What he says isn’t always what Auburn coaches or athletes want to hear. But his mission isn’t to win games or to seek fame.
For 15 year as the doctor for all Auburn athletic teams, Michael Goodlett’s only mission has been to take care of those who wear Auburn’s colors. He’s done it with a level of compassion and professionalism that has made him a giant in his profession and a confidant and friend for a generation of Auburn athletes.
Mention “Doc” around the Auburn athletic department, and no one will say “Doc, who?” They know.
When Auburn plays football, a sport that makes doctors everywhere hold their breaths, Goodlett is there. A spring afternoon might find him watching a soccer match, then going to check out a tennis match. He might be at a softball game with one ear to a radio listening to a baseball game. He’ll be back in the training room at 6 a.m. to take care those who might be sick or injured.
Auburn head trainer Arnold Gamber marvels at what he sees from a man who has earned his respect and become a close friend.
“In my career, I have never worked with a physician who demonstrated the level of care and commitment to athletes that Mike Goodlett does,” Gamber says. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some great physicians, but Mike goes the extra mile. You would hope with your own kids that you would be fortunate enough to have a physician that does half as much as he does.
“We are very, very blessed at Auburn to have someone like him. It’s not just the compassion and the people aspect of it, but the professionalism and the medical aspect of it. He is a big reason we are able to deliver the level of health care we are able to do here at Auburn without being a big city or something like that.”
Goodlett grew up in the north Alabama town of Moulton. He struggled with asthma as a child but he loved sports and was a talented enough athlete to play baseball at the University of North Alabama, where he graduated summa cum laude. From an early age, he knew he wanted to be a physician. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Alabama and developed a keen interest in sports medicine.
After 10 years of private practice in Gadsden, Goodlett wanted something different. A fellowship with orthopedic surgeons James Andrew and Larry Lemak in Birmingham opened the door. In 1993, Auburn Sports Medicine was formed. Goodlett moved his family to the college town that would become home. He, his wife, Donna, and his children with his wife, Donna, and his children, Haley and Hunter, are still here.
Goodlett could have spent those years in private practice. He could make that move still. He could be working for a professional team today. But those things aren’t in his plans. He’ll leave fame and fortune to others.
“I’ve had opportunities to go other places and do this at different levels,” Goodlett says. “I grew up in a small town. Donna and I love it here. My children love it here. I couldn’t work with two better physicians than Dr. Lemak and Dr. Andrews. As long as they want to keep doing this, I’m not trying to leave. I love my job. I think I have one of the best jobs in the world.”
Along the way, Goodlett establishes bonds with the athletes for whom he cares so much. When they leave, they remember the gentle man with a caring spirit.
“I love it when our graduates come back and look me up and say ‘Thanks for taking care of me,’” Goodlett says. “That’s my role. I’m not a coach. I’m basically here to take care of folks. I’m kind of a safety officer. All my athletes have my cell phone number, as do their parents. When they come back and come see me, that’s very gratifying. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
Auburn’s athletic department has a unique setup for medical care. Goodlett is headquartered in the state-of-the-art strength and rehabilitation building next to Plainsman Park. Greg Walsh, a fulltime physical therapist, is there, too.
Gamber says the resources available and Goodlett’s tireless dedication give Auburn something no other university athletic program has.
“I’ve been at other Division I schools and in the NFL,” Gamber says. “We have a very special situation, having a fulltime physician here for the athletes. At times, I don’t think we appreciate what we have enough. In conjunction with the orthopedic care and all that, we have a level of health care as good as any.”
Goodlett doesn’t work for the university. He doesn’t work for the athletic department. His loyalty is first to the athletes in his care. If he says an athlete can’t play, no coach can overrule him.
“Everybody thinks that’s a problem, but it’s not,” Goodlett says. “That’s sometimes not pleasant, but I always tell them the truth, so that’s easy. The truth never changes. The hardest thing I have to do is tell somebody they can’t do their sport anymore. It’s also the best thing I do, because part of my job is to make sure that, when they are 40-50 years old, they can play with their kids and do what they want to do. Sometimes, rarely, we encounter a condition that just makes it impossible for them to continue.”
Former baseball coach Hal Baird says Goodlett was unique in his career – as a college and professional baseball player, as a coach and as an administrator.
"He's the most selfless individual I think I've ever worked with," Baird says. "He's available 24 hours a day for athletes, coaches and staff people. He's just available all the time, rain or shine. I don't know of any other athletic department that has a resource like Mike Goodlett."
Earlier this year, others recognized Goodlett for what he has done at Auburn. He was named the Southern Orthopedic Association SEC Team Physician of the Year. Head trainers at each SEC school were the voters.
“That, to me, is a team award,” Goodlett says. “It’s a tribute not only to the care we give our kids, but we give visiting athletes. I accepted that on behalf of my training staff, the administration, Dr. Lemak and Dr. Andrews. That’s the way I feel about it.”
At 51, Goodlett shows no sign of slowing down. On Aug. 2, he’ll be on the practice field, watching not who throws and catches well, but who might be struggling, who might need help.
"Ever since I was in medical school, my heroes in medicine were people like Bob Rhyne, my doc back in Moulton," Goodlett says. "He let me trail him around during the summer and he taught me how to sew, but the biggest thing he taught me is how to care.
"You have to care around the clock. You can't just care when it's convenient. These are your patients, and whatever befalls them, it's your duty to take care of them.”
