Goldberg is better known today for his WCW and WWE dominance, his long record of undefeated wrestling, and his Spear and Jackhammer moves. However, some of his early bouts didn’t happen in the ring—they were in the Atlanta Falcons locker room alongside another living legend.
Well Off Media posted a video from a Colorado Buffaloes barbecue with Goldberg chatting with Deion Sanders, a former teammate of Da Man when the two played on the Falcons in the early 90s. Sanders said teammates would wrestle in the locker room every Friday, with Prime being the promoter of sorts.
“I used to always say, ‘Who wants Goldberg!?'” Sanders exclaimed with emphasis and laughter, “Nobody wanted him.”
“I guess I have to give him 100% credit for me being a professional wrestler,” Goldberg responded.
Bill Goldberg, better solely by his last name in the ring, was a defensive tackle who made an All-SEC team at Georgia and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. He didn’t play a snap for LA but suited up for the Falcons over 14 games from 1992-94.
Even then, his ferociousness and aggression shined. Sanders said that once, while defending a punt return, Goldberg sprinted from one sideline to the other, slamming into a person so hard he earned a fine of $10,000 — “Which was basically three of my checks,” Goldberg added.
“That shows you that it doesn’t matter who or what you are. It matters what you stand for,” he said.
Now, his son Gage Goldberg is at Colorado, joining the Buffaloes as a preferred walk-on. He played linebacker and tight end at Boerne-Champion High School in Texas.
The elder Goldberg is ecstatic that Coach Prime will be at the helm: “I love him like a brother. And now he’s taking care of my boy,” Goldberg said. “I couldn’t be more appreciative and blessed because this is one of the best human beings that God ever built.”
