John Goldsberry was born in Indianapolis to a very engaged sports family. His father, Alonzo Goldsberry, was the captain, high school All-American and starring member of the 1920 National High School Basketball Championship Wingate team and later starred on the Wabash College football, basketball and baseball teams.
John followed by winning ten varsity letters, track and field (4), football (4) and basketball (2). The family had moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, and John lettered in football (the only freshman to play both offense and defense) and placed fourth in the Class C shot put, breaking Roosevelt High School record (42-1 1/4). They moved to South Bend, where Father Alonzo became Adams High School football coach. John again lettering all three years in football and placed fourth in the IHSAA state finals shot put and winning as a junior (1944) with a throw of 50-10 3/4. As a senior, he set the state finals record with a throw of 53-9 3/4, breaking the 13-year record (52-11 1/2) of Gary Mann’s Donald Elser by nearly a foot.
He was offered a track scholarship to Michigan State University, but accepted a football scholarship to Indiana University. There, he lettered four years and played on the first and only Indiana University football team to win the Big Ten Conference outright until the 2025 championship team (the 1967 team tied with two other teams). He many times played all 60 minutes, as he played both offense and defense. A football injury in his junior year ended his track career after two lettering years. However, he continued his football playing days and captained the 1949 football team. He was selected to play in the Blue- Grey Classic and was named to the Chicago 1949 All Star Team. John was selected by the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League and played two years before settling on a career as a Jefferson National Life Insurance agent for 22 years.
John, 35 years later, followed his father as an Indiana Football Hall of Famer and now an Indiana Track and Field Hall of Famer.