Former Ohio State running back and Dublin native Nick Goings has had a long journey to the NFL, but he says that it has all been worth it.

Goings arrival in the NFL has been a surprise to some, after transferring from OSU and overcoming numerous setbacks in order to reach his ultimate goal of playing professionally.

After former Michigan rival Tshimanga Biakabutuka struggled to begin the season for Carolina, the backup Goings was promoted to starter. The 6-foot, 225-pounder delivered for a couple weeks, racking up 66 carries for 197 yards on the year.

The job was rotated the rest of the season and is still up for grabs going into next year, but Goings, 24, is not about to go down without a fight, having already beaten the odds in reaching his current status.

The one-time Buckeye began his stellar football career at Dublin Scioto High School, where he led his team to the 1995 state title. Ohio State was the clear choice for where to go next.

“I grew up in Columbus, and OSU is everything there,” he said. “Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a Buckeye.”

But buried behind bigger names, the high school star was seeing little playing time at OSU when a chronic neck injury forced him to take a medical redshirt and sit out his freshman year. After recovering, Goings moved to fullback in search of more playing time, but was still dissatisfied with his statistics and eventually opted to transfer.

Goings decided on the University of Pittsburgh, where former OSU assistant coach Walt Harris had assumed the head coaching position. The decision to leave friends and family behind was extremely difficult for Goings, but in hindsight, he feels he made the correct choice.

At Pitt, Goings again encountered problems, first suffering an ankle injury in the off-season, and then losing the starting running back position to Kevan Barlow.

“I was hindered a little by the injuries; I was never 100 percent,” Goings said. “But I never gave up. I always held onto that dream.”

In the end, chance determined Goings fated venture into the NFL. Because of a last-minute change in kickoff time, Carolina Panthers personnel director Jack Bushofsky was forced to miss a scouting trip to Pittsburgh. Instead, he caught an early team practice, where he was impressed by the underrated backup.

“If we hadn’t seen him in a practice situation, we might not have identified Goings as a prospect,” Bushofsky told ESPN columnist Len Pasquarelli.

The 2001 NFL draft was nerve-wracking for Goings. He was about to give up hope, but with five minutes left in the draft, the Panthers offered a deal.

He had to prove himself to all Carolina coaches, and that was not an easy task, but it was accomplished eventually.

“Nick is not just a great sports story,” said Goings’ agent Jason Brown. “His story is reflective of life, in that hardship is not determinative; it is only how you react to it that matters. From OSU, to Pitt, to his opportunity with Carolina, Nick has never given up.”