Late at night on Jan. 6, 2024, Tyler Goodson felt like the world was crashing down on him. He sat at his locker with tears in his eyes, about to go call his parents because he thought they were probably the only people who loved him at that moment.
Goodson had just dropped a crucial fourth down pass in what would be the Colts' final game of the 2023 season, as they went on to lose to the Houston Texans and get eliminated from playoff contention. He felt like a failure. Deep down, he knew he wasn't, but he felt like one.
Over the course of the next few days, Goodson leaned on his support system – his teammates and family – and let himself feel the emotions of the moment. But veteran running back Jonathan Taylor had given Goodson advice to leave whatever happens in a game, good or bad, in the locker room. Don't let it follow you home, don't let it follow you to the next game – or the next season.
"The people that was close to me and the people that love me did a good job of just keeping me away from that headspace," Goodson said. "And also, just going out just to work out allowed me to stay away from that headspace and actually just think about that moment and motivate myself just to come back even better."
Exercise became a sort of reprieve for Goodson – no emotions necessary. In the offseason, he traveled back home to Georgia and trained with people he had been working with ever since he moved to the state in 2012. It was like being back with a second family.
"Those guys called me after the game and was like 'It ain't over. We're gonna get to work soon as you get back,'" Goodson said. "They was like, 'Take the time you need to get your body right, and when it's time to work, it's time to work. And then we gonna prove to everybody in the world that you could be one of the best.'"
Those closest to Goodson, many of whom had known him since he was a teenager, had no doubts about his potential. They had all been witnesses to how hard he worked and how motivated he was to become the best.
That includes his former high school teammate and current Colts wide receiver Josh Downs.
"Me and him, we used to be a little duo in high school," Downs said. "He'd run the ball, I'd catch the ball."
Downs laughed as he reminisced on their 'glory days.' After all, they won a state championship together in 2017 at North Gwinnett High School and were more than just teammates – Downs was good friends with Goodson and his younger brother.
The competitiveness with which Goodson plays and practices in the NFL is no different from how he was in high school, Downs said.
"Real good player," he said.
Straight to the point. And true.
As a senior in high school, Goodson was named Georgia Player of the Year and earned All-State, All-Region and All-County accolades after recording 159 carries for 1,180 yards and 25 touchdowns. He attended the University of Iowa and was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2020, and finished his college career 11th in program in history with 2,551 rushing yards.
Goodson went undrafted in 2022 and was signed to the Green Bay Packers' practice squad before joining the Colts in September 2023. When he arrived in Indianapolis, Goodson had yet to play in an NFL game. In December, Goodson was elevated to the Colts' active roster and saw action in the final six games of the 2023 season.
"It was just surreal knowing that one of my high school buddies was over here," Downs said.
"Me knowing that he was here made me feel comfortable and confident," Goodson said. "Like okay, I've got somebody here that I know."
Downs was one of the first Colts players to welcome Goodson when he arrived in the locker room, and he was one of the many to reassure and comfort Goodson after that game against the Texans, talking to him as they walked off the field and to the locker room and reminding him of the kind of player he knew Goodson was.
"I knew in the offseason he was gonna get to work," Downs said. "And he's bouncing back right now."
Goodson has played in six games this season – he was inactive Week 1 against the Texans – and saw his responsibilities ramp up when Taylor suffered an ankle injury in Week 4, as Goodson and fellow backup running back Trey Sermon shared time at the position.
In the Colts' Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins, Goodson recorded a career-high 14 carries for 51 yards and scored his first career touchdown, showing off the explosiveness that made him so appealing to the Colts.
"It was awesome," Taylor said. "Just because you can see the plays that he makes, the explosive plays, you see the consistency that he has when he's in with those limited reps that he has."
"(That was) a moment I've been waiting for," Goodson said. "And it's just surreal for me to be in this position and I just thank God for it."
Prior to the Dolphins game, Goodson hadn't played more than 12 snaps in a single NFL game. Against the Dolphins, Goodson was on the field for 19 snaps and, true to his personality, gave every single rep his all.
"Goodie is practicing 1,000 miles per hour on his practice reps," Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "Whether he gets 25 or five, he is going full blast, full speed and making the most of them, which is making him – he's getting better and better because of that. That's a credit to him and credit to the way he works, his work ethic. He's got great energy around the building. You love crossing him in the halls. You love interacting with him."
On the Wednesday after the Dolphins game, Goodson's touchdown ball sat in his locker; he made sure to get it back after the game. The ball was buried beneath jerseys and sweatshirts, but he knew exactly where it was and what he was going to do with it.
"I'm going to frame it," Goodson said. "I'm going to put some words on it. 'First touchdown', and then I'll put 'perseverance' and 'resiliency' on the ball as well, because that ball is more than a touchdown to me."
Soon, the football will be on display in Goodson's home. A reminder of his touchdown, yes, but also a reminder that the world didn't come crashing down around him on that one night in January.
