A first touchdown scored on a new team can be an emotional moment for any football player, so at first no one knew the real reason that San Francisco 49er Marquise Goodwin fell to his knees in the end zone Sunday.
A few hours after the game, a post on Goodwin's Instagram revealed the true reason for his emotional moment mid-game: he had lost his newborn son just hours before taking the field, as his wife Morgan prematurely delivered a stillborn baby "due to some complications."
"Although we are hurt, I am grateful for the experience and grateful that God blessed me with a wife as courageous and resilient as Morgan. The pain (physically, mentally, & emotionally) that she has endured is unbelievable," Marquise wrote in the heart-wrenching post.
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“We cried. It was a hard thing to take in,” Morgan told People. “This hurts because I was 19 weeks, I was almost halfway there.”
Morgan shared a similar post on her own Instagram page, with both parents sharing photos of the baby's tiny hand.
“I felt joy in holding my baby even though it was a sad moment,” Morgan told People. “I was so amazed. His eyes were still shut at this point, but the hands, the feet. He looked exactly like his daddy.”
The couple are leaning on their faith and one another following their loss. "It’s just important for us to remember that things happen for a reason, even though we may question ourselves ‘why us’. Our faith is strong," Morgan wrote on Instagram. Marquise also shared a touching post in honor of his wife two days after their son's death.
"You’re looking at strength, courage, & resiliency all in one picture. So many more words to describe my beautiful wife. I love you sweetheart," Marquise wrote.
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