Though the Golden Bears won only one game in his first season, Goff starting breaking school passing records and quickly established himself as a star. By the end of his junior season, Goff had broken more than two dozen records and Cal was a winning team (7-5).

Goff entered the NFL draft in the spring of 2016, and the Rams traded up to select him first overall. That kept him in California, a day’s drive or a short flight from his parents and friends, and in the same city as his sister, Lauren, and brother-in-law, Mason Butts. He was 21, about to become the face and leader of an NFL franchise, and he made it work – but not immediately.

Goff picked up the starting job midway through the 2016 season, and lost all seven of his games. The Rams finished 4-12 and a new head coach, Sean McVay, was hired for the next season. Under McVay, Goff blossomed and so did the Rams. Goff was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and the Rams' 11-5 record placed them atop the NFC West. For the first time in 12 years, the franchise was headed to the playoffs. The Rams lost to Atlanta in the wild-card round, but came back stronger in 2018. They finished 13-3 in the regular season, earned a first-round bye, and then beat Dallas and New Orleans to win the NFC Championship.