SE: Goolsby's Understanding of 'Big Picture' Leads to Solid Play at Safety for Wildcats

By Corbin McGuire

When K-State safety Denzel Goolsby talks about his improvement in his first year as a starter, he often references or alludes to the "big picture."

This includes just about everything. From his journey as a standout high school running back to a redshirt season as a receiver at K-State to moving to a position he had never played before in safety. From the bottom of the depth chart to countless hours in the film room to interceptions against two of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Every step led to Goolsby's current position: K-State's third-leading tackler (73) and the top Big 12 safety in terms of solo tackles (61).

"It's been a huge learning experience for me, being able to finally get out there and make plays," Goolsby said. "It's not something that I take lightly. As a Kansas kid, it's a dream to play at a school like this and on a stage like this."

The first time Goolsby met K-State defensive coordinator Tom Hayes was at a camp in Wichita. The 2014 Gatorade Kansas Football Player of the Year who rushed for 1,641 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior at Bishop Carroll High School, Goolsby remembers Hayes hinting at his potential on the defensive side of the ball.

"After I committed, I remember talking to him and he was, like, 'You know I'd steal you if you ever want to come over to the defensive side,'" Goolsby recalled. "I guess he kind of put the idea in there. There was never a time in high school where I was thinking about playing defensive back."

Still, Goolsby came to K-State as a wide receiver. He grinded as a redshirt in 2015, learning the ins and outs of the position with hopes it would lead to catches and touchdowns down the road. It didn't. It did help him develop an understanding of a position he now defends, however.

"It was great being able to have that opportunity because I was able to learn different techniques from him, seeing things from a wide receiver standpoint," said Goolsby, with two interceptions and four passes broken up this season. "So now, on the opposite end at defense, you get to be able to use those exact same things because they're hints to you now. Being able to see those things really helped me a lot and it definitely pays off now being on defense."

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In the fall of 2016, Goolsby made the switch from offense to defense. Having never played any defensive position before in his life, Goolsby knew he had a lot to figure out. Fortunately, he had plenty of resources, including a three-year starter in Dante Barnett.

"When I wasn't playing, I was just trying to get as much involved with film and things like that as I could," he said. "I knew this was a process, that this wasn't something that you just step into and assume that it's going to be yours. So, for me, it was more about, 'What can I learn from Dante while he's here?'"

Ultimately, Goolsby said making the transition to safety successful fell on his shoulders. He needed to be intensely focus at every practice. He needed to put in as much extra work as possible. He needed to be ready when his opportunity came.

"He is a very conscientious young man. Wherever you would play him, he would give you his best effort. He would do the little extra things you need to do in order to enhance your performance level. He has done that since he has been on the defensive side," K-State head coach Bill Snyder said of Goolsby earlier this season. "He's into every snap every single day. He doesn't wander, doesn't get overconfident about things that he's doing. It's that old 1-0 concept. He just tries to win each snap as it comes about."

Goolsby earned the starting safety spot out of this fall camp, filling the opening left by the graduation of Barnett. In 12 starts this season, Goolsby has picked up six or more tackles six times for K-State, including a career-high 12 against Oklahoma.

His performance against Oklahoma also included his first career interception, an impressive one at that. Goolsby stole the pass away from standout freshman receiver CeeDee Lamb in the back of the end zone, snagging one of only five interceptions thrown this season by Sooner quarterback and Heisman Trophy front-runner Baker Mayfield.

"Them being such a highly powerful football team and such a national brand, I think for me to play the way that I did was more of a wake-up call, like, 'Hey, I can really do this,'" said Goolsby, who also intercepted West Virginia's Will Grier. "It just kind of was such a confidence booster in that I might be a kid from Wichita, Kansas, a two-star guy out of high school, but I've worked super hard to get here, and I'm ready to play now."

GOOOOOLSBY! #KStateFB #EMAW pic.twitter.com/2cC7njngVk
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 21, 2017

From each game, Goolsby said he's gained confidence and comfort at a position that was foreign to him for most of his football career. From each week of preparation, he's also honed in his ability to productively watch film of his opponents.

"It's a lot more attention to detail," he said of watching film. "Before it was, 'How does my guy look?' Now, it's the bigger picture of it."

Now, Goolsby looks like he's been playing the position his whole life.

Against Iowa State, with starting safety Kendall Adams and starting corner D.J. Reed out, Goolsby provided more leadership in the secondary. He also made eight tackles and defended a pass in the end zone perfectly, the latter a product of his increasingly studious film habits.

"I think earlier in the year, I might have bit on play fakes more or been so caught up in watching the quarterback," he said, as K-State (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) awaits its bowl destination that will be announced on Sunday. "Now, I see the overall big picture a lot better."

"Having an impact on somebody that's young is something that carries a lot of weight." - Denzel Goolsby@Big12Champ4Life #EMAW pic.twitter.com/84aXEqoZRf
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) September 21, 2017

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: Goolsby's Understanding of 'Big Picture' Leads to Solid Play at Safety for Wildcats

Players Mentioned

Kendall Adams

Denzel Goolsby

D.J. Reed

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