Novato native Jared Goff returns to Bay Area as rival for NFC Championship
NOVATO, Calif. (KGO) -- Ask anyone in the City of Novato and they'll tell you they have mixed feelings about this Sunday's NFC Championship. The local favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers, is playing the Detroit Lions whose quarterback grew up in their town.
"I am a 49ers fan, but of course I love watching Goff," said David Neseralla, a Novato resident. "The Niners better bring it because Jared Goff is going to play. He is going to play very well."
Goff played high school football at Marin Catholic. While there, he brought the program to new heights by breaking numerous school records. He won team MVP in 2011 and 2012. His coach says Goff doesn't worry about those accolades. He just loved to play football.
"He was just one of the guys," said Mazi Moayed, the Head Football Coach at Marin Catholic. "He loved his family. He loved his teammates. You could see it when he first got here. When he was a freshman. You see him throwing the ball around, it looked really easy."
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His time there set up a future of football success. He went on to play football at Cal, where he was a three-year starter. He became one of the top of NFL prospects in his position. In 2016, he was drafted number one overall by the Los Angeles Rams. After losing the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, the Rams traded him to the Lions. This year, Goff led the Lions to hosting their first playoff game in over 30 years.
"The kind of person that it takes to have success at Cal, it breeds you and it gets you ready for what's next in life," said Malik McMorris, one of Goff's teammates at Berkeley. "For Jared, that's the NFL and helping the Detroit Lions get to where they are today."
The last time the Lions won a road playoff game was in 1957. It was against the 49ers at Kezar Stadium. 67 years later, the North Bay native can help them do it again.
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If you ask his former coaches and teammates, there is no doubt he is capable of winning on Sunday.
"To see what he's doing with those fans and that team, it's special," McMorris said.
"He made all the throws easy," Moayed said. "The easy throws were easy and the hard throws were easy. I know he is against the Bay's team, but I will also root for him. He is part of our family."
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