Over the weekend, San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin scored an 83-yard touchdown, knelt in the end zone, and wept. His emotional reaction wasn’t just because of the score, but what preceded it: later that day Marquise and his wife Morgan revealed that that morning, their newborn son had died due to pregnancy complications. The couple recently opened up with CBS News about their tragic loss and why he decided to play in the game so soon afterwards.
Initially, Marquise said he was unsure if he was going to play at all. But he decided to take the field after Morgan encouraged him to keep doing what he loves. He credits Morgan, his son, and his faith for giving him the strength to play despite the incredibly difficult circumstances.
“As I’m running, I just blow a kiss to God and to my baby and I dropped down on my knees and I give God his glory. Cause I’m thankful, I still am thankful for the opportunity just to be alive for my life,” Marquise said. “Even after all I’ve been through.”
During the interview, Morgan also recalled her strong emotional response to watching Marquise score his big touchdown, which she saw as a tribute to their son. “I was in the hospital, on the bed watching and I bust out crying and I immediately said, that was for you baby,” Morgan said.
The Goodwins also shared the tremendous outpouring of support they received after announcing the loss of their son.
“We got some really supportive responses. Especially a lot of women who have been through the same exact thing and not even once but twice sometimes and three times,” Morgan said.
Marquise shared that even though his son is gone, he will always be in his life. “My son will now will always be a part of football because of the experience I experienced on Sunday. I’ll try to take that same enthusiasm and passion I played with each game from now on,” Marquise said.
