Dirty Dogs
Michael Silver
October 26, 1998
There's a nasty breed of NFL players who follow one cardinal rule: Anything goes, and that means biting, kicking, spearing, spitting and leg-whipping
"He was dirty in college, too," says one player who was a teammate of Gogan's at Washington and played against him in the pros. "He's the biggest bully I've ever met."
Growing up in Pacifica, a town just south of San Francisco, Gogan was ridiculed for his heftiness. "I've been hearing fat jokes since the fourth grade," he says. "Everyone calls you fat, like it's the newest thing, even if they're fat themselves." At least his wife, Heather, three children—Hannah, 7; Zoe, 5; and Eli, 2—and four dogs think he's cute.
"I hate the dancing and showboating that goes on in this game, and I never initiate trash talk," Gogan says. "Am I out there trying to end someone's career? No. Am I out there trying to beat somebody? Yeah. But I never take it off the field—except for maybe Neil Smith."