Marquise Goodwin, a wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles, has announced that he will not play in the next NFL season to protect his wife and daughter from the coronavirus.
Goodwin, a seven-year veteran who played the past three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, explained his decision in a YouTube video in which he discussed how he had previously placed soccer ahead of his family when his wife lost babies in two. separate pregnancies.
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In November 2017, Goodwin’s wife Morgan lost a girl a few hours before she played in a game against the New York Giants. The following year, the couple lost unborn twins.
Last February, the couple welcomed a girl, Marae.
“Three years ago, I made a decision that affected my whole life,” Goodwin said in the emotional video, which he published Tuesday. “I chose to leave my wife in the hospital after prematurely giving birth to our first baby due to an incompetent cervix, which resulted in a fatality, playing in a soccer game.
“I felt like I had to show my coaches and the new team that I was dedicated to winning and that I would not let anything stop me from that goal, not even my family,” he said.
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Goodwin said he found himself in a similar position a year later, while his wife, who was pregnant again, had to go to the emergency room while on the road.
“We lost our twins,” he recalled. “We have three angel babies to hold and watch as their little heartbeats fade more and more until it stops.”
“Soon, I started to lose the excitement of playing the game,” he added. “It was all I could think of. My wife at home I no longer had a pregnant belly, no one to hold on to, no shoulder to cry on, no one to talk to, while I was at work receiving love and everyone was patting me on the back. ”
Goodwin, 29, said he was guilty.
“I was crazy. I felt like I should be home helping my best friend get over the pain.”
At one point, when his daughter appeared in the video frame, Goodwin, who was traded to the Eagles in April, explained that he had to take a position on her behalf.
“This right here, this is my reason. She is the reason why I am opting for this season, “he said.” After choosing football so many times, I feel that I am inclined to make the right decision when choosing my family first and that is a real talk. “
He acknowledged that the NFL is taking steps to keep players safe from the coronavirus, but considered that the risks were too great.
“I am not going to risk experiencing another loss due to my selfish decision making. I can’t do it. It’s not something I’m willing to live with, ”he said. “Therefore, I have chosen to stop playing alone for this season or until medical professionals around the world agree that the world is a safe environment for everyone and not just for NFL players.”
“My priority is to take care of these two,” he said.
On Wednesday, Goodwin said people contacted him, criticizing his decision to stay out.
“I received so many messages and (comments) from ‘concerned’ fans that tell me how stupid I am and that this COVID-19 is not that serious … I bet on my bank account that there are 150,000 dead people who would make him argue differently” he tweeted.
Goodwin is the last NFL player to opt out of the current season, joining players like Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and New York Giants offensive lineman Nate Solder.
