A 'Warrior' Legacy: Memories Of Fuller Goldsmith Tell Story Of Love, Bravery & Friendship

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Fuller Goldsmith, just 13 years old at the time and having already overcome more obstacles than many adults he knew, had been out of town on the set of "Chopped Jr." for more than a week. And even a return trip back home wasn't enough for the teen and cancer survivor to reveal to his closest buddies the outcome of the soon-to-be globally-viewed cooking competition.

It would be one of several high-water marks in such a short life — complete with meeting his heroes and competing on the world's biggest stage — as Goldsmith would go on to win the competition and become a celebrity not just in his hometown, but across the country and beyond.

"He wouldn't tell us he had won for the longest time and then he told me and [Phillip Lancaster] the day before," said Jack Standeffer, a Tuscaloosa Academy senior, football captain and lifelong friend of Goldsmith. "Me and Phillip gave him the hardest time to figure out if he won and how he did. I think we were hanging out at his house and giving him a hard time then he told us and we were so happy."

The innumerable memories left by the successful teen chef, with little effort needed apart from his perseverance and attitude, will remain fresh for years to come in the minds of so many following news on his death on Tuesday. He had defeated cancer four times, conquered the teen culinary world and died just days before he would have turned 18 on Saturday.

ALSO READ: Tuscaloosa Teen Chef Back Cooking After Recent Cancer Battle

While he had not been medically able to attend school in-person for a long time, Goldsmith was an avid supporter of Tuscaloosa Academy football — a program where both of his childhood best friends currently stand out as leaders and playmakers.

Standeffer also informed Patch of Goldsmith's passion for the No. 32, which he wore with pride every time he put on a Knights' uniform.

"Alabama football did a great thing and assigned him a little buddy," the star wide receiver for TA explained. "First, it might have been Marlon Humphrey, but then it was C.J. Mosely and he wore 32 and I know he was a great influence. Fuller loved him."

To honor his spirit, the Tuscaloosa Academy football program will sport helmet decals and field markers reading "FG32," as a show of respect to one of their most beloved supporters and friends.

But when reflecting on just the gridiron memories, one stood out to Standeffer that will likely last a lifetime when Goldsmith suited up to take the field with his best friends.

"He wasn’t playing football, but my seventh grade year [at TA], I got thrown in there and I started and was made captain and my coach Mario White, who's the coach at Pike Liberal Arts now, made him an honorary captain and walking on the field with Goldsmith and Phillip Lancaster really meant a lot to me."

The three friends were inseparable, Standeffer explained, saying he and Lancaster — both small children at the time — rushed at the opportunity to shave their heads to the scalp when Goldsmith buzzed his own hair off ahead of chemotherapy.

"It was great seeing him be a warrior and taught me how to be courageous," he said. "One thing about Fuller, he never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him. Even just today, I’ve seen thousands and thousand of re-posts. He touched everybody in a certain way nobody else could."

Grief often has a way of bringing out the best memories of friends and love ones, and Standeffer lit up when asked if his lifelong friend cooked for him often.

"He made the best steak and grilled grouper I had ever had before," he said with a hearty laugh. "He came to my house and Dad bought all of the meat and he came over and cooked. He lived next door to me for years and any time I would want to go hang out with him, we would go over and if I went there he was always cooking at night."

For much of Goldsmith's experiences, Standeffer was a child himself witnessing a best friend maintaining a positive outlook despite so much physical suffering. While he said he alway tried to be supportive, his celebrity chef best friend was a rock star capable of holding his own entire support network up, despite lacking the physical capabilities to make game-winning touchdown catches. No, Fuller Goldsmith didn't need the roaring cheers of a crowd in the stands to leave his mark.

"It was always more him teaching me and him being the top dog and me being grateful," Standeffer said. "And I never really realized that when I was like 14 years old, but it really did change how I think about life now."

The news Wednesday was heart-wrenching for many, even past Goldsmith's family and best friends. But one warm memory — relayed to this reporter, who couldn't help but note the sincerity — is one that will likely live on for decades to come.

Standeffer reflected back to that night in 2013, at the watch party hosted at Southern Ale House for the conclusion of "Chopped Jr." The eatery was Goldsmith's base of operations and home turf, as he worked 2-3 days a week when he could along with Executive Chef Brett Garner. By Goldsmith's own account in a 2020 conversation with Patch, Garner was not just a hero and mentor, but a dear friend who helped shape the young chef's approach to the kitchen.

"Fuller’s legacy is being a warrior and being strong," Standeffer said. "He’s the type of guy that bleeds character. You cut him open and it's just character. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him. He went through all of the hard times, more tough times than I'll ever go through, but he was always focusing on us ... I can't explain in words how proud I am of him."

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