Goose

July 30, 2012
Siragusa, former defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens known as Goose to his family and legions of fans, wasn’t always a successful athlete, encountering naysayers, injuries and a career that nearly didn’t happen, which he relates in his breezy, opinionated, and funny account from the front lines of the game. At 12, when he doesn’t make the cut for his Little League all-star team, he takes the sting from that blow and using it as fuel to triumph over rejection, a turning-point lesson he will revisit again and again. “If they want to get me fired up, don’t pick me. Bet against me.... When I’m the underdog, watch out.” After Siragusa injures both knees in college, losing a season to rehab, he finds himself sitting out 12 rounds of the 1990 draft and not getting picked. The Colts ultimately sign him, but don’t want him to even come for off-season workouts. Then the team doctor looks at his knees and says he’ll be lucky to have a few years. So begins the first of Siragusa’s 12 years in the NFL. Off the field, Goose’s big mouth and antics turn him into a radio star, laying the groundwork after his retirement to become a commentator for Fox and cohost of the television show Man Caves. Although football lovers will appreciate the insider details, Siragusa is more than just the sum of his shoulder pads, offering an ode to tight-knit clans, small towns, and perseverance in the face of huge odds.