HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – The last time Kordell Gouldsby walked off the football field, he was celebrating a national championship and was celebrated as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Now it’s time to get back to work for Gouldsby and his Hutchinson Community College football teammates as preseason practice began on Friday morning at Gowans Stadium.
The Blue Dragons will open a week later than normal in 2025 when they travel to Roswell, New Mexico to play New Mexico Military on Saturday, September 6. The Dragons play their home opener on Saturday, September 13 against Iowa Western in a rematch of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Football Championship Game.
Gouldsby and the Blue Dragons will have the biggest of targets on them this season as the defending NJCAA National Division I Football champions. The Blue Dragons defeated Iowa Western 28-23 on December 18, 2024 in Canyon, Texas, earning the program’s second national championship in five years.
For Gouldsby, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma, walking off the field at the end of the season as a champion isn’t anything new. Before coming to Hutchinson, Gouldsby played for four-straight Oklahoma state high school football championships at Bixby High School.
The Blue Dragon sophomore isn’t looking back or resting his laurels on past accomplishments, though. He’s ready to make another potential championship run with the 2025 Blue Dragons.
“I think about (winning five consecutive championships) every once in a while, but I can’t live in the past,” Gouldsby said. “I can’t focus on the past. I have to focus on the next one. Last year’s championship was nice, but I’m focused on this season.”
Primarily used as a return specialist last season, Gouldsby had some incredible moments.
He led the Jayhawk Conference in punt returns with a 14.7 yard-per-return average with two touchdowns. He was second in the KJCCC in kickoff returns at 29.3 yards per return with a long of 50 yards. His first career punt return for a touchdown was a 50-yarder against Independence in a 48-7 victory. He was a second-team All-KJCCC performer as a return specialist.
But Gouldsby’s second career punt return for at touchdown was the pivotal play in the 2024 NJCAA Championship game against Iowa Western.
Gouldsby returned a punt 73 yards against the Reivers as part of a 21-point third quarter that turned around a 10-point halftime deficit and turned it into a 28-17 lead after three quarters. Gouldsby finished the game with 158 total return yards – 90 punt return yards on four returns and 68 kickoff return yards on three returns.
This season, Gouldsby aims to be a bigger part of the offense as a receiver in addition to his roles on special teams. Last season as a receiver, Gouldsby had two receptions for 34 yards with a long reception of 19 yards.
“I want to have an expanded role in the offense this season,” he said. “I want to be able to make plays on offense and capitalize on my returns and go help our guys win.”
“Kordell is really committed,” head coach Drew Dallas said. “He wants to continue to develop and be a big part of our receiving group. He made some tremendous strides in the spring. We’ve seen a lot of improvement from him. I’m excited to see what he will bring to the offense. We know what he brings to the special teams.”
