Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune

Anyone who knows me also knows that I am not just a Chicago Bears fan but a huge football fan in general. I regularly watch three to four games each week during the season and have had some awesome opportunities over the years to have been able to work with some of my favorite players.

I’ve found that the more I get to know the “man behind the mask,” so to speak, the more invested I become in that person, and the more fun it is to watch their games.

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Bears kicker Robbie Gould. We talked about football and philanthropy, about his place in Chicago Bears lore and about his charitable efforts in the community. We also got a chance to talk about his city, his family and his passions.

Earlier this week, NFL preseason football came to a close, and teams have begun trimming down their rosters in an effort to boil it down to their final 53 players by Saturday afternoon. Robbie Gould has been with the Chicago Bears for nine seasons now and knows his place on the team is secure, but it wasn’t always that way.

“It goes by fast, that’s for sure,” Gould said. “Playing for one organization is uncommon these days, especially with the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). For me, playing in the city of Chicago with the best fans has been incredibly special. The Chicago Bears organization is the dream team for me. I’d love to be here through the end of my career in the National Football League.”

Gould has been with the Bears since his NFL debut in 2005, but not many fans know that he got his start as an undrafted free agent, originally signed by the New England Patriots, who already had Super Bowl winning kicker Adam Vinatieri on the roster.

“[New England] is where I got my start, and I owe a lot to them for giving me the opportunity to participate in training camp. That first experience and team really laid the groundwork for me and taught me so much about being a kicker in the National Football League.”

Just how Gould wound up in Chicago is a pretty fun story in itself. “I was back in my hometown in Pennsylvania working for a construction company — it was just a normal day for me at that point. I kept receiving phone calls from the organization about coming to tryout, and I thought it was my friends playing a joke on me, so I kept hanging up on them. I think it happened twice. Needless to say, it didn’t end up being a typical day for me. That was the day that changed my life. I was on a plane that night, heading to Chicago.”

The Bears signed him on October 8, 2005 after starting kicker Doug Brien suffered an injury in Week-3. Gould came in and finished out the season with a 77% field goal percentage. Doug Brien was released later that year.

Gould joins most Chicagoans as being a huge fan of the Windy City, telling me, “I love everything about Chicago! The sports, food, fans, weather — yes, even the winter. I think it is one of the best places to live and raise a family.”

The City of Chicago definitely has a lot to offer; when it’s not too brutally cold to leave the confines of your own home, that is. I asked Gould what a perfect day in the city would look like for him. “It would start out with a family breakfast at Wildberry, followed by a workout at Equinox. We would head down to the city and spend the day as a family at Lincoln Park Zoo — and if its winter, one of the Chicago museums — and a lunch at RJ Grunts. In the evening, take in a Chicago sporting event — Hawks, Cubs, Sox, any of them.”

In 2013, Gould and his wife were blessed with their first child, a son. I often wonder if parents that play professional sports would like their children to follow in their footsteps, and I asked Gould what he would say if his son wanted to play in the NFL. “If he came to me and said that, I think it would be great. It is a tough sport, but it teaches you about perseverance, determination and the importance of being humble amidst success. When you are younger, I do think it is important to spend time playing several sports and being involved in different activities. The better-rounded you are when you are younger, the better you will be once you get to high school and college.”

You may be surprised to learn that Gould is almost as passionate about golf as he is about football. “I actually got into golf because of Brad Maynard and Patrick Mannelly. They are both outstanding golfers with low handicaps, and quite frankly, I got tired of losing. Golf is fiercely competitive, and I have developed a huge love for the game. Everything in golf relates to kicking a football. The game helps me in football and gives me the competitive edge that I can take on the field with me.”

Gould even mentioned that if he weren’t playing in the NFL he might actually enjoy a career in media, covering golf. “I would love to be a golf broadcaster and one day take over for a guy like Mark Rolfing (my mentor). I would also like to be a kicking consultant and continue working with my charity.”

His charity, The Goulden Touch, has a structure where “we can target all demographics to help fundraise and give back to the city of Chicago, and my hometown of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.”

Join me in cheering on Gould and the Chicago Bears this season, and let me know what other players you admire and would like to learn more about by tweeting along with me @lucyrk78!

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