Roger Goodell is an American sports executive who currently serves as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since he was appointed in 2006. In 2014, Goodell was awarded the third highest honor within the Department of the Army civilian Awards scheme, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, for significant contributions to the US Army community while serving as the NFL commissioner.
Goodell is the eighth chief executive in the NFLโs history and was chosen by club owners to be commissioner, a role he has focused his priorities on successfully growing the NFLโs popularity and strengthening the game and all 32 NFL franchises through innovation.
His introduction of the personal conduct policy gained widespread criticism but he also addressed a wide range of issues to improve the NFL, including player health and safety; the medical needs and pensions of retired players; personal conduct; revenue sharing; stadium construction; media innovation; and international development.
Early Life
Roger Goodell was born on February 19, 1959 in Jamestown, N.Y., in the south of Buffalo. Goodell is the third of five sons born to Charles and Jean Goodell. His father, the late Charles Goodell was a Congressman in the United State from 1959-68.
He was appointed by then-New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1968 to serve the last two years of Robert Kennedyโs term in the Senate following Kennedyโs assassination.
Goodell is an alumni of the Bronxville High School where he captained the football, basketball and baseball teams as a senior and was named the school’s athlete of the year.
Goodell is a 1981 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.ย He also received the schoolโs Walter Hudson Baker Prize for excellence in economics.
A Protector of the Shield
Goodell has always stood as a defender of the integrity of the NFL, just as he once described his job description as โprotecting the shieldโ in reference to the NFL’s Shield logo. This has always been the case for Goodell, even when his actions came in for major criticism.
A landmark towards advancing the frontiers of the protection of the integrity of the league was the advent of the players conduct policy which came following a year in which significant off-the-pitch scandals became pervasive among players.
He also played an extensive role in league expansion, realignment, and stadium development, including the launch of the NFL Network and securing new television agreements.
Net Worth
Goodell currently has a net worth of around $200 million and an annual salary of $64 million, with most of his wealth emerging from his remarkable career in American sports.
He began his career as an intern in the NFL before moving up the ladder to become an assistant to the President of the American Football League in 1987. His itinerary in various other NFL business-related operations could be credited as a veritable source of his wealth but much of Roger Goodellโs net worth was earned through media negotiations.
The complicated relationship between the NFL and sports betting has been a major highlight amongst the many negotiations that Goodell has led or been involved in.
Goodell has affirmed that any employee who bets on NFL games will be punished. A defining moment was when 10 players were suspended for either betting on NFL games or placing bets while at a league facility. His standpoint is that the integrity of the game is at risk if legalized sports betting goes unopposed.
However, while employees are unable to bet on Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, regular betting enthusiasts can place wagers. A number of prominent sportsbooks offer generous Super Bowl betting offers.
