San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and his wife lost their infant son on Sunday morning, just hours before suiting up for his team’s game against the New York Giants, MSN is reporting .
Despite having lost his infant son just hours before, Goodwin, 26, took to the field Sunday for the game at Levi’s Stadium. And though he just suffered a devastating loss, Goodwin still turned in an impressive performance on the field, even catching an 83-yard touchdown. After scoring, the former Texas Longhorn pointed to the sky in his son’s honor, and then knelt down and prayed.
It was his first touchdown reception of the season, and the Niners’ longest TD catch of the year.
Hours later, Goodwin posted on Instagram the heartbreaking news that he and his wife, track star Morgan Snow, had lost their son.
“Unfortunately we lost our baby boy due to some complications, and had to prematurely deliver him early this morning around 4am.”
He then invoked prayers and good thoughts for his wife.
“The pain (physically, mentally, & emotionally) that she has endured is unbelievable. Please Pray for the Goodwin family.”
Goodwin did not reveal what, specifically, caused his son to die, revealing only that there had been complications with Morgan’s pregnancy and the boy’s birth. He also didn’t reveal what name he and Morgan had given the young boy.
Goodwin’s teammate, safety Eric Reid , said in remarks via the San José Mercury News that he’s proud of Marquise for taking the field during what had to have been an indescribably difficult time for him.
“He had a family situation today and it’s tough for him. But I have so much respect for him to come out here and still play with the hurt he had in his heart and to ball out.”
Marquise Goodwin is not the first athlete to lose a child during the course of a season. In fact, it has happened several times throughout the history of professional sports in the U.S.
As Major League Baseball reported in 2015, Jean Segura , at the time a shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers, learned after a game against the Cardinals that his nine-month-old son, Janniel, had died in Segura’s home country of the Dominican Republic.
It is not clear, as of this writing, if Marquise Goodwin will return to the field Week 12’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers are on a bye for Week 11 and will not play.
[Featured Image by Michael Conroy/AP]
