Northridge Finds Valuable Player in Freshman Free Safety Golden

Two ways to easily identify Jeremy Golden on a football field:

First, he’s the freshman wearing No. 47 on his Cal State Northridge jersey, playing free safety with the smarts of someone much more experienced.

Then, when the helmet and bandanna come off, the closely cropped hair bleached to a Rodmanesque yellow is a sure giveaway.

A golden top for a guy on his way to becoming the golden boy of the Matador defense.

“I do it for fun,” Golden said of his hair. “The first time I ever [bleached] it was in the eighth grade. I do it every now and then.”

The hair will be freshly spruced when Golden and the Matadors (3-4, 1-2 in Big Sky Conference play) meet Cal State Sacramento (1-5, 1-3) tonight at 6:05 at North Campus Stadium.

But Golden, 6 feet and 180 pounds, is drawing attention mostly with his play.

After opening the season as a backup to Vito Clemente and Howard Henry, Golden started at free safety for the Matadors at Hawaii in the second week when injuries sidelined Clemente and Henry.

Golden seized the promotion, returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown and tying teammate Dan Lazarovits with a game-high 10 tackles in Northridge’s 34-21 nonconference loss.

His play helped keep the Matadors in the game despite dislocating his left shoulder in the early moments.

“When I was going to start at Hawaii, every [Northridge] player kept saying, ‘Don’t get beat deep, don’t get beat deep,’ ” Golden said.

They don’t have to worry anymore.

Golden’s stellar play, coupled with fNorthridge’s need to solidify the strong safety spot with Clemente, has kept the former Westlake High standout in the lineup.

He leads the Matadors with three interceptions and is third on the team with 38 tackles. Two of his picks came last week in a 31-20 defeat at Montana State, with the second one leading to a touchdown in the third quarter that pulled Northridge to within 14-10.

Golden, his confidence apparently rising with every ball thrown his way, said he was aiming at robbing quarterback Rob Compson again. But the Bobcats, after returning a kickoff for a score early in the fourth quarter to take a 28-20 lead, attempted only one pass in their final three possessions while running down the clock.

“That [kickoff return] hurt bad,” Golden said. “I had just told the offense, ‘I’m going to give it right back to you.’ I was going to get my third pick.”

Given the chance, he probably would have.

“He’s a very intense kid,” said Brent Huff, a graduate assistant coach who works with the Matador defensive backs. “He has a great understanding of the game of football and how it’s supposed to be played.

“He has the instinct, and that’s a God-given talent. That’s something you can’t coach.”

Golden also has other talents that can drive coaches nuts, including a penchant for snowboarding, skateboarding, motorcycles, mountain bikes and personal watercrafts. Quite an interesting choice of hobbies for an aspiring physical therapist.

“All the extracurricular activities the coach doesn’t want you to do, I do,” Golden said.

Golden wasn’t sure at first whether he would play free safety at Northridge. The Matadors had Clemente, a touted junior transfer from UCLA who played at Crespi High, and Henry, a converted high school wide receiver, vying for the position. But their injuries changed that.

“I got a chance to prove I could play,” Golden said.

But Golden now is looking for more. A lot more.

“I want to go All-American this year,” Golden said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CS Sacramento (1-5, 1-3) at Northridge (3-4, 1-2)

When: Today, 6:05 p.m.

Where: North Campus Stadium

Fast fact: The teams are 12-12 in series dating to 1964.