Alumni Story

I love that Catawba has given me the opportunity to become who I am today, and I deeply appreciate how much my professors helped me out along the way.”

Jordan Goodine knows a thing or two about following his dreams.

Growing up, Jordan always dreamed of playing football and baseball at the collegiate level. Catawba College made that dream a reality. With his father, Rodney Goodine, a proud Catawba football alum, it felt like everything had come full circle.

He said, “My whole life my bedroom has been decorated in Catawba memorabilia from my dad’s time at the school. I can recall going to my dad’s Hall of Fame speech and always wanting to be a part of the Catawba Legacy.”

He added, “I got the pleasure of wearing the #55 Jersey and playing the same position as my dad. He was also my position coach during my freshman year at Catawba.”

Although attending Catawba and playing his favorite sports was a dream come true for Jordan, it was not without its hardships. “My experience at Catawba had its ups and downs. I came in during an unusual time with the COVID Pandemic. I can remember not being able to do certain things my freshman year because of it.”

But COVID didn’t ruin all the fun. “Overall, it was a great time. I will always cherish the moments I had with my football teammates, especially going through a few rough seasons. Catawba will always be my home as I grew up ten minutes down the road and have been attending sporting events since I was in a stroller,” he said.

As his journey continued at Catawba, a new passion emerged. Jordan discovered his interest in NASCAR during his junior year.

He said, “I got into NASCAR my junior year at Catawba. One day after Kinesiology class, I realized I wanted to intern with a professional sports team. The closest team to campus was Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis. I looked on LinkedIn and saw I had a mutual contact who worked there. It was my former Catawba teammate, Adam Diesenna.”

He continued, “I contacted him, and he gave me the strength coach’s email. I then emailed the strength coach to ask if I could intern with him. It took him two weeks to respond, but when he finally did, it led to him telling me to come by the shop. When I did, I ran into the pit crew coach instead of the strength coach. The Pit crew coach asked if I was an athlete, and I said yes. Then he asked if I wanted to learn how to hang a tire, and I said of course, and from then on, I started my career in the pit crew.”

As Jordan began to get the hang of things, it seemed as if his dedication was paying off. Stewart-Haas offered him a developmental contract, which he signed just before starting his senior year at Catawba. Juggling early morning training sessions at 6 a.m. with Stewart-Haas, attending classes, and then heading to football workouts and practice was no easy task. But Jordan kept his eye on the bigger picture, confident it would all work out.

However, after his last football game against Carson Newman, Jordan received the news that Stewart-Haas was releasing him. He said, “I didn’t know what I was going to do next, so I went through my phone and searched for contacts when I saw Jourdan Osinske, who is a Catawba Alum. Jourdan is the Jackman on the #12 car for Ryan Blaney who was the 2023 NASCAR CUP Series Champion. He came to Catawba one day during my junior year after football practice to talk to the team about NASCAR, and that’s when I built a connection with him.”

He added, “I contacted him, and he got me a tryout at Penske, which eventually led to me getting signed. A month into working at Penske, I got the opportunity to work with the #44 car driven by JJ Yeley in Daytona for the 500. I took the offer, and it was a wild first experience. I did the race Thursday night in Daytona, and immediately after the race, I hopped in a sprinter van and drove back to Salisbury to be in class at 9 a.m.”

Then, on a normal Monday morning, Jordan got a call from his coach informing him that the company decided to move him up full-time to the #21 car driven by Harrison Burton as the Tire Carrier.

Just five races later Jordan became a Daytona Champion.

“Winning Daytona for the Wood Brothers' 100th win and securing a playoff spot is a feeling I will never forget. No one thought this was possible as we were the youngest crew in NASCAR history to ever win a Cup Series Race,” Jordan said.

He added, “This whole experience has been a rollercoaster, but I have never once lost hope in the whole process. Today, I continue practicing with my team three days a week. We are getting ready for the playoffs, which start September 8th in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Quaker State 400.”

Grateful for the role Catawba played in his journey, Jordan expressed his appreciation for the support he received from his professors. “I love that Catawba has allowed me to become who I am today, and I deeply appreciate how much my professors helped me out along the way. I’d like to give a special shoutout to Dr. Aagaard and Dr. Carlton, as they have always supported me along the way, even when others didn’t. My job in NASCAR wouldn’t have been possible without the help of those two, and they will always be my most influential professors at Catawba. I’d also like to thank Big Mike for always giving me the guidance I needed to further my career. He always pushed me to be more than just an athlete.”

Reflecting on his own time and experiences at Catawba, Jordan hopes to inspire current students to take charge of their own paths. He said, “Some advice I would give to current Catawba students is to be honest with yourself and realize you hold the keys to your future. I encourage students to create LinkedIn accounts as soon as possible and not be afraid to email people asking for internships or just asking for a conversation. I learned the worst anyone can say is no.”