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Clinton County native and Central Mountain High School graduate Robbie Gould has announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday morning via a story with The Players’ Tribune. Gould played 17 seasons in the NFL and went undrafted in 2005.
Gould took to social media on Thursday morning to make the announcement, releasing the following statement:
"All good things must come to an end." The meaning of that saying is pretty simple, really. Great things in life cannot last forever. Everything is temporary.
To have the kind of playing-career experience that I had in the NFL was nothing short of amazing, and my level of gratitude for the journey -- the ups, the downs, the in between -- is immeasurable. In short, my NFL story is hard to believe, and it's filled with a plethora of "pinch-me" moments.
Whether you were an owner, a general manager, a coach, a teammate, a member of the support staff, a massage therapist, a fan, or the family of my own, each and every one of you has impacted me in some way throughout my career. From the bottom of my heart, I am forever grateful and appreciative for every bit of support you have given me. You were my motivation to go the extra mile to win each and every week. And we can all agree that the week is always a little better after any kind of win in life, right?
And now? Lucky me. My favorite team has been waiting for me at home to join them full-time -- no contract needed. I'm excited to be more present with my family and to focus all of my attention on what matters to me outside of football. For the longest time, my career has naturally filled my schedule, and my wife has taken the reins at home. My oldest is 10 years old, and I've been away from him for large chunks of nine years. My younger two boys are eight and five. For most of their lives, Dad hasn't been fully present. So, without interruption, I'm ready for this next stage of life.
As the football chapter, this "good thing," comes to an end, it also opens a door for new endeavors that come my way. Charity work is an integral part of my core values, and I'm looking forward to pursuing more opportunities to give back. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also thinking about all of the golf courses I've yet to visit. And in my book, a Little League position titled "Coach Rob" has a pretty nice ring to it."
Gould graduated from Central Mountain High School in 2001 and was a four-sport athlete before attended Penn State University. He entered PSU as a non-scholarship football athlete and during his 4-year career as a kicker, he earned a full athletic scholarship.
After graduating college, he played stints with the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. He eventually signed with the Chicago Bears as a kicker in 2005. In 2016, he joined the New York Giants. Since 2017 Robbie has played for the San Francisco 49ers.
Outside of his professional career, Gould has taken an active interest in both his hometown and other communities he's called home.
In 2011, Gould created the Goulden Touch Foundation. Through his efforts in the foundation and committee members, they have raised over $650,000 for various non-profit organizations in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.
A few of the local organizations benefiting from Gould's foundation are: Horses for Hope, Ross Library, Lock Haven University Wrestling and Men's Soccer teams, and Central Mountain ATV Association. Gould established a $10,000 scholarship for a Lock Haven University Football player.
Gould has also taken an active interest in the construction of the Chestnut Grove Sports complex -- which was later named in his honor. He is working with local business owners to bring this project to completion. Gould has donated his time and personal finances towards this project.
He is very active in San Fransico City on community days (every Tuesday). The Goulden Touch Foundation opened the Ace Hardware Robbie Gould Patient and Family Library at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, Ill. Gould funded a library cart at the hospital to bring books to patients confined to their hospital rooms. Gould donated $150,000 to the construction of Goulden Touch Field, a turf soccer and football field in the West Lawn neighborhood of Chicago, Ill., which serves over 12,000 children.