Marquise Goodwin laced up his cleats with a heavy heart this past Sunday.
Hours before the San Francisco 49ers battled the New York Giants, Goodwin and his wife, Morgan, lost their infant son due to complications during pregnancy.
Goodwin still took the field at Levi’s Stadium, but it wasn’t his decision to take part in the Week 10 matchup. In a conference call with 49ers reporters Tuesday, Goodwin explained why he decided to play in wake of the family tragedy.
“Really, it was my wife’s decision,” Goodwin said, as transcribed by NBC Sports. “I asked her if she would like me to stay with her and she insisted that I go play in the game because she felt like my team needed me.
“She knows how I feel about the game and what impact I may have on my teammates and the outcome of the games, so it was solely my wife’s decision.”
Goodwin only had one catch in the game, but he made it count, hauling in an 83-yard touchdown catch to help lift the 49ers to a 31-21 win, their first victory of the season. Goodwin has been around the game for some time, but it’s clear his score Sunday will always be one of the most meaningful moments of his career.
“To be able to score a touchdown and ultimately help my team get a win was just a great moment in my life and a moment I’ll remember forever because I could’ve easily not been at the game and that never would’ve happened and nobody would’ve ever known about this story and we wouldn’t be able to help ourselves and help others people along the way,” Goodwin said. “I’m just grateful that I was able to play in the game and get a touchdown.”
