National Football League

Tough rookie lesson fuels Panthers RB Goodson

Published Nov. 26, 2010 6:41 a.m. ET

foxsports

Mike Goodson came to Carolina last season as a rookie with a wide smile, pleasant demeanor, skinny frame - and no idea how to pass block.

It took one play in a preseason game to show him how much work was ahead.

''I tried to take on Ray Lewis and he didn't even push me. He just moved me out of the way,'' Goodson said. ''I was like, 'All right, I've got to get bigger.'''

Just more than a year later, a bulkier, smarter Goodson rushed for 120 yards against Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to continue a surprising two-game run that's a rare positive in the Panthers' horrible season.

''I didn't get a chance to go up against him on pass protection,'' Goodson said of Lewis, the 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker, ''but I think I ran the ball pretty well against him.''

Not bad for a guy who earlier this month was Carolina's fourth-string running back.

When DeAngelo Williams was out with a foot injury Nov. 7 against New Orleans and Jonathan Stewart left in the first quarter with a concussion, coach John Fox turned to Tyrell Sutton instead of Goodson.

It wasn't until Sutton also got hurt in that game that the Panthers were forced to give Goodson the start a week later against Tampa Bay. The fourth-round draft pick from Texas A&M rushed for a Carolina season-high 100 yards on 23 carries, showing explosiveness in the backfield that had been missing all season in Carolina's 24th-ranked rushing game.

The 23-year-old Goodson followed that up with a career-best performance in last Sunday's 37-13 loss to the Ravens that included a 45-yard run, Carolina's longest of the season.

''It would be hard to imagine him having these type of back-to-back games a year ago,'' Fox said. ''Mike worked very hard this offseason both to increase his size and strength, and obviously a better understanding of our run game as well as our pass protections has helped.''

Goodson left college after a disappointing junior season in which he rushed for only 406 yards while clashing with new coach Mike Sherman. His draft stock was falling, but with his father, Mike Sr., in prison on a mortgage fraud conviction, Goodson turned pro to help his family's finances.

Even though the Panthers already had Williams and Stewart, they used an extra fourth-round pick on Goodson based on his potential.

But he came to camp last year weighing 187 pounds and overwhelmed by the responsibilities running backs have in the NFL.

''I think coming from college you think, 'I'm a running back. I'm a running back.' That's your mentality and you think, 'Run the ball. Run the ball,''' Goodson said. ''But here you've got to know the passing aspect just as well as you run the ball. Knowing the whole offense. Know what the receiver does, what the quarterback does, how it works together.''

After he was tossed aside by Lewis in the preseason, the Panthers were wary of using Goodson too much in the backfield. He was a part-time kickoff returner, but spent half the season on the game-day inactive list.

Goodson was determined to play a bigger role in 2010 and went on a rigorous offseason workout program that produced about 25 extra pounds of muscle and bulk. He also spent long hours in the film room to better learn pass-rush schemes.

Still, with Williams and Stewart each coming off 1,100-yard seasons, there figured to be little room for the 6-foot Goodson. He was mostly just returning kickoffs until injuries hit.

''Because we had such a long list of featured backs, the guy never really got much of an opportunity to show what kind of runner he was,'' Fox said. ''He hasn't let anybody define him. He's taken these opportunities and made the most of them. We're learning just like you are as far as what he can do, and I think he is, too.''

Goodson's play leaves Carolina (1-9) with big short-term and long-term decisions as it rebuilds.

Stewart, held to 208 yards on 69 carries this season, practiced again Thursday and is expected to play Sunday at Cleveland after missing two games. Fox hasn't said who will start.

Williams, limited to 361 yards on 87 carries before being lost for the season to a foot injury, is an impending free agent.

A few more big games by Goodson to close the season could permanently change Carolina's backfield.

''Hopefully,'' Goodson said, ''I'm surprising some people.''

Notes: QB Jimmy Clausen passed another cognitive test and practiced for a second straight day Thursday following a concussion. He'll start Sunday barring a setback. ... Backup QBs Brian St. Pierre (shoulder) and Tony Pike (arm) were limited. ... LG Travelle Wharton (toe), RB Tyrell Sutton (ankle), CB Captain Munnerlyn (shoulder), S Jordan Pugh (hamstring) and S Marcus Hudson (ankle) remained sidelined. ... CB Chris Gamble practiced Thursday after being absent a day earlier for personal reasons.