#79 Mike Goff | G

Mike Goff is a true iron man in every sense of the word. A senior member of the squad in his 11^th NFL season, Goff comes into 2008 having started 90 straight games, nearly double the next-closest player on the Bolts’ roster. Goff hasn’t missed a start in the last five-plus seasons, despite playing a position where players routinely are blindsided and hit from all angles.

 

Goff has been a steadying force along a line that has helped the Chargers rush for over 2,000 yards for a team-record and NFL-best six consecutive seasons. It includes a team-record 2,578 yard season in 2006, the same one during which LaDainian Tomlinson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player after scoring a league-record 28 touchdowns while claiming the first of his two-straight NFL rushing titles.

 

Goff’s steadying presence extends beyond the line of scrimmage. After signing with the Chargers as a free agent in 2004, he immediately assumed a leadership role on the offensive line. He took youngsters like Nick Hardwick and Marcus McNeill under his wing and opened his Pacific Beach home to guard Kris Dielman. And he regularly hosted members of the offensive line and other current and former teammates to his house for dinner. This camaraderie has paid huge dividends as the offensive line has excelled as a unit. In each of Goff’s four seasons in San Diego, the Chargers have ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in rushing offense, including a No. 7 ranking in 2007 and a No. 2 ranking in 2006.

 

For years, one of Goff’s most recognizable characteristics was his long hair. That was until last summer when he actually cut his hair for a good cause as he donated it to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces for children under 18 who have lost their hair as a result of undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

 

Goff’s hobbies include traveling, reading, movies, golf and fishing, but his favorite hobby is cooking. Mike learned to cook by watching The Food Network and enjoys having teammates over to the house to sample his many specialty dishes. Since then, they have crowned him with the nickname “Chef.” Goff has mastered many culinary specialties, but lists among his favorites: Creole tomato soup with croutons, stuffed jumbo shrimp with crabmeat dressing, lamb chops and pork Wellington.

 

Goff has competed in several Battle of the Chefs events, including one which served as a fundraiser to help Chef Gavin Kaysen travel to the world finals of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in France. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving, Goff deep-fries a couple turkeys and hams and invites teammates over who are away from their families during the holidays. Mike’s travels this year included trips to Australia and Mexico, while past trips include the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aspen, St. Lucia, Thailand and Ireland.

 

Whenever he’s not slaving over a hot stove or touring the globe, Goff helps his father, Lyman, run a trucking business the two own in Columbus, Ohio. Their company hauls outdoor materials, including gravel and bedrock.

 

Before being drafted by the Bengals in 1998, he posted score of 38 on the Wunderlich intelligence test. It was the second-highest score among offensive linemen tested at the ’98 NFL Combine.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Third-round draft choice (78) by Cincinnati, April 18, 1998…signed five-year contract with Chargers, March 8, 2004.

2008: Started Weeks 1-15 at RG.

2007: Earned All-NFL honors from USA Today Sports Weekly and named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team.

2006: First-team All-Pro by SportsIllustrated.com...started all 16 games plus AFC Divisional Playoff game vs. New England...line did not allow any sacks and paved way for team to rush for 194 yards and two touchdowns in season opener at Oakland...quarterback Philip Rivers was only hit one time all night by Raiders defense, but on that play he completed 38-yard pass to Eric Parker that set up touchdown to give team 20-0 lead...line cleared way for 241-yard rushing day and three touchdowns, including two by LT, against Tennessee Sept. 17...for second-consecutive week, line did not allow any sacks...also for second week in row, Rivers was only hit one time in game by Tennessee’s defense and on that play, he still completed 12-yard pass to Michael Turner...line cleared way for 150-yard rushing game Week 3 against Baltimore, team which was ranked first in league against run and only surrendering 34.3 yards per game on ground coming into contest...only surrendered one sack to Ravens defense and it came on Hail Mary play on last snap of game...line helped Bolts rush for 119 yards against Pittsburgh in Sunday Night game Oct. 8...Steelers had come into contest ranked fourth in league vs. run and only allowing 78.3 yards per game...line didn’t allow any sacks in 39 pass attempts at San Francisco Oct. 15...marked third game of season group did not allow sack...line set tone for big day against St. Louis Oct. 29 as Bolts rushed for 216 yards against Rams, second 200-yard rushing game of season, and group only allowed one sack in 24 passing plays...line helped pave way for 190-yard rushing effort against Cleveland Nov. 5...helped clear way for LT to rush for 104 yards and four touchdowns in 49-41 win at Cincinnati Nov. 12...starting five all named Chargers Alumni Players of Week after clearing way for 125 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while only allowing one sack in 26 pass attempts, in 35-27 comeback win at Denver Nov. 19...line allowed only one sack for two yards in 33 pass plays and helped block for 110 yards and two TDs in 21-14 win over Oakland Nov. 26...helped Bolts rush for 197 yards and two LT touchdowns in 24-21 win at Buffalo Dec. 3...came up big on fourth-quarter game-clinching touchdown drive which consumed season-long 8:06, covering 13 plays and 80 yards as Bolts ran on nine of 13 plays...group allowed Bolts to rush for 147 yards and four touchdowns Dec. 10 against Denver, allowing only two sacks, one of which was coverage sack, in 25 total pass plays...line key reason Bolts rushed for 265 yards, fifth-most in team history, in 20-9 win over Kansas City Dec. 17...helped Bolts rush for 168 yards, including 62-yard run by Tomlinson, and only allowed one sack in 31 pass plays in rainy conditions at Seattle Dec. 24...closed out season with 169-yard rushing effort in Dec. 31 win over Arizona...anchored 148-yard effort in AFC Playoffs vs. New England.

