TITLETOWN (NBC 26) — The energy in Titletown is rising with just one day left until the NFL Draft. And one question looms over Lambeau: Will this be the year the Green Bay Packers finally take a wide receiver in the first round — for the first time since 2002?
Texas receiver Matthew Golden might just be the answer.
“You know, it would be a blessing, you know, to play with Jordan Love,” Golden said. “I feel like he's a great quarterback. So, you know, just knowing what I could do on the field and contribute to whatever they need me to do, I'll be willing to do it.”
Golden said he's just excited for the opportunity to be drafted — something he's been working toward for years.
“I worked so hard to get here. I've been through so much, you know, with me and my family,” he said. “So for everything that I did to pay off and I'm actually here — you know what I mean? It means everything to me.”
Golden's trainer, Justin Allen, believes he's ready to prove himself at the next level.
“He’s hungry. He’s eager to prove that he's everything that he put on display at the NFL Combine,” Allen said. “Just like he was able to transfer to the University of Texas and answer all the questions that people had about him — could he play at that level? Is he fast enough? Is he a playmaker?”
Golden, a former track star, is best known for his speed — but he prides himself on route running.
“Just being able to create space and get open anywhere on the field,” Golden said. “I'm very versatile. I create value on special teams too. So I feel like I'm a complete receiver. And every team I go to, they're getting a true competitor and a person that got a chip on their shoulder.”
That chip, Golden says, comes from his upbringing and the challenges his family faced.
“Oh, I struggled a lot. You know, it was times I didn't stay with my mom. You know, that's my best friend,” he said. “So just thinking back to those hard times — the adversity that I went through — and, you know, it all paid off for a reason.”
According Allen, that background sets Golden apart.
“He’s a great kid, does it for his family, so he’s motivated a little bit more,” the coach said. “A lot of guys are chasing the dollar — he's chasing a dream. And through that process, it'll be able to help him take care of his family.”
With the first round just hours away, the Packers — and the rest of the league — will soon decide whether Golden's dream becomes reality.
