Inside transfer specialist's long journey from Canadian football to 'final home' on Wisconsin Badgers

Goodman took that feedback, playing the special teams position along with offensive line and fullback duties.

"And then when I got into CEGEP (John Abbott College), which is kind of like JUCO but in Quebec, it's kind of mandatory, I became just a long snapper and I really worked at that," Goodman said.

Goodman admitted he wasn't heralded ("kind of no stars, no nothing") but moved across Canada to Division II Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, the lone NCAA school in the country. He earned the starting long snapper role for the Red Leafs, but it wouldn't be for long.

Simon Fraser ended its football program in April 2023, and Goodman subsequently was thrust into the transfer portal. He found a home at Bryant, an FCS program in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for the 2023 season.

Wanting to aim higher and not feeling it was the right culture fit, he eventually walked on to Tulane under veteran NFL and collegiate special teams coordinator Greg McMahon. As a redshirt sophomore, Goodman was a backup on the depth chart for the Green Wave last season.

His next curveball came when McMahon retired in January. Goodman went through Tulane's spring practice and thought he performed well, but he entered the portal once again.

"With the distance from home and the price to go to school, I decided to go in once more to try to find my final home, and I think that's what Wisconsin is going to be," Goodman said. "I think between how good of an opportunity football-wise it is, and my ability to get finished my bachelor's degree and get a master's here, I think it's going to be an awesome opportunity for me."

Goodman made a last-minute visit to Wisconsin on May 2, as he was already in the state for trainingat Special Teams University. He has a couple of connections to the program, as former Tulane defensive lineman Parker Petersen signed with the Badgers during the winter offseason.

The team also has Levy, a scholarship long snapper who transferred in from Purdue and is regarded as one of Goodman's good friends.

"(Levy) has one year left, and when I spoke to the coaches about it, they basically told me, 'Yeah, if you want to come in, get in the environment, become accustomed to how we do things, and then once Nick leaves, if you perform, it's possible that you earn a scholarship,'" Goodman said. "That felt like a concrete, in-my-hands kind of thing where I can show up, show that I'm capable of being that guy and then earning it once Nick leaves."

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