When former Lipscomb Academy football standout Chauncey Gooden committed to play for coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, he made another announcement.
He planned to have the best of both worlds. Or at least both sides of the line of scrimmage.
"Me and the bench, we don't get along," Gooden said Dec. 3, 2024. "I'm going there to get on the field. I'm going there to play, and I'm going there to be me. So whatever I got to do to push myself and work as hard as I can to get on that field, that's my plan."
His words proved prophetic. On Sept. 5, 2026, during Colorado's 14-13 season-opening victory against Georgia Tech. Gooden — a 6-foot-3, 380-pound interior lineman — was the only player at his position in FBS to play both ways.
4-star Andre Adams doubled down on commitment to Deion Sanders, Colorado football
Gooden started on the offensive line and also had a tackle while playing eight snaps on defense.
What Deion Sanders said about Chauncey Gooden
“Chauncey’s earned it,” Sanders said Sept. 8 during his weekly news conference.
What other notable two-way players has Colorado had?
Sanders himself was a two-way player in the NFL, so it's no surprise he encourages such athletes. The most notable two-way player he has coached is Travis Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2024 after playing receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes.
How did Chauncey Gooden fare at Lipscomb Academy?
Gooden won two consecutive TSSAA Division II-AA state titles in 2021 and 2022 under coach Trent Dilfer, who returned to coach the team this season.
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Colorado's Chauncey Gooden, Lipscomb Academy grad, played both sides vs Georgia Tech
