Gage Goldberg, son of WWE legend Bill Goldberg, recently announced his commitment to play football at the University of Colorado under the leadership of head coach Deion Sanders.
Goldberg had an impressive senior season at Champion High School in Boerne, Texas. Playing as a middle linebacker, he recorded 154 total tackles, with 7.5 for a loss, and forced four fumbles with one sack, one forced safety, and one blocked field goal.
He announced his commitment to the University of Colorado in an X social media post earlier this month. Now, head coach Deion Sanders has himself a commitment from a 6’0”, 210-pound linebacker with an athletic pedigree and some added depth in the middle of the field.
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Goldberg’s father, known to most wrestling fans simply by his last name, is not only a WWE Hall of Famer and two-time world champion but also had a solid college football career with the Georgia Bulldogs, culminating in an injury-shortened stint in the NFL. Bill Goldberg was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and played three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons in the early ‘90s where he became friends with, you guessed it … Neon Deion.
Gage’s announcement in walking on at Colorado garnered several headlines, including here at Bounding Into Sports. He had initially committed to Alabama as a preferred walk-on but those plans changed with the announcement that Coach Nick Saban was retiring.
Now, Gage plans to forge his own path under Sander’s tutelage.
We reached out to the latest addition to the Buffaloes, and Gage was kind enough to speak with us about his future plans, what he sees as his role at Colorado, and how he feels about Coach Sanders.
Gage Goldberg On How His Dad Influenced Him
Goldberg, extremely well thought out in his responses, said that his legendary pro wrestling father helped guide his decision to join the Buffaloes in the Pac-12.
“My dad had a huge influence on my decision as he guided me to see what the important things to look for in a school were, and he ended up leading me to one of his great friends” in Deion Sanders. “But ultimately, it was my decision to commit to Colorado.”
Gage expected the decision to pursue his collegiate football career with a high-profile name in Sanders, combined with his own high-profile name, would garner attention. But he didn’t think the news would be quite this big.
“I knew that my commitment to Colorado would get a substantial amount of attention, but I didn’t think it would get posted on huge websites like TMZ and ESPN,” he revealed.
Now, here he is at Bounding Into Sports. Gage has truly made it.
As for the scrutiny he will surely get in playing for this program, the younger Goldberg feels thoroughly prepared.
“As I learned from my father, you’re always your own worst critic,” he said. “Scrutiny comes with the territory and as long as I make myself happy, then I feel that would make everyone else satisfied.”
He’s no stranger to the spotlight either. Gage has, on multiple occasions, been prominently featured on WWE programming alongside his father both as a child and teenager. He found himself on the wrong end of a Hurt Lock delivered by The All Mighty, Bobby Lashley, at Summerslam 2021.
Goldberg On What It Will Be Like Playing For ‘Prime Time’
Despite being around such huge names in the wrestling business and the dinner table, Gage Goldberg suggests that his new head coach is a one-of-a-kind personality on his own.
“There aren’t a lot of people in this world that are larger than life, but Deion Sanders is one of them,” he tells BIS. “He brings a level of energy to the college atmosphere in Boulder that is unrivaled.”
“He’s ‘Prime Time’.”
Indeed, Sanders was one of the most charismatic players to ever grace an NFL field. A rare two-way player, he was best known for his years with the Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers.
Sanders is a two-time Super Bowl champion, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a 6-time All-Pro, and 8-time Pro Bowl selection.
Oh, and he played Major League Baseball as well, remaining the only athlete to ever hit a home run and score a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, and the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
As you might imagine, his hiring at Colorado and his past as one of the most electrifying athletes in sports history created huge expectations for the Buffaloes in 2023.
After the team got off to a hot start – they won their first three contests at TCU and home against Nebraska and Colorado State – they fizzled out significantly and finished 4-8 (1-8 in the Pac-12).
Sanders and the Buffaloes got exposed a bit against Oregon in week 4, losing 42-6 and seemingly never recovering, eventually losing their last six contests in a row.
Gage Predicts What The Future Of Colorado Football Will Bring
Gage Goldberg has very few concerns though, about the direction of the program and the ability of Coach Sanders to lead them into the future. And he’s quite confident about what that future holds.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” he said of the critics, “but I believe in Coach Prime and the University, so watch what goes on in the next couple of years.”
Gage tells BIS that the Colorado football team is “going to make a real impact” in the next couple of seasons. And he sees himself as a major part of it all.
“From the first day I step on campus I would like to start to make my impact with the team and excel as an athlete, teammate, student, and person,” he stated. “I have a relentless work ethic and a high aptitude to learn, I’m looking to sharpen every part of my game.”
When asked about the role he’d like to play on the team the 17-year-old exudes confidence while simultaneously knowing he has a lot of hard work in front of him.
“The first two words that come to my mind are anchor and leader. I’m starting from the ground up, and I know I have a lot of work to do to gain those two titles under my name.”
As for following in his father’s footsteps, Gage isn’t interested in looking too far into the future.
“Right now I am completely focused on my football career and I am ready for the next four years,” he insists. “Go Buffs!”
