ORONO, Maine — Jerome Najee Rasheed, known as Najee, is a renowned jazz saxophonist and flautist. Actor Kadeem Hardison was a regular in “The Cosby Show” spinoff, “A Different World.”
Najee Kadeem Goode is a junior cornerback for the University of Maine football team.
“My mother and grandmother love Najee. Kadeem Hardison is a famous actor,” Goode said, explaining how he got his name.
The Philadelphia native has been making a name for himself in the Black Bears secondary.
He scored his first touchdown in UMaine’s season-opening 24-21 loss to Football Bowl Subdivision team Connecticut. He sacked unsuspecting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs on a corner blitz, caused a fumble, picked the ball up and raced 74 yards.
Earlier, he had knocked Shirreffs’ helmet off with a jarring tackle at the goal line.
“He has the heart of a lion,” said DeAndre Scott, a junior safety who is Goode’s partner on that side of the secondary, as he was when they were teammates at Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia.
Despite the fact Goode is 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, he won’t hesitate to drill a ball carrier such as Shirreffs, who is 50 pounds heavier.
“I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder,” Goode said. “I was always the smallest guy in my family. I have a lot of older cousins who are all bigger than me, and we’d play basketball together. They’d push me to the ground. I’d get back up, brush my shoulders off [and keep playing].”
“Philadelphia breeds tough kids,” said UMaine first-year head coach Joe Harasymiak.
Goode loves being a cornerback.
“You’re on your own back there. You can’t blame anybody. It’s like playing golf. When you swing and miss, it’s on you. Who else can you blame?” Goode said.
Goode is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he was involved in 33 tackles, had an interception and tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association in pass breakups with eight.
One of the keys to his success is his work ethic.
“Najee watches the most film on our team along with [Christophe Mulumba Tshimanga] and [Pat] Ricard,” said Harasymiak. “That really helps him. He has a knack for being in the right spot. It comes from having good practices. He’s really focused in practice. He is very motivated and very committed to being a great football player.”
“He really loves the game, and he works hard at everything he does, which makes him the player that he is,” said defensive lineman Ricard. “He’s very detail-oriented about everything.”
Goode said his meticulous attention to detail, including the vast volume of time he spends watching film, was learned from former UMaine teammates Axel Ofori Jr., Sherrod Baltimore and Kendall James.
“They displayed those key [attributes]. I always watched them,” said Goode. “Now I’ve incorporated them into my game, and it has taken off from there. Every year, I’ve gotten a lot better.
“Now everything is starting to get even, so I’m able to play with tremendous confidence,” he said.
“He is a good listener and a quick learner. I watch him get better every single day,” said UMaine cornerbacks coach Alvah Hansbro, who noted that Goode has a very quick first step.
Goode, who was in on 19 tackles and had an interception and a fumble recovery as a freshman, said his touchdown has made him even hungrier to make more big plays.
“I haven’t felt like this since my senior year in high school. I’m going to keep my foot on the throttle,” said Goode.
He also said he wants to turn those pass breakups into interceptions.
“I want to catch those balls this year. I want to be one of the top guys in the conference in interceptions,” said Goode. “We were near the bottom of the barrel in turnovers [margin] last year [minus-five]. I want to help us get up there. I’ve got to make more plays.”
UMaine was 10th among the 12 CAA teams in turnover margin.
Orono and Philadelphia are completely different environments, but Goode thoroughly enjoys Orono.
“When I came up for a visit, I loved it. It was a perfect fit. My mom, [Felicia Harrison], told me, ‘This is meant for you,’” said Goode, who was recruited by former UMaine offensive coordinator Kevin Bourgoin.
“I have no regrets. There’s a lot of crime in Philadelphia. Up here, it’s relaxed and peaceful. The weather is beautiful in the summer, not too hot, not too cold. It’s humid in Philadelphia.”
He loves his coaches and said the team is a family.
Goode said he has even found a woman who works in the Memorial Union that knows how to make a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.
“She does a pretty good job,” said Goode, who on Saturday night will be squaring off against Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Toledo, a school that recruited him.