Two months ago, the New York Jets signed unheralded free-agent running back Mike Goodson to a three-year, $6.9 million contract because they fell in love with his upside: He plays fast.

Turns out he lives fast, too.

Goodson's legal issues didn't start with his May 17 arrest in New Jersey on drug and weapons charges, which could result in prison time. In his previous NFL stops, with the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders, his personal life spilled into the courts.

He was sued for paternity and child support by three women from August 2010 to May 2011, according to court documents in North Carolina and in Texas, where he grew up. He has fathered at least six children with those women, one of whom he lived with for two years, records show.

One of the women, who dropped her initial case, is planning to re-file a paternity action next week, according to her attorney.

An investigation into Goodson's background uncovered no criminal activity prior to the May 17 arrest, but there has been a string of incidents that have led to legal action against him.

Goodson didn't pay a $56,465 bill at a Houston-area jewelry store, which included the purchase of a $37,500 Breitling watch, according to court records. The store sued him, and after interest and fees, he ended up paying $84,423.44. The amount was garnished from his Raiders paychecks, according to records in Texas and California.

Earlier, while with the Panthers, Goodson was sued three times by two apartment complexes in the Charlotte area, which demanded unpaid rent -- ranging from $1,413 to $2,744, records show. In the latter two suits, records show he received eviction notices.

Goodson, who turned 26 on Thursday, was scooped up early in the free-agent signing period. He landed a $1 million signing bonus from the Jets, who envision him as a major contributor in their backfield. Though modest compared to high-profile free agents, it was the largest bonus doled out by the Jets.

A Jets spokesman declined to comment on Goodson's past, but added the team's policy is to investigate every player.

When the news of Goodson's arrest broke last week, a scout from another team, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said of the Jets, "Do these guys do background checks?"

There were character questions about Goodson when he came out of Texas A&M in 2009. He was regarded by scouts as a second-round talent, but he slipped to the fourth round.

By then, he had three kids with Ashlee Wilson of Houston, according to court records and her attorney. The first was born in April 2005, Goodson's senior year in high school. Their current ages are 8, 5 and 4. Wilson said she gave birth to the couple's fourth child in August 2011.

On Aug. 20, 2010, as Goodson was preparing for his second season in Carolina, Wilson requested a temporary restraining order against Goodson and sued for child support, according to court documents. One month later, Goodson was served with papers at Bank of America Stadium, one day after a home loss.

The case never was pursued. Wilson declined to say why she did not -- she was living with Goodson's mother at the time -- but she has reconsidered. Her attorney, Glenn Lilly, said Friday they will seek retroactive child support, a lump-sum payment and periodic child support from Goodson. Lilly said he will file the suit next week in a Harris County (Texas) Court.

Wilson and the four children now live with her parents. Lilly said Goodson still owes him $7,000 in fees from the original case, as ordered by the court.

By this time, Goodson was nearly two years into a relationship with Troyneshia Scott, who moved in with him in Charlotte, according to court documents.

Goodson fathered a child with a third woman, Jasmine Dupont of Charlotte, per court records and a person close to Goodson. That child was born March 22, 2010. Twenty months later, Dupont sued for child support.

On Dec. 1, 2012, Scott gave birth to Goodson's son. She, too, eventually sued for child support. They lived together long enough for their relationship to be considered a common-law marriage, according to court documents. They separated in February 2012, and Scott filed divorce papers on Sept. 4, 2012.