Hometown Pride Bursting At Seams Over Rams QB Jared Goff
NOVATO (CBS SF) -- Tom & Patty Schalich admit to being fans of New England Patriots quarterback and Bay Area native Tom Brady, but those feelings do not apply to Super Bowl LIII.
Like their Novato neighbors, the Schalichs are being swept up by L.A. Rams fever -- a Bay Area malady directly traceable to a quiet former Marin Catholic High School standout -- Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
"I like Tom Brady, but Tom has had his success, and we're going to be rooting for Jared," Tom told KPIX 5. ""You know, after the game I see him interviewed, and he's just so polite and poised, just seems like, just a nice guy."
Patty says his demeanor reflects the town where he grew up.
"It's a very small community, it's quiet, it's unassuming," she told KPIX 5. "It's quite the talk of the neighborhood."
Roger Goodwin has followed Goff's career every step of the way.
"Went on to Marin Catholic, did well there, on to (UC) Berkeley, did well there," he told KPIX 5. "We were ecstatic to see him go onto the NFL and now he's headed for the Super Bowl."
The Viking Bar in downtown Novato may as well be a Rams bar for the next two weeks.
"Oh, 100 percent," said bar owner Tom Baseheart. "Maybe will be on the map now. It's about time Novato gets recognized for all the professional players we've always had."
It wasn't just the neighbors celebrating Goff's win in the NFC Championship and trip Super Bowl LIII. His family also is living the dream.
"I just said -- 'Oh my God, I'm crying, I'm so excited,'" said Goff's aunt Debbie Shurtz, "I can't believe it."
John & Gail Goff -- Jared's grandparents -- also have caught the fever.
"I'm just so emotional, and so proud, that he - well the team, it wasn't just Jared, it was a team effort," John Goff said. "He was very competitive and humble, very humble and it's like and he always did a team effort with all his growing up, like with Marin Catholic, Pop Warner, it was not all about him, it was it about the team."
His uncle, Steve, said Goff has always been resilient so rallying his team to an championship victory was not too surprising.
"One and 11 was tough (in Goff's first year at UC Berkeley), but he sucked it up and persevered through it and he does that at every level that he's needed to," he said. "Just never count him out."