Marquise Goodwin was a forgotten man after the 2019 season. The previous two years had been frustrating for the veteran wide receiver. Part of that was due to his health setbacks after such a promising breakout year in 2017. However, there was a darker cloud hanging over him. One that came so close to ruining a happy marriage. For those who don’t remember, here is a recap of his amazing story.
Going into that ’17 season, Goodwin had things going his way. He was an emerging target for the San Francisco 49ers and even better? His wife Morgan was pregnant. Things were fine through the first four months. Then during the 19th week, tragedy struck. Morgan suffered from a medical condition called a short cervix. This means pregnant women have a 50/50 chance of delivering a baby too early.
This is exactly what happened.
Goodwin’s son was prematurely born shortly after the diagnosis and died. The suffering didn’t end there though according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. The couple soon tried again and were blessed with a pair of twin boys. As before, everything was fine through the first 18 weeks. Then during the 19th, everything went wrong as the amniotic sacs for both boys ruptured, resulting in another miscarriage. The same thing that had happened to their first child.
It would’ve been so easy for Marquise and Morgan to give up. They didn’t though. There had to be a way to help give them better odds of delivering a child to the world. With help from a support group, they discovered a possible solution out east in Chicago.
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“Each year, the transabdominal cerclage program (TCP) at the University of Chicago Medicine helps between 200-250 women who have cervical insufficiency.
Dr. Arthur Haney brought the program to prominence by helping thousands of women have babies after pregnancy losses. He made a 2-inch incision above the pubic bone and placed strong synthetic bands that look like flat shoelaces around the cervix to support up to 100 pounds of weight. He touted a 99% success rate among his patients.”
Though the procedure offered was similar to one they’d tried to the second pregnancy, this one was said to be more invasive. While it would lead to a longer hospital stay and recovery time, it had one critical advantage. It allowed the surgeon to get the proper tension on the bands to ensure it was secure.
“In March 2019, Morgan and Marquise traveled to Chicago for the first time outside of football travel, and Haney did the surgery that set the stage for Morgan’s pregnancy with Marae.”
Marquise Goodwin never forgot the good vibes of Chicago
Once it became clear his wife and new baby girl were in the clear, Goodwin was able to focus on returning to the NFL. The Bears were among the teams that expressed interest. That was immediately intriguing to him. He’d gotten to know Chicago a bit better during the pregnancy. When the coaching staff expressed support for him competing in the Tokyo Olympic trials as a long jumper? That proved to be the final selling point.
The two sides came to an agreement. Marquise Goodwin was back in the NFL and the Bears had more speed for their offense. Early signs out of minicamps suggest it was a smart move. The 30-year old has already torched defensive backs a number of times for long gains. Reports are he’s in top shape and healthy. If he can stay that way, the passing attack should be much more explosive than last season.
As for Morgan? All she can do is marvel at it all.
What happens next — with the Olympics and the Bears — remains to be seen. But Morgan and Marae will be in Eugene next weekend, and they’ll likely be at Soldier Field if Marquise plays in the Bears’ first preseason game in August.
It would be Marae’s first football game, and that truly would be something special.
“Everything started in Chicago with her,” Marquise said. “It’s divine.”
Stories like this are what makes professional sports so incredible sometimes. Chicago likely might not have ever been on Goodwin’s radar if not for his quest to have a child. When his wish finally came true? It was in the shadow of Soldier Field. Then exactly one year later, he inks a contract to join the Bears. Amazing.