Jonathan Goodwin 49ers' quiet leader 49ERS' CENTER

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After the 49ers won the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, the team left Atlanta without Jonathan Goodwin.

Instead of celebrating back in the Bay Area, San Francisco's center made a 215-mile drive with a few relatives to Irmo, S.C. There was no party in the town of about 11,000 outside Columbia, but there was something better awaiting Goodwin: his wife, Alnessa, and three young sons, including 1-week-old Cade.

"He called me after the game and said, 'I'm coming home,' " Alnessa said. "I said 'What?' Instead of going back to celebrate, he came home to us. He could only be here for a day, but that's Jonathan. He's serious about his family."

Goodwin, one of only two 49ers on the active roster to win a Super Bowl, is similarly serious about his football. This week, the soft-spoken, 11-year veteran said he'll remind teammates that the trek to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans is a business trip.

As a member of the 2009 Saints, Goodwin recalls some teammates did plenty of partying early in the week leading up to a win over the Colts in Miami.

"I would just stress to the guys that it's nice to go the Super Bowl," Goodwin said. "But it's better to win it."

Goodwin's advice figures to resonate.

Jonathan Goodwin (right) celebrates the NFC title with Leonard Davis and coach Jim Harbaugh. Jonathan Goodwin (right) celebrates the NFC title with Leonard Davis and coach Jim Harbaugh. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Jonathan Goodwin 49ers' quiet leader 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

At 34, he's San Francisco's sixth-oldest player and among its most respected. Head coach Jim Harbaugh recently asked him to address the team about his Super Bowl experience. This week, right tackle Anthony Davis called Goodwin for advice about preparing for the big game. It wasn't the first time he's dialed Goodwin's number.

"He always picks up," Davis said.

It isn't just the 23-year-old Davis who looks to Goodwin for wisdom. Davis and the other members of the offensive line, left guard Mike Iupati, left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Alex Boone, have played a combined 15 NFL seasons, just four more than Goodwin.

A fifth-round pick who started 15 games in his first six seasons, Goodwin isn't the most glamorous member of a front five that includes three first-round selections. But he is its glue.

"He's a mature human being," Staley said. "Comparing him with guys like me and Boone, he's like a father figure. We were kind of joking after the (NFC Championship Game), he's like the father of the offensive line and we're all like brothers. He's been through everything before."

As the leader of the line, Goodwin, a Pro Bowl pick in 2009, makes all the calls and pre-snap adjustments. In the NFC title game, he barked out signals above a deafening din in the Georgia Dome. The 49ers had 149 rushing yards, averaged 5.1 yards a carry and allowed one sack.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman pointed to Goodwin's ability to help orchestrate the offense in a less-than-ideal situation: "He was the air traffic controller during the snowstorm last week with the crowd noise."

Universally described as laid-back and mellow, Goodwin isn't so serene on third down or in the fourth quarter, Davis says. Still, he appears incapable of incivility, on or off the field. Consider that he's never been flagged for a personal foul in his 165-game career. Actually, his streak dates back a bit further. He says he's never been called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Ever.

Clearly, he practices what is often preached. In December, Goodwin, through his Twitter account, gave away 100 Bibles to "remind people of the true meaning of Christmas."

Alnessa was immediately struck by her future husband's gentle spirit when they met through a mutual friend about 10 years ago. After meeting him briefly in New York, where Goodwin was playing with the Jets, Alnessa went home to South Carolina and they developed their relationship on the phone. Their first conversation lasted five hours. Their next conversation was four. Alnessa was shocked. The pro athlete was most interested in talking about her.

"I thought this was too good to be true," Alnessa said. "Usually you don't meet guys in his position that are that nice and just have a genuine concern for people and their feelings."

Still, Alnessa says she was stunned when her husband returned to Irmo after Sunday's game. The family usually lives in the Bay Area during the season, but Alnessa and their two older sons returned to their home in South Carolina in December to prepare for Cade's birth. With the Super Bowl in mind, the Goodwins figured it would be easier to travel to New Orleans from South Carolina with a newborn than from the Bay Area.

Goodwin flew home for Cade's birth less than two weeks ago, and next week his family will meet him in New Orleans, where he will play in his second Super Bowl in four seasons.

For a center serious about his family and football, life is good.

"He's a guy that just does his job at a high level," Davis said. "And then he goes home to his kids."