tackles, including one for a loss, in his first career start against the New Orleans Saints the following week. Against the Packers on November 10, Goodman registered two pass breakups and five tackles (four solo) before being forced out of the game with a thumb injury. The injury would force him to wear a cast on his right hand for the rest of the season. Nevertheless, during season finale against the Minnesota Vikings on December 29, Goodman had a career-high nine tackles and also recorded his first career interception on a pass from quarterback Daunte Culpepper.
Goodman started all three games in which he played in 2003, recording 13 tackles and four passes defensed. He suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Minnesota Vikings on September 21, and was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve four days later.
In 2004, Goodman started four of the 11 games in which he played. In the season, he had 23 tackles, an interception, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. He recorded his lone interception in the season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 12, picking off a Rex Grossman pass. However, he also suffered a thigh injury during the game and missed the following five contests. He started the final four games of the season filling in for injured cornerback Fernando Bryant, and recorded five tackles and a forced fumble against the Bears on December 26.
Goodman played in 15 games with eight starts for the Lions in 2005. He had 47 tackles and a career-high three interceptions, a figure which ranked second on the club, and also came up with a fumble recovery, 12 passes defensed and a five special teams tackles. He had a season-high six tackles on four occasions, all within the first two months of the regular season. His first interception of the year came in a 13-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 23, when he picked off a Trent Dilfer pass in the fourth quarter to help preserve the victory. Against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 18, he intercepted a Carson Palmer pass and returned it a career-long 21 yards. He intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger throw in the season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 1, 2006.
Miami Dolphins
After his rookie contract with the Lions expired following the 2005 season, Goodman became an unrestricted free agent. He visited with the Miami Dolphins on March 11 and officially signed with the team on March 13.