Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell is the eighth chief executive in the NFL’s 90-year history. He was chosen by the NFL club owners to succeed Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006 and took office on September 1, 2006.

As the NFL continues to grow in popularity, Commissioner Goodell has focused his priorities on strengthening the game and all 32 NFL franchises through innovation and communication.

He has addressed a wide range of issues, including player health and safety, the medical needs of retired players, personal conduct, revenue sharing, stadium construction, media innovation and international development.

Commissioner Goodell created the first NFL Player Advisory Council, strengthened the league’s anti-steroids policy, launched innovative new television contracts and a new series of international regular-season games and improved the NFL’s news media access policies to better serve fan interest. Prior to being named commissioner, Goodell managed an array of football and business operations during a 24-year career in the NFL.

Goodell, 51, joined the NFL in 1982 as an administrative intern in the league office in New York. After spending the 1983 season as an intern with the New York Jets, Goodell returned to the league office in 1984 as an assistant in the public relations department. In 1987, he was appointed assistant to the president of the American Football Conference, Lamar Hunt, by then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Under Paul Tagliabue, Goodell served in various senior executive roles and was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2001.

As chief operating officer, Goodell was responsible for the league’s football operations and officiating departments in addition to supervising all league business functions.

Goodell was instrumental in many league accomplishments prior to becoming commissioner, including expansion, realignment, and stadium development. He directed the dramatic transformation and growth of the NFL’s business units, played a lead role in the launch of the NFL Network, and was a key member of the negotiating team that produced the NFL’s television agreements.

In football operations, he helped lead the 1994 initiative for rules changes to improve offensive production, initiated the creation of a senior football operations position in the league office, oversaw the administration of the instant replay system, and restructured the officiating department. Roger Goodell was born in Jamestown, New York, about an hour south of Buffalo, on February 19, 1959, the third of five sons of Charles and Jean Goodell.

The Goodell family moved to Bronxville, New York, in 1971, where Roger graduated from high school. A three-sport participant at Bronxville High School in football, basketball, and baseball, Goodell captained all three teams as a senior and was named the athlete of the year at Bronxville High.

Goodell graduated magna cum laude from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1981 with a degree in economics and received the school’s Walter Hudson Baker Prize for excellence in economics.

Goodell serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York. He is also president of NFL Charities, the league’s charitable foundation.