Antonio Gandy-Golden Shines in Preseason, Waits for Roster Decision

Entering his second season with the Washington Football Team, former Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden attempts to make a bigger impact than in his rookie season.  

While at Liberty, Gandy-Golden did not disappoint fans. According to Sports Reference, he scored 20 touchdowns and totaled 2,433 receiving yards during his final two years at Liberty (the only two years in which Liberty was FBS).  

Following the 2019 collegiate season, Gandy-Golden entered the 2019 NFL draft, where he was picked 142 overall by the Washington Football Team. Despite the promising opportunity to succeed once he entered the league, Gandy-Golden never managed to receive serious game time due to a hamstring injury. In an interview with Richmond Times-Dispatch, Gandy-Golden spoke about how his time in Washington differed from college.

“For me, personally, I just wasn’t used to that in college,” he told Washington Times-Dispatch about watching from the sidelines. 

“I could just do a lot of things and I could have a little lingering thing here and there and get some treatment and for the most part I was still the best, if not one of the best, guys on the field at all times.” 

Even though he was not afforded many opportunities to shine on the field, Gandy-Golden chose to emphasize team success over personal glory. Instead of viewing his teammates as competitors for his spot on the team, he chose to work with them for the benefit of the team. 

“You come into it knowing that you’re always going to have to compete, so you can’t really let that sideline you from having decent relationships out here because you still have to make it fun,” Gandy-Golden told Washington-Times Dispatch. “You can’t be out here trying to not talk to people and things like that because ultimately, right now, we definitely all need each other, and in the season, we need each other even more.” 

This season, Gandy-Golden looks to surpass the struggles of last season. In the last preseason game for the Football Team, Gandy-Golden caught four receptions and led the team with 39 yards even as the team fell 37-3 to the Baltimore Ravens. 

Gandy-Golden’s performance has also caught the eye of Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera.

“He’s a big body, works well with the quarterbacks in terms of the vertical stuff,” Rivera told NBC Sports about Gandy-Golden. “So he’s done a nice job, he really has.”

As of Aug. 31, Gandy-Golden will know if he received a spot on the Football Team’s 53-man roster, which will be released that day.

Christian Shields is the Assistant Sports Editor. Find him on Facebook.