Photo: Andy Clayton-King/ AP

Would you believe that as a kid, Roger Goodell sulked and barely showed any signs of happiness? Janet Derby, his former babysitter who now lives in Sudbury, Mass., made that claim.


From the MetroWest Daily News:

When I was in high school I frequently babysat for the U.S. Congressman next door who had five little boys. The toddler of particular interest to New England Patriots fans was Roger Goodell. Yes, that Roger Goodell. He was a sour child, rarely laughing or running around like his brothers. If I had only been prescient I would have taught him that it is a sign of weakness to be overly concerned with personal power.


As those energetic Goodell boys rollick in the yard, there’s Roger on the couch, staring not at the wall, but through it. What’s on his mind? Why does he seem so different? Where is the sweet boy that we used to know?

[MetroWest Daily News]