2005: First-team All-Pro by Sports Illustrated and SportsIllustrated.com…selected to USA Today’s All-Joe Team…only offensive lineman to start all 16 games…played in 100th career game as starting right guard in season opener against Dallas…line paved way for 268 yards rushing, third-best in team history, and did not allow any sacks against New York Giants in ESPN Sunday Night Football game Sept. 25…line did not allow any sacks for second-consecutive week and helped Chargers rush for 183 yards at New England Oct. 2 to end Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game home winning streak…line allowed only one sack against Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football Oct. 10…started Oct. 16 game at Oakland and helped hold All-Pro tackles Warren Sapp and Ted Washington to three combined tackles while opening holes for running game to generate 190 yards on ground…started 50th consecutive game against Kansas City Oct. 30…offensive line did not surrender any sacks to Chiefs in 44 pass attempts…did not allow any sacks in 27 pass attempts and paved way for 133 rushing yards in 31-26 win over New York Jets Nov. 6…line allowed only one sack in 33 pass attempts vs. Buffalo Week 10 and created running lanes for 202-yard rushing effort at Washington Week 11…Goff made block to spring LaDainian Tomlinson for game-winning 41-yard touchdown run in overtime against Redskins…in 26-17 win at Indianapolis Dec. 18, offensive line allowed only one sack and helped team rush for 206 yards.

2004: Second-team All-Pro by Football Digest…named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team…Chargers Alumni Player of Week along with fellow starting offensive linemen following Week 11 win at Kansas City…started Weeks 1-16 and Wild Card Playoff game at right guard…blocked for NFL’s sixth-ranked rush offense…line surrendered only 21 sacks, fourth-fewest in NFL and fewest by Chargers squad since 1990.

2003: Valuable member of offense that ranked in NFL’s top-half in total yards, rushing yards and passing yards for first time since 1997…started Week 1 at center…started Weeks 2-16 at right guard.

2002: Key component of offense which posted streak of six consecutive games with 350 or more yards, longest team streak since 10-game stretch in 1986…started Weeks 1-3 and 7-16 at right guard…inactive Weeks 4-6 due to knee laceration suffered Sept. 22 at Atlanta.

2001: Starting right guard was only offensive lineman to play all 1,071 offensive snaps…Bengals offensive line allowed only 28 sacks, fourth-fewest in team history.

2000: Starting right guard led offensive line playing in 991 of possible 1,001 snaps during season…anchor of offensive line which blocked for Corey Dillon to rush for team-record 1,435 yards…played every snap against Denver Oct. 22 when Dillon rushed for NFL-record 278 yards and team rushed for club-record 407 yards…Bengals’ rush offense ranked second in NFL…Goff surrendered only 2.5 sacks during entire season.

1999: Saw reserve action at right guard Sept. 26…inactive Weeks 6-7 due to left knee sprain…subbed for Jones after injury Dec. 26 at Baltimore…starting left tackle for season finale at Jacksonville Jan. 2 for injured Rod Jones.

1998: Inactive Weeks 5-9 recovering from partial ligament tear in left knee injured during practice…started Weeks 12-16 at right guard.

COLLEGE: Started every game as senior at right guard for nation’s eighth-ranked rush offense…played at Iowa from 1994-97…majored in sociology.

PERSONAL: Born Jan. 6, 1976 in Peru, Illinois…All-America defensive tackle and team captain at LaSalle-Peru Township High School.