Seth Goldwire '09 started 36 straight games at inside linebacker and ended his career with 282 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He was named All-Southern Conference as a junior and senior, as he led the team in tackles both years. His 282 career tackles rank seventh in school history. He earned his degree from Wofford in economics and in 2011 earned a master in public health administration and policy from the Medical University of South Carolina. A native of Guyton, Georgia, he currently lives in Matthews, N.C. with his wife Crystal and daughters Adeline and Glory. 

How did you decide to attend Wofford?

Wofford was the ideal scenario and it checked many boxes in what I looked for in the college experience.  A chance to play football at the collegiate level, sound education, really supportive faculty and staff and a campus environment that felt big enough to have the chance to meet someone new while feeling small enough so everyone didn’t feel like strangers.  My relationship with Wofford began with a call from Coach Freddie Brown (then running backs coach) on Tuesday night, I arrived at Wofford College for my official visit on a Friday and committed to Wofford on Sunday morning.

Hands down, one of the best decisions that I made in life.  I recognized that I am blessed to have had the opportunity to go to school at Wofford College. 

What is your favorite Wofford memory?

Graduation, because graduation was always the goal.  Wofford gave me a ton of great experiences but it also gave me a world-class education that continues to pay dividends well into my years after leaving campus.  

What is your favorite Wofford football memory?

I’ve narrowed it down to two memories that I will remember for all time.  

The first was 2007, when we beat Appalachian State at home in Spartanburg, SC two weeks after they upset the University of Michigan at their house.  Michigan was ranked #5 in the nation at the time in FBS.  Appalachian State was ranked #1 the week of our game at the FCS level and game week leading up to the game felt surreal.  The entire team had this feeling of this was our time and that this game was ours. The game was hard fought and tied at the half, but we were the better team on that day.  We won!  The fans actually stormed the field after the game and I still tell that story at least 4 times a year.

The second was 2008, when we beat Georgia Southern in Statesboro, GA.  It was the game of my life.  11 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery and scored first collegiate touchdown.  After the game I was named Wofford’s Defensive Player of the Week, SoCon Defensive Player of the Week, SoCon Defensive Athlete of the Month and College Sporting News National All-Star for the week.  What made the memory sweeter was that I grew up not far from GSU, and watched GSU my whole life and tailgated often because I lived less than 30 minutes from campus.  I had several family member’s play football at GSU and a ton of friends from home attended college there.  From a fan’s point of view, I imagine that the game was exactly what you want to see.  A nail-biter that went into double overtime and Wofford won the game on the last play with a defensive stop.  

How did competing as a student-athlete prepare you for life after Wofford?

I have an competitive advantage in the workplace because I attended Wofford as both student and athlete.  Academics taught me how to think critically and Athletics taught me about team dynamics and what it means to work together as one team.  

Do you have a favorite Wofford professor or mentor that impacted you?

I was an Economics major so Dr. John McArthur was my faculty advisor but he was also a confidant and big support for me.  Prior to declaring a major, I met with Dr. McArthur to gain an understanding on how Economics could benefit my career.  What Dr. McArthur conveyed were vast opportunities that would be available because of this major.  He was spot on.

Could you tell us a little about what you are doing now and your career path?

I pursued a career in Health Administration and currently I am Vice President, Facility Executive for Atrium Health Union West.  My current duties include leading the design and construction of the Union West facility with a construction budget of $172 million and will assume executive responsibility for the campus when construction is completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.  In addition, I am a member of Atrium Health Union’s Executive Team with operational responsibilities across the campus and will continue these responsibilities until Atrium Health Union West opens.

What piece of advice would you give to current Wofford student-athletes?

Bernie Dunlap, President Wofford College, 2000-2013, had the following to say during his commencement address in 2009 when I graduated.  The following is an excerpt from that address that I leave up in my office to inspire myself and others:

Action Plan for the End of the World

Under Normal Circumstances, I would urge you graduating seniors to set out today to “save the world.” But the difficulty for us all in purported end-times like these is not that our eagerness to change the world is in any way curtailed, but that our capacity to do so seems so strikingly diminished…

My parting admonition—for myself as well as for you—is as old as the author of Ecclesiastes, who may or may not have been as wise as Solomon: “Whatsoever thou findest to thy hand, do it with all thy might.”  Do it because you want to.  Do it because you can.  Do it because, for whatever reason, you think it’s worth doing.  Do it because nobody lives forever.  Do because whatever you do is needed in this world.  Do it because it makes you happy.  Do it because one day, sooner or later, the world will come to an end, and what you did will be all you have left behind.  Do it because you plan to save the world.

So, there: I’ve said it after all—and it sounds pretty good.  There’s no better reason than that: do it because you plan to save the world.  Yes, that’s reason enough.