It’s a dream come true.
When the Philadelphia Eagles match up with the Kansas City Chiefs in a much anticipated Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Havana, ND, native son and 2013 Britton-Hecla graduate Dallas Goedert will take the field at a tight end spot for the Eagles. It’s something he dreamed about as a kid.
“I think I first dreamed about this in 2006 when I was about nine years old,” said Goedert. “It was the first time I was playing the Madden video game with the Packers and won the Super Bowl with them. I saw all the confetti falling down and thought I would like to see that in real life.”
Selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft after becoming a two-time FCS All-American at South Dakota State University, Goedert has earned a spot as Philadelphia’s number one tight end. During his fiveyear career he has caught 248 passes for 2,997 yards and 19 touchdowns.
That varies a bit from his initial dream – in that dream he was a runningback.
“A runningback is what I always wanted to be, but I got too tall for that pretty early in my life.”
Goedert was on his way to his best year this season when he was sidelined for five games due to a shoulder injury. But the 6-5, 260-pound tight end still ended up with 55 catches for 702 yards, just short of his 830-yard output a year ago.
“When I hurt the shoulder the first thing people said was to make sure and get back for the playoffs,” noted Goedert. “I knew I had to get back to enjoy this amazing ride that we are on.”
In retrospect, Goedert thinks the injury could be a blessing in disguise.
“Obviously, an injury is never anything you want, and I was having a career year until that point and playing at a very high level. But due to the injury I was able to rest my legs for five weeks and then play a few games to knock off the rust. I’m feeling really healthy now and back to 100%.”
Both the Eagles and Chiefs have compiled 14-3 records this season and both were the number one seed in the NFC and AFC respectively. And Goedert made his presence felt during the Eagles’ playoff run, especially against the New York Giants in the conference semifinal contest.
Early in the game Goedert grabbed a short pass, virtually body-slammed a would-be tackler with a stiff-arm, and picked up a first down that set the tone for the game. He capped that drive with a onehanded catch on a 16-yard out pattern, bulldozing his way into the end zone, and the Eagles never looked back.
Goedert has worked hard to make himself a solid NFL receiver as well as a respected blocker.
“The biggest thing is that you have to work hard, have great effort, and go above and beyond,” said Goedert. “You go 100 miles an hour until the whistle blows.”
That work ethic has paid dividends, and now his experience is truly making him a force to be reckoned with.
“My first year, if I was supposed to do something on a play, I did exactly that, and I would try to react to what the defense did. Now I know the defenses better and see things quicker so I can make the defense react off of me. It’s like a big puzzle and you just keep putting the pieces together.”
His skill at running pass routes has made him a valuable threat for Philadelphia, and he will be counted upon on Sunday.
“You don’t have to throw him the ball down the field 30 yards,” said Eagles’ head coach Nick Siriani in a recent interview with Fox Sports. “You could throw it to him at the line of scrimmage, five yards, 15 yards, and he’s going to be able to make a big play.”
When Goedert dreams of Sunday’s game, he’s thinking multiple big plays.
“I always have high expectations for myself and my dream would be 10 catches for 160 yards, two or three touchdowns, and holding the MVP trophy at the end of the game. Whether that comes true or not, it would be my ideal expectation of myself.”
Goedert is obviously a big play threat, but the Eagles have multiple weapons that kept them unbeaten for the first half of the season.
“I think the biggest thing that contributed to our run to the Super Bowl, besides it being the second year for our coaching staff, was the offseason acquisitions that we had,” stressed Goedert. “We had a few holes in the roster that needed to be filled and we did a great job of adding people that came in and played key roles.”
Those additions brought more vertical passing threats in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, which opened up the short passing game for Goedert.
“We’ve gone to more screens and things like that because the defenses are so worried about our vertical game, and running after I catch the ball is one of my favorite things to do. It works to my strength and I hope we can take advantage of a little more of that this Sunday.”
One thing that goes handin- hand with the Super Bowl is multitudes of distractions, and Goedert said that is a challenge.
“Everybody wants a piece of us. It’s been media overload the last few days. Starting Wednesday we will try to lock into a normal weekly schedule – eating the same stuff, getting up and going to bed at the same times, and try to make things as normal as we can.”
Goedert has also enjoyed sharing his dream come true with family and friends.
“When that clock went to zero in the NFC championship game it was a pretty special moment for me and my family. There were 25 people at the game supporting me, and I was able to share my dream with them. It was pretty cool. The support I get from my family and really the whole state of South Dakota is pretty incredible.”
But there is still work to do.
“After we beat the 49ers they shot the confetti cannon on the field and I sat on the field a little bit, waved to my family, and did all that. But shortly after, I heard Jalen (Hurts) say that the job is not finished, there is more work to be done. So we got ready to get back to work.”
That work will be completed, one way or another, on Sunday and Goedert is confident in his team.
“When you get to this point of the season there’s a similar level of talent everywhere – it’s good against good. Keys for us will be the details and communication and limiting our turnovers. If we don’t turn the ball over we are a difficult team to beat.”
One thing is for certain. Residents of Britton and South Dakota will be watching with keen interest as Goedert makes his first appearance in the biggest game in professional football on Sunday.
