Dashon Hugh Goldson (born September 18, 1984) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) N ...
, and was selected by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the fourth round of the
2007 NFL draft
The 2007 NFL draft was the 72nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draf ...
. He also played for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
,
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, and
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
.
Early life
Goldson was born in
Carson, California
Carson is a city in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and the Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor regions of Los Angeles County, California, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International ...
. He started playing football with the Tri-City Falcons which is a
Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner (April 5, 1871 – September 7, 1954), most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American college football coach at various institutions who is responsible for several key aspects of the modern game. Included among his inn ...
team in
Harbor City, California
Harbor City is a highly diverse neighborhood in the South Bay and Harbor region of Los Angeles, California, with a population upward of 36,000 people. Originally part of the Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant, the Harbor City was brought int ...
. He played high school football at
Narbonne High School in Harbor City, CA where as a senior he totaled 130 tackles and six interceptions, with two returned for touchdowns.
College career
Goldson had a short stint at Coffeyville community college before enrolling at the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
, where he played for the
Washington Huskies football
The Washington Huskies football team represents the University of Washington in college football. Washington competed in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Big Ten Conference, after having been a charter membe ...
team from 2003 to 2006. He played in 43 games and recorded a total of 293 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack. He graduated from the University of Washington in June 2006 with a degree in American Ethnic Studies.
Professional career
San Francisco 49ers
2009 season
Goldson was selected by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the fourth round (126th overall) in the
2007 NFL draft
The 2007 NFL draft was the 72nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draf ...
. In his rookie season, he played in ten games, recording 15 tackles as a backup to then-starting safety Mark Roman. In his second year with the 49ers, Goldson recorded 21 tackles as a backup.
In 2009, the 49ers front office announced that Goldson would be the starter for free safety going into next season, while giving current starter
Mark Roman permission to seek a trade. Although at the time this move was highly questioned, Goldson quickly proved doubters wrong.
Goldson made his NFL debut as a starter against the divisional rival
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
on September 13, where the 49ers were victorious on the season opener, winning 20–16 against the reigning NFC conference champions. In Week 2, Goldson recorded his first career
interception
In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
by diving under a pass that was tipped by
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Eugene Burleson (born August 19, 1981) is a Canadian-American television host, football commentator, and former football player. He played professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Playing college footba ...
. The 2009 season would prove to be a productive season, where Goldson led all San Francisco defenders in interceptions with four, and he also forced three fumbles. Goldson finished his first year as an NFL starter with 94 tackles, two sacks, six pass defenses and four interceptions. This was the beginning of Goldson's arrival in the league.
2010 season

Goldson struggled during much of the 2010 season, missing tackles and not forcing turnovers like he did in 2009, finishing with 59 tackles and one interception. Although the San Francisco 49ers team as a whole struggled this year, they showed strides leading up to the 2011 campaign.
2011 season
Prior to the 2011 season, Goldson was an unrestricted free agent and visited with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. He ultimately decided to sign a one-year contract and re-sign with the 49ers. He was named to his first career Pro Bowl, coming in second in the NFC in voting behind
Earl Thomas. He had a career-high 6 interceptions and 9 pass deflections during the regular season and is now known to be one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL. In the playoffs, he intercepted a
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
pass and returned it near the goal line which resulted in an
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...
touchdown pass to
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, twi ...
to give the 49ers a first-quarter 14–0 lead.
2012 season
On October 26, 2012, Goldson was fined $7,875 for taunting the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in Week 7. On December 20, 2012, he was fined $77,500 for uniform violations and a helmet-to-helmet collision with Patriots tight end
Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Josef Hernandez (November 6, 1989 – April 19, 2017) was an American professional American football, football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons with the New England Patriots until h ...
.
In the 2012 season, Goldson and the 49ers appeared in
Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
. In the game, he had nine combined tackles as the 49ers fell to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
by a score of 31–34.
He was named to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
and was named to the
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
team for the first time in his career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On March 13, 2013, Goldson signed a five-year, $41.25 million contract, including $22 million guaranteed with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. He joined newly arrived cornerback
Darrelle Revis
Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the New York Jets for most of his career, Revis is considered o ...
and 43rd overall draft pick
Johnthan Banks
Johnthan Shuntay Banks (born October 3, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he received All-American honors. ...
. On September 16, 2013, Goldson was suspended for one game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
running back
Darren Sproles
Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...
the previous day. Upon appeal, however, the suspension was overturned and Goldson's penalty for the hit reduced to a $100,000 fine.
In 2014, Goldson recorded 81 combined tackles, of which 63 were solo.
Washington Redskins
On April 3, 2015, Goldson was traded to the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, along with a seventh round pick, for a sixth round pick in the
2016 NFL draft
The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. At the start of the
2015 season, he was voted as the team's
defensive captain.
Goldson was released on March 7, 2016 after just one season with the team.
Atlanta Falcons
On August 28, 2016, Goldson was signed by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
to fill a backup role due to safety
Keanu Neal
Keanu Neal (born July 26, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Florida Gators ...
injuring his knee. In four games, Goldson made one tackle, coming in a 24–26 loss to the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in Week 6. On October 19, 2016, he was released by the Falcons. On December 20, 2016, he was re-signed by the Falcons. Goldson was inactive for the Falcons' 28–34 overtime loss to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
.
NFL statistics
Coaching career
Goldson is currently an assistant defensive backs coach for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
.
As of 2024 Goldson is coaching with his former head coach Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles for the Chargers.
References
External links
Washington Redskins bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bioSan Francisco 49ers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldson, Dashon
1984 births
Living people
Players of American football from Carson, California
American football safeties
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Coffeyville Red Ravens football players
Washington Huskies football players
San Francisco 49ers players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Washington Redskins players
Atlanta Falcons players
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen
Narbonne High School alumni
San Francisco 49ers coaches
Coaches of American football from California