Marquise Goodwin Plays In 49ers' Win; Afterward He Says, 'We Lost Our Baby Boy'

It wasn't until after the San Francisco 49ers won their first game of the season Sunday that wide receiver Marquise Goodwin told fans he and his wife, Morgan Goodwin-Snow, had lost their baby son hours earlier, due to premature labor.

Goodwin posted the news online shortly after the game in which he scored a go-ahead 83-yard touchdown. After that long pass, Goodwin fell to his knees in prayer as his teammates gathered around him. On his way into the end zone, he had blown a kiss to the sky. And with the crowd cheering, he took a knee — and then he was down on both knees, with his head in his hands.

On Instagram, Goodwin thanked people who had prayed for his family during the pregnancy, before adding, "Unfortunately we lost our baby boy due to some complications, and had to prematurely deliver him early this morning around 4am."

Goodwin added, "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."

With the defeat of the New York Giants, the 49ers' locker room was exuberant after finally notching their first win 10 weeks into the season. But local media report that Goodwin didn't linger after the game, leaving to be with his family.

Both Goodwin and Goodwin-Snow are career athletes; they were stars on the track team at the University of Texas at Austin.

Before Sunday's game, Morgan had posted a photo of her husband on Instagram, along with this message: "Lord Jesus, give him strength as he step out on that field today. That he may do extraordinary things in today's game. Amen. It's GAME DAY! #IGotChuBaby #MyHubby #ThankYouSoMuchBaby #ILoveYou."

"This whole week has taken an emotional toll on my husband and I," Goodwin-Snow said in another posting after the game, "Struggling to keep our healthy baby safe in my womb."

She added, "Today, I had to deliver my precious baby boy early this morning due to preterm labor. Despite our loss, my hubby kept grinding, scored his son a touchdown & got our first 'W' of the season. He had a wonderful game today."

Thanking those who had reached out to the family, Goodwin-Snow said her pregnancy had been "an amazing experience and it was also a tragic experience. But that's okay because we won't stop fighting and we won't give up on what God has in store for us."

The couple had announced the pregnancy in September, posting a photo of them holding a sonogram image as they kissed.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.