Clemson, NFL Great Trades Stardom for Badge

It’s hard to forget Malliciah Goodman’s accomplishments on the football field.

The West Florence High School star went on to a stellar career as a defense end at Clemson, where he amassed 150 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 12 quarterback sacks, 35 quarterback pressures, three pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, and one recovered fumble, in 2,061 snaps over 54 games (28 starts) in his career. He is tied for second in school history in games played and tied for third in forced fumbles.

But to Goodman, the most important stat is this: he graduated from Clemson prior to joining the NFL, where he played for the Atlanta Falcons, the Seattle Seahawks and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

That accomplishment is part of what he shares today with young athletes, that education is the key to a good future. 

Today he does not cover the edge on the football field, he covers the community as a deputy with the Anderson County Sheriff’s department.

Not a man to talk much about himself, Goodman talked to the Observer about his career path to law enforcement.