‘Do It for Drek’: Montgomery Cardinals Finish Perfect Season After Coach’s Shooting
A nationally ranked Montgomery youth football team was recognized by the Montgomery City Council last week after completing a perfect season marked by both triumph and tragedy.
Members of the Montgomery Cardinals, an 8- and 9-year-old youth football team, proudly displayed championship rings and medals as council members honored their accomplishments. The Cardinals finished the season undefeated, allowing no points and winning the Central Alabama Youth Football League championship in the Cricket Division.
The team also traveled across the Southeast, earning multiple tournament victories and national recognition, including a No. 1 national ranking from United Tykes Network.
But the season took a devastating turn on Aug. 26, 2026, during a practice at McIntyre Magnet School.
Rodriquez “Coach Drek” Goodwyn, the team’s head coach, was shot multiple times.
“I was shot seven times on the football field,” Goodwyn said. “A lot of these kids witnessed that.”
Waukina Chambers, whose 8-year-old son Karson plays for the Cardinals, said she was nearby when the shooting occurred.
“I heard the gunshots. Next thing I know, I just saw everybody running. My heart dropped,” Chambers said. “I ran out looking for my son and looking for other people’s kids.”
Chambers said her son was deeply affected by witnessing the shooting and initially did not want to continue playing football.
“My son cried. He was sleepless for nights,” she said. “He had to go to counseling that was given by Montgomery City Council member Riley. I appreciated everybody. He’s a very strong boy, but he never encountered anything like this before.”
Goodwyn underwent emergency surgery to remove his spleen and spent 30 days in a medically induced coma. He remained hospitalized for more than three months.
During his recovery, another coach, known to the players as Coach T, stepped in to keep the team together. Players adopted the slogan “Do it for Drek” as motivation throughout the remainder of the season.
“While my boys were out there battling for me, I was fighting for my life,” Goodwyn said. “When I woke up, I didn’t even know what day it was, but my boys were undefeated and still rolling.”
Goodwyn was too weak to attend the championship game, but the Cardinals carried his message onto the field and completed the perfect season.
“I’ve always told them we can overcome adversity,” Goodwyn said. “Always stay family-bonded and work hard. I’m strict on the field, but off the field I’m more like a best friend or a dad to every kid you see here.”
Parents say the shared trauma strengthened the bond within the team community.
“We do everything we can for these boys,” Chambers said. “We stand on busy highways on Ann Street doing fish fries and fundraisers for them.”
Karson Chambers said he wants to be a head coach when he grows up, like Coach Drek.
“Coach Drek made me follow him, and I want to be a leader like him too,” Karson said. “I like how he coaches us to be the best we can.”
Goodwyn said he plans to return to coaching in March.
“Never give up on your dreams,” he said. “I got shot on the football field, but I put my fears behind me. If you never give up and believe in God, anything is possible.”
Police say two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a murder-for-hire plot related to Goodwyn’s shooting.
The team is continuing fundraising efforts to support its program. If you’d like to support the team, their team Cash App is $soicy8u.
