Roger Goodell is an American businessman who was born on February 19, 1959, in Jamestown, New York to his parents Senator Charles Ellsworth Goodell and Jean Goodell. He spent his early years growing up in New York and graduated from Bronxville High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Goodell also captained all three sports teams when he was a senior and earned the school's award for Athlete of the Year.

He planned on continuing his career in sports but he was stopped from playing college football by an injury. Despite his injury, Goodell graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1981 with a degree in economics. He is currently the Commissioner of the National Football League, a position he was appointed to on August 8, 2006. The NFL announced on December 6, 2017, that Goodell signed a new contract set to begin in 2019. He has been described as "the most powerful man in sports" by his peers.