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2015 Pac-12 Football Media Days: Goff doesn't pay attention to Heisman, NFL draft hype

Jul 31, 2015

BURBANK, Calif. – Heisman Trophy candidate. Top quarterback potentially in the 2016 NFL Draft. Jared Goff has heard the accolades. He just doesn’t care about ‘em.

“Through one [ear], out the other,” the Cal quarterback calmly said at 2015 Pac-12 Football Media Days. “I’m very flattered by it, very appreciative of it, but at the same time not concerned with it right now. I’m focused on getting better every day this offseason.”

Cal coach Sonny Dykes says the hype hasn’t changed Goff’s demeanor at all.

“That’s the great thing about Jared – he doesn’t care,” Dykes said. “He loves Cal, he loves his teammates and he’s much more concerned with helping our program than he is putting up numbers or help improving his draft stock or any of that kind of stuff.”

There is plenty of reason for media types and scouts to be bullish about Goff.  After all, this is a guy who broke 15 school records in 2014, including single-season passing yards (3,973) and touchdown passes (35). He was a major reason why Cal improved its win total from one to five in 2014 and has people thinking the Golden Bears can be a dark-horse contender in the Pac-12 North.

With those kind of numbers, it’s no surprise that ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr., has Goff rated as the top underclassman quarterback for the 2016 draft, and Dykes thinks Goff will be even better as a junior in 2015 than he was as a sophomore in 2014.

 “Jared took a big step between Year 1 and Year 2. I thought Jared took an even bigger step between Year 2 and spring football,” Dykes said. “At the end of the spring, I thought he was a completely different player than he was last fall, and that’s the kind of improvement I want him to take.”

For Goff and the Golden Bears, it’s about getting back to a bowl game for the first time since 2011 and contending in the Pac-12 North. People have taken notice – the Golden Bears are picked to finish third in the Pac-12 North just two years after a 1-11 campaign. Those are the accolades Goff is working to take head on, not the Heisman and NFL Draft talk.

“I think it’s great. We’re ready for those expectations.” Goff said when asked about people taking notice of the Golden Bears. “I think this year we’re ready to take that next big step and compete for a championship for sure.”