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NFL player scores emotional touchdown hours after death of premature son

Marquise Goodwin puts his team ahead

Jeremy B. White
San Francisco
Monday 13 November 2017 23:57 GMT
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Marquise Goodwin celebrates after scoring a touchdown just hours after the death of his child, on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California
Marquise Goodwin celebrates after scoring a touchdown just hours after the death of his child, on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California ( Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Marquise Goodwin’s catch that helped his San Francisco 49ers win their NFL game on Sunday was an emotional moment.

Hours before the American football wide receiver scored against the New York Giants as his team claimed their first win of the season, his newborn son had died due to complications with his wife's pregnancy.

In Instagram posts, Mr Goodwin and his wife Morgan detailed how they lost their child after delivering him prematurely at 4am the morning of the game.

“Despite our loss, my hubby kept grinding, scored his son a touchdown & got his first ‘W’ of the season”, Ms Goodwin wrote.

Alongside a photo of a tiny hand clutching a finger, Mr Goodwin wrote that “Although we are hurt, I am grateful foe the experience and grateful that God blessed me with a wife as courageous and resilient as Morgan”. Nearly 100,000 people liked the post.

Footage during the game showed Mr Goodwin weeping on the sidelines. After his touchdown catch, he crossed himself and bowed his head to the turf as teammates swarmed around him.

He was credited with 100 yards total during the game, including an 83-yard catch that resulted in a touchdown.

Before entering the National Football League, Mr Goodwin was a track and field star who represented America during the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

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