Kansas tight end got “red carpet treatment”

On his second trip to Gainesville, an official visit the weekend of Florida’s 31-17 Southeastern Conference win over Tennessee, Deandre Goolsby (6-4, 225, Derby, KS) brought his father along for what turned out to be an exceptional visit both for Goolsby and his dad.

“Deandre and his dad went to Florida for his official,” Heather Goolsby (Deandre’s mom) said. “I went this summer so I got the chance to visit Florida and the coaching staff. His father went this time to meet everyone and experience everything. It was a great visit they both really enjoyed themselves. They gave them the red carpet treatment.”

It is an 18-hour drive from Kansas to Gainesville, but according to Mrs. Goolsby, the Florida coaching staff has made them  feel comfortable about the distance.

“We really like the coaching staff at Florida,” Mrs. Goolsby said. “Florida calls us and Deandre on a regular basis and keeps in good contact with us. We have a really good relationship with them and we know that they will take care of him if that’s where he chooses to go. Football and school are both demanding so we need them to take care of him since we won’t be there for him.”

Derby, Kansas is in the heart of Big 12 Conference territory so typically it’s hard for Florida to get a lot of interest from prospects in that area but for Deandre it was a pleasure to have an offer from Florida.

“Deandre has always loved the state of Florida itself,” Mrs. Goolsby said. “Every time we went on vacation it was to Florida if we asked Deandre. We’ve been in the state several times. The university is amazing and it was beautiful. When Florida came calling he knew instantly he wanted to take a visit there. His visits there have been great and he loves it there.”

Goolsby’s father played football at Kansas State, which would appear to be an obstacle, but Heather Goolsby says this decision will be strictly what’s best for Deandre.

“His dad played at Kansas State but Deandre is going to make the best decision for himself,” Mrs. Goolsby said. “Deandre has a drive about himself and he studies everyone and wants to find the best place that will teach him and coach him to make him better.”

With three official visits down the Goolsby family will next head to Arkansas for their game against South Carolina and take the final official to Kansas State.

Goolsby will graduate in December and enroll in college in January, which means that the recruiting process has been sped up.

“As soon as we are done with the officials he will make his decision because there is a lot to do to get enrolled in school,” Goolsby said. “He will process his thoughts and make the best decision for himself.”

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.