Marquise Goodwin and his wife share emotional story of losing newborn son last season

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

One of the most emotional moments of the entire 2017 season happened in a game not many people were even paying attention to.

When San Francisco 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin scored a long touchdown, he got on a knee in the end zone, crossed himself and then collapsed to the ground. Earlier that day, his newborn son died due to complications that led to a premature birth.

In a piece reported by Melissa Stark of NFL Network, Marquise Goodwin and his wife Morgan told the emotional story of their tragedy, and Goodwin scoring in honor of his son.

Goodwins experience tragedy

According to the NFL Network’s story, Marquise and Morgan Goodwin had a miscarriage on their first pregnancy, when they were in college. The second one was going well, until a 19-week exam. The doctors told Morgan Goodwin she had an incompetent cervix. That happens when weak cervical tissue causes or contributes to premature birth or the loss of an otherwise healthy pregnancy.

Doctors said there was a 50-50 chance she could lose the baby, Morgan Goodwin told Stark.

Later during the pregnancy, Marquise Goodwin told Stark that he was getting ready to go to the hotel with the team the night before the Giants game, as usual.

“My wife told me, hey, will you come to the bathroom with me, I don’t feel good about it, like something bad is going to happen,” Marquise Goodwin told NFL Network. “I could see the panic in her face. I looked, and I could see the sac from the baby protruding from my wife.”

They rushed to the hospital, where doctors had to deliver the baby early on Sunday morning. He was stillborn.

“For me, the hardest part was just seeing the pain she felt from having to deal with something like that,” Marquise Goodwin said.

Marquise Goodwin played hours after death of his son

Morgan Goodwin said she still wanted Marquise to go play against the Giants for the 49ers, who were looking for their first win of the season.

“It was important for me, because his son wouldn’t be able to watch him play,” Morgan Goodwin said. “I’m like, me and your son are watching you, you’ve got to go out there. He didn’t want to. He kept calling me like, ‘Babe, I don’t know if I can do this.’”

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he understood if Goodwin didn’t want to play. An hour before the game Goodwin decided he would play. Then he scored his emotional touchdown. The 49ers won their first game of the season.

Stark’s story on the Goodwins ended with Marquise, whose acts of kindness are well known around the 49ers, being positive about he and Morgan having a child in the future.

“I know I’m going to be a father,” Goodwin told Stark. “It just hasn’t happened for whatever reason. But I know God has plans for us in the near future.”

Marquise Goodwin of the San Francisco 49ers, right, and Morgan Goodwin arrive at the NFL Honors awards show in February. (AP)
Marquise Goodwin of the San Francisco 49ers, right, and Morgan Goodwin arrive at the NFL Honors awards show in February. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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