North Carolina State University Athletics
#tbt: From the Football Field to the Big Screen
2/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - Eddie Goines came to NC State in the fall of 1991 from his hometown of Lakeland, Fla. Over the course of his four years with the Wolfpack, Goines made an impact on and off the field, as a great football player and an even better student.
Goines was a three-time 1st team All-ACC performer, an Academic All-American and won Academic-ACC mention four times. Due to his athletic success and his dynamic personality, he was a popular figure on campus and was voted to serve as the student commencement speaker at his graduation.
Goines has wonderful memories of his days in Raleigh. "NC State was a great experience," he said. "It's a true family atmosphere there on campus, and friendships were formed that will last forever."
When asked what his fondest memory from being at State was, he couldn't pick just one. "Beating Carolina a few times, beating Clemson at Death Valley a few times, being the Commencement speaker, taking Hillsborough after beating Duke or Carolina in basketball. All of those sort of things stand out."
But Goines' love affair with football would soon be coming to an end. Despite getting injured during his senior year, he was still drafted in 1995 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He remained with the Seahawks for three seasons before finishing up a fourth season with the Colts and Giants. His attempts to fight back from his knee injury were not successful and he realized that the NFL and football were over for him.
Goines credits his faith, family, teammates and friends for helping him get through the tough times and to face the reality that football was no longer his life. Even after hanging up his cleats, he still didn't regret a second of his time with the sport.
"It was a great journey that I'm very fortunate to have made. To have been able to have a great college career and then spend a few years in the NFL around players that I grew up admiring is a priceless experience."
With football behind him, Goines had the world ahead of him. At the time his career ended, Goines was dating an actress. She and her fellow acting friends were always trying to get Goines to try his hand at their craft. He had never really thought about acting before but recalled loving reading plays and being assigned roles in grade school. Goines gave in and did a play with Gertrude Jeanette's Hadley Players theatre company. From there his love of acting was born.
He went on to do more plays, then moved on to soap operas, including roles on All My Children and One Life to Live. Goines had a dream of being on television, so he moved to L.A. Since being in L.A., he has landed roles on numerous television shows, including Law and Order and 24. He was also cast as the love interest to Beyoncé in her 2007 video for If I Were a Boy. His first big movie role came when he was cast as a part of the hit movie American Gangster, which starred Denzel Washington
Goines' roles as an actor has led him to writing, to which he gives NC State some of that credit. "My first writing job was for the school newspaper, The Technician, and I believe that experience as a columnist has helped me as a screenwriter." Goines recently received a screenwriting award for his film 12 Days of Christmas.
Goines has had quite the journey since his days at NC State. But his perseverance despite adversity is inspiring.
He said he is most proud of his effort to pursue his goals, "I won't stop, I'm going to keep fighting, and I will make my mark. I have big dreams and haven't even grazed where I want to go, but I'm a guy that is going to fight until the death for my dream."
This spring Goines plans to write his first feature film and like most actors, he has high hopes of winning "a few of those golden statues in a few years."
By Olivia Clapp
