Former SJSU quarterback David Fales and his behind-the-scenes instructor
By Jimmy Durkin

jdurkin@bayareanewsgroup.com

POSTED: 07/23/2014 12:05:46 PM PDT0 COMMENTS| UPDATED: ABOUT 7 HOURS AGO

Picture this: An NFL quarterback drops back to pass as water from a high-pressure hose blasts him in the face.

On his next throw, he stands on a foam platform while eight men lift and shake it. Then, he places a blindfold on, yet still must hit a receiver in the numbers.

That quarterback is David Fales, the former San Jose State star who reports Friday for his first NFL training camp with the Chicago Bears. His odds of earning a roster spot seem favorable and he could be either the No. 2 or 3 option behind starter Jay Cutler.

Fales, a virtual unknown until two record-setting seasons with the Spartans, credits nearly all of his success to one man: Peter Goodson.

Goodson has trained Fales for the past 10 years, beginning when Fales was an eighth grader in Salinas and continuing through his time at Palma High. The two estimate Fales has thrown a half million passes under Goodson's watchful eye.

"I don't know how I can ever thank him for putting in the time and everything he's done for me," Fales said recently before departing Salinas to head to Chicago. "Every time I talk to him, I say 'Thank you,' because every time I talk to him there's something I'm learning."

Goodson, a retired private equity investor, has spent most of the past two and a half decades working with quarterbacks.

Of his own playing career, he simply says it was "too short to remember." But the Stanford graduate befriended Bill Walsh and approached the former 49ers coach about his desire to work with quarterbacks.

Walsh was beginning his second tenure at Stanford and invited Goodson to get involved. He worked closely with Walsh and offensive quarterback Terry Shea, attending every meeting, film session and practice during spring ball.

"I really had great mentorship from two of the best, especially Bill," Goodson said. "That time that he spent with me was fabulous."

Many of the concepts Fales has learned have come directly from Walsh's teaching, courtesy of Goodson. Chief among them are the ability to read defenses and throw with anticipation.

Those happen to be the areas in which Fales excels the most. He makes up for velocity with his ability to dissect defenses and throw accurately with terrific timing, qualities that have led to high completion percentages (he led the nation in 2012 at 72.5 percent).

As for the use of the blind fold?

"We do that a lot," Fales said. "It's all muscle memory. If you can remember what that feels like, then your eyes shouldn't really matter. If you're throwing to a target and a spot, then you need it. But in terms of mechanics, we work on mechanics so much that you should be able to close your eyes and know what that throw felt like."

Toughness is another strong suit. Fales never missed a down due to injury, not even when Utah State blitzed him for 13 sacks during a game his junior season.

Think that's a fluke? It's not.

Fales' work with Goodson includes throwing while standing in front of a high jump pit with two defenders blasting him on his follow through.

Toss in the "stormy weather days" when the hose would be blasting, or dealing with "earthquake conditions" on the shaking foam platform and it may sound like Goodson is crazy, but there's a method to his madness.

"The whole idea," Goodson said, "is 'Don't tell us about weather, snow, or anything else. You've been through that. And the ball gets there. You can throw it and it's just fine.'"

That explains why Fales is never one to make excuses. He knows he's been lucky to have a person like Goodson around to help him. He's never charged Fales a dime, nor any of the quarterbacks he's worked with, a list that includes another Palma product in Brian Reader, who played at the University of Idaho and now plays in the Arena Football League.

Goodson retired with independent wealth around age 40, so he's been able to pursue his passion.

Goodson's looking for his next crop of quarterbacks, but warns he's not an easy teacher. He requires players to be serious about their craft and do well in the classroom, "because there's no point training a guy who's not going to go to college."

After being there every step of the way for Fales -- from providing advice when he transferred from Nevada, to fielding calls from prospective agents so Fales could focus on his senior season -- the humble quarterback still doesn't know of a proper way to show his appreciation.

Asked if a Super Bowl ring might do the trick, Fales said:

"Everything that I've been able to do is because of the time and commitment that he's put into me. I don't know if that would still be enough."

Wasn't he your guy before the draft?

Fales doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but a strong arm is useless without accuracy.

With great accuracy comes great responsibility.

Rather hear that than someone talk about going back to the bible or others tell me about their past life and they are 25 FUCKING YEARS OLD!!!!!

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Can this guy jump out of a pool?

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

Dr. Ken is frequently seduced by the promise of unknown backup QBs.

So, nobody's giving him credit that he can throw blindfolded in an earthquake while being blasted in the face with a firehose?

Im pretty hammered right now.

It's frightening how much more sexual you make this sound each time you post it.

Bears rookie quarterback David Fales hasn't played in a preseason game since the opener Aug. 8 against the Eagles, but that will change Thursday night in Cleveland.

The sixth-round draft pick from San Jose State is expected to start and play all or at least most of the Bears' preseason finale versus the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.


David Fales will see his most extended action of the preseason Thursday.
"I'm just excited to get out there, run around and have fun," Fales said. "I'm definitely excited just to get in and play and compete. I've been staying involved each week, so I know the offense, I know the reads. I'm definitely excited to go out there and play."

In the preseason opener against the Eagles, Fales completed 5 of 7 passes for 68 yards with one interception and a 62.5 passer rating. As a two-year starter at San Jose State, he passed for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2012 and 4,189 yards and 33 TDs in 2013.

Third on the Bears' depth chart behind Jay Cutler and Jimmy Clausen, Fales knows that he will be auditioning for all 32 NFL teams Thursday night. At this point, it's unclear whether the Bears will keep two or three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

"It's a huge opportunity," Fales said. "I'm just trying to improve. I'm going to go out there and go through the reads, compete, take care of the ball, be smart, limit my turnovers and just have fun."

He's got experience throwing during earthquakes so I think they need to keep him through the SF game.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

I find it very odd that they are doing this.
.

the only rational explanation is that they are pretty sure they are going to keep him.

I find it very odd that they are doing this.

If he plays well, someone will pick him up if they try and waive him.

I agree.

Or they are sure they aren't keeping him and don't want Clausen injured.

I just talked myself into depression.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

the only rational explanation is that they are pretty sure they are going to keep him.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.