Every Day Guys Exclusive | 'I Owed That Sacrifice to Everybody': Goode Finds, Establishes Role in Third Season at Illinois

Luke Goode could have followed in the footsteps of his family members who played in the NFL and won Super Bowl rings.

A standout quarterback at Homestead High School in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Goode had the opportunity to continue that family legacy, which includes his grandfather, Irv Goode, a former first-round draft pick and two-time Pro Bowler whose 13-year NFL career included a Super Bowl win; his uncle, Trent Green, a two-time Pro Bowler who played for several teams over the course of his 12-year career and won a ring with the St. Louis Rams; and his cousin, Ben Skowronek, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he also won a Super Bowl.

Goode’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Bill Skelton, knew his 6-foot-6-inch QB had all the skills necessary to become an elite player, not only in high school but at the college and even professional levels, if he wanted to take that route.

“Playing quarterback, to be successful, it's all about, can you get the job done?” Skelton said. “Can you complete passes? Do you understand what you're looking at? Are you efficient? Do you have intangibles like leadership qualities? Are the guys in the huddle going to look up to and follow you? At the end of the day, you have to make great decisions, and you have to be consistent. Those are all things that Luke did very well.”

A two-year starter on the school’s varsity football team, Goode spent his freshman season with the scout unit, but that did not deter him. He committed to putting his all into that role, and he routinely completed passes in practice against the defense, which stuck out to his OC.

After watching Goode in middle school camps, Skelton had no doubts that the young quarterback had what it took to eventually earn the starting gig. And, that’s exactly what happened during Goode’s sophomore year.

Splitting time with another QB for the first half of the season, Goode eventually was named the full-time starter about midway through his sophomore campaign. It was during his junior year, though, that he truly shined.

Goode led Homestead to an unblemished 11-0 regular season and a conference championship in 2019, and he led the Spartans to a state sectional title for the first time in three years. The cherry on top of the historic season? Goode also set the school’s single-season passing record with 2,778 yards through the air.

Skelton, who has spent the last 11 years at Homestead and worked with hundreds of student-athletes over the course of his career, called Goode “a unique talent and a special quarterback.”

“He had a great football IQ and understood how to read a defense,” Skelton said. “He understood coverages. He was confident. He had that mentality like he belonged. He would step foot on the football field, and he just walked a little taller than he already was. He had supreme confidence in himself. He was a great leader for our kids and for our program as a quarterback. He was always encouraging his teammates, played with enthusiasm, and had great energy. He was a really talented quarterback, and he was a really good leader as well.”

Football was not for him, though, even after etching his name in the program’s record books. Instead, Goode opted to forge his own path by focusing on basketball, a sport he first started playing in kindergarten. He has reaped the benefits of that decision, as he now enters his third year with the Fighting Illini men’s basketball program.

“I loved playing football games, but I hated the practice, hated the summers, all that extra stuff,” Goode said. “I loved it in high school. It was a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I only enjoyed playing football, but I loved everything about basketball.”

Growing up an Indiana University basketball fan, the school his dad attended and played football at, and idolizing IU’s Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford, Goode joined his first AAU travel team when he was in second grade, and he continued with the same program through middle school.

In eighth grade, however, he had the chance to switch to a different team, and he vividly remembers the coaches coming to watch and scout a practice. The coaches made a list of players they were interested in, and there was one glaring exclusion: Luke Goode.

“There were three guys that they wanted from my AAU team, and I was not one of them,” Goode said. “I ended up working my butt off because I took that personally. Freshman year, I was able to take that jump. I became one of the better players on the team, on a really good travel team, and I was able to progress from there. Going into my freshman year of high school, I realized after I got my first offer that I could do something with basketball.”

A college basketball junkie for as long as he can remember, Goode would often stay up late watching college hoops while doing homework in front of the TV. Once he realized he could earn a scholarship to play at that level, he set his mind to working hard and achieving that goal.

He found his specialty fairly early on, something he knew could take him to the next level: 3-point shooting. With his size and length, being a constant 3-point threat came naturally, and he has developed his shot over the course of his entire basketball career.

