Kansas State University Athletics

2019 Football

Denzel Goolsby at Mississippi State
Denzel Goolsby vs Bowling Green
Photo by: Emily Starkey
Denzel Goolsby vs South Dakota
Photo by: Scott Weaver
Denzel Goolsby vs Mississippi STate
Denzel Goolsby vs. Oklahoma
K-State's Denzel Goolsby
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State Football
Photo by: Cooper Kinley | K-State Athletics
Denzel Goolsby
Denzel Goolsby
Jersey Number 20

Denzel Goolsby

  • Position:
    Defensive Back
  • Height:
    5-11
  • Weight:
    204
  • Class:
    Senior
  • Hometown:
    Wichita, Kan.
  • High School:
    Bishop Carroll
CAREER HONORS
• 2019 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (2019 at Mississippi State)
• 2019 AFCA Good Works Team
• 2018 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list
• 2017 Cactus Bowl Defensive MVP
• 2017-18 First Team Academic All-Big 12
• 2016, 2019 Second Team Academic All-Big 12

CAREER: A three-year starter at safety who made an impact both on and off the field... Started 34 of his 48 career games played.

2019: Started all 13 games at free safety, finishing second on the team with 64 tackles to go along with a tackle for loss, two interceptions and a pass breakup en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches... Earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after tallying 11 tackles and an interception at Mississippi State... Came up with his second interception of the season at Texas Tech to help seal a victory... A member of the AFCA Good Works Team, the fourth Wildcat ever named to the list and the second in as many years (Dalton Risner)... Also named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy... Earned Second Team Academic All-Big 12 accolades... Voted a team captain.

2018: Saw action in nine games with seven starts, finishing seventh on the team with 36 tackles... Also had two pass breakups... Carded a season-high seven tackles against Oklahoma State, while he had six at Iowa State and five against Mississippi State... Had pass breakups against Texas Tech and Iowa State... A First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer and on the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

2017: Started every game, finishing third on the team with 78 tackles to go along with 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, four pass breakups and two interceptions... Also recorded a forced fumble and two recoveries, the latter tying for first in the Big 12 and 26th nationally... Named the Cactus Bowl Defensive MVP as he recorded a timely forced fumble and recovery, setting up a short field and K-State’s go-ahead touchdown en route to a victory over UCLA... Also registered five tackles, including a TFL, against the Bruins... Recorded his first-career interception against Oklahoma when he ripped the ball away from the receiver in the end zone... Came away with another pick against West Virginia... Carded a career-high 12 tackles against Oklahoma, while he had 11 at Texas and eight against Iowa State... Picked up his first-career sack in the season opener against Central Arkansas... Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.

2016: Played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams... Finished second on the team with 10 special teams tackles, including a team-best five on punt coverage... Totaled a career-high four tackles at TCU... Carded a pair of stops at Iowa State... Picked up Second Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
 
2015: Redshirted.
 
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year starter at Bishop Carroll under head coach Alan Schuckman... Named the 2014 Gatorade Kansas Football Player of the Year and the USA TODAY Sports/American Family Insurance All-USA Kansas Offensive Player of the Year... Rated the fourth-best player in the state of Kansas in the Class of 2015 by Scout... Rushed for 1,641 yards and 31 touchdowns to go along with 251 receiving yards and seven scores as a senior, helping the Eagles earn a perfect 13-0 record and a Class 5A state championship... Also dangerous in the return game in 2014 where he scored five touchdowns on 13 punt returns and a touchdown on his only kickoff return... Named one of the top 11 players in the state and to the All-Class 5A teams by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle... A first team all-metro performer by the Wichita Eagle... Named as one of the top 12 players in the state by the Kansas Football Coaches Association and to the organization’s all-state 5A team... Won the Barry Sanders High School Male Athlete of the Year award... Rushed for 495 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior despite missing three games due to injury... Helped Bishop Carroll go 47-2 over his four-year career with two state championships (2012 and 2014)... Also ran track as he placed second in the state in 2012 in the 4x100 and third in the 4x400.
 
PERSONAL: Denzel Christopher Goolsby was born January 25, 1997, in Wichita, Kansas... Son of Dinah Goolsby and the late Les Goolsby... Has one sibling, Banner... Had two cousins who played football at K-State, Jarard Milo, a defensive back who lettered from 2011-12, and Brian Goolsby, a fullback who lettered from 1995-98... Another cousin, DeAndre Goolsby, played tight end at Florida... Earned his bachelor’s degree in professional strategic selling in May 2019 and is currently pursuing his MBA.
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