Autograph Tales:Dan Goich

One of the strangest in-person autographs I ever got involved one of my sister's teachers. It happened completely by accident, too! One day, when I was about 12 or so, I was sorting through my shoebox of football cards. I came across a card which I found funny and decided to show my sister Jean. I am not even sure why, since I didn't often show her any of my cards. Jean was a student at St. Francis de Sales High School at the time. She immediately recognized the player as a teacher at school. Okay, what are the odds?
The player on the card and the teacher at her school was Dan Goich, former Defensive Tackle for the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants. Goich played for 5 years in the NFL and had actually retired by the time his 1974 card was printed.
Of course, Jean would never bring my card to school to ask Goich to sign it. I can't blame her for that. I did take matters into my own hands at the next school event. I went up to Goich and asked him myself. He seemed surprised that anyone would have his card. This was funny, because it was only a few years after he retired.
I should have gotten my picture taken with him, but for some reason I didn't. It was a rare miscue on my part in the celeb photo-op department. Oh well. I later learned that Goich is a native Chicagoan. Also, he attended Mt. Carmel High School, my alma mater, about the time I was born.
I am not sure what Goich is doing now. If I find out, I will certainly do an update. Either way, he will always stand out as one of the oddest stories I have about autographs.

Dan Goich's 1974 Topps football card.