Deciding to focus solely on basketball and quitting football ahead of his senior year, Goode, who was a four-year varsity letterwinner, made his mark on the program in his final high school hoops season. Leading Homestead to an undefeated regular season, a Summit Athletic Conference championship, and a sectional title, Goode was named a first-team all-state selection.

He also left his legacy in the school’s record books. After setting the single-season passing record with the football team as a junior, Goode finished his high school basketball career as the winningest player in program history and ranked first in 3-pointers made, second in scoring, and fourth in rebounds and assists. He also was selected to represent his home state in the annual Indiana vs. Kentucky all-star game.

Those accolades, along with his maturity and strong work ethic off the court, made him a highly sought-after recruit. With offers from a plethora of Power-5 programs and several Big Ten schools, Goode committed to Illinois on April 17, 2020.

“The culture was what stuck out to me,” Goode said. “It was at the time where they shifted the culture here. Coach Brad came in here and turned it around. There were guys in the locker room on the visit that just made it feel like home.”

Stepping foot on campus in the fall of 2021, Goode played in 28 games and came off the bench to average 2.0 points and 1.8 rebounds while knocking down 37.2% of his 3-point attempts. He instantly joined a winning program, which had captured the Big Ten Tournament title one season prior to his arrival, as the Fighting Illini won a share of the conference regular-season title during his freshman season.

With Goode expecting to take another step forward as a sophomore, he suffered a setback before the regular season even began. Needing surgery to repair a bone fracture in his left foot, he missed the first three months of the season as he went through rehab and recovery.

Despite being forced to watch from the sidelines, Goode maintained a positive outlook on his unfortunate and unexpected situation. Leaning on his faith and his family, he turned his injury into motivation to come back better than ever.

“It's a lot harder to be injured than it is to be healthy. I would come in, watch practice, do my therapy before and after. I'd be at the gym eight to 10 hours a day, doing extra stuff to be able to get back and play,” Goode said. “God was able to get me through that, and my family was a great support system as well. They were coming to games when I wasn't even playing. I was a couple weeks out of surgery, and they were coming to the games and supporting my teammates. It was a blessing to have that kind of support.”

Making his season debut against Rutgers on Feb. 11, Goode played in each of the final 10 games of the campaign, averaging 13.8 minutes and 4.0 points while hitting 42.1% from deep.

“It was special. A lot of hard work was put into it,” Goode said about his return. “Watching my teammates, all I wanted to do was go out there and help. I'm glad I did, because I think it's just helped me this year. I set my mind to coming back during the season and told my parents and all my teammates that I was going to do that.”

Now in his junior season, Goode has found his role on an Illini team looking to win the Big Ten for the third time in the last four seasons. As a 3-point specialist who provides energy and a spark off the bench, he has his sights set on winning the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Though his former player’s football glory days are long gone, Skelton has watched Goode’s basketball journey from afar and stays in touch with him throughout the season, always checking in and connecting with the Illini junior when he comes back to Fort Wayne. Their relationship on the field was special, and that has not changed despite the distance and passage of time.

“It was always fun to watch him, and my kids look up to him and love to be around him,” Skelton said. “We keep in contact for sure. Just like a lot of other players who I keep in contact with, we've built relationships over the years because I think that's important. It's a cool experience, and it's fun to watch them grow into the men that they're becoming. It's just cool to see them excel at a high level.”

Leaving his mark on both the gridiron and the hardwood, Goode still feels like he has a lot to prove. With the qualities of a professional athlete ingrained in his DNA, he is eager to stay healthy and show he belongs in the conversation as one of the best 3-point shooters not only in the Big Ten, but across all of college basketball.

“I just want to help my team win,” Goode said. “It's always been about doing what the team needs. I've tried to sacrifice everything I can for this program, and we'll see where it goes from here. I feel like there's something to prove. I feel like it's my turn to show what I can do, and I'm excited for the role that I have on this team.”