Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin mourned the loss of his father, Rod Godwin Sr., on Thursday in a heartbreaking and beautiful post on social media. The 27-year-old wideout also shared photos from throughout their years together, beginning with a photo of Rod holding him in the hospital on the day he was born.
“Rifle, I love you man,” Godwin wrote. “My earliest memories are of times I spent with you in the car listening to either sports talk radio or Frank Sinatra, a wild range of content I thought. Growing up, you were my hero. The love you poured into your children is what allowed me to believe I could accomplish my dreams. Whatever I was interested in, you nurtured those dreams and fully supported me.”
“I’ll never forget you screaming ‘HALF MAN, HALF MONSTER, THE MANSTER!’ at all of my games at each level I played at,” he added. “With the love you gave and the work ethic you displayed, you unknowingly provided me the tools I needed to reach my goals.”
Godwin’s full note to his father is on his Instagram. The post received an outpouring of reactions from his teammates, other NFL players and fans.
“The grief is painful and there’s a void that won’t be filled, but when you love deeply, you grieve deeply,” Godwin concluded. “That’s part of the deal. And how lucky are we to have loved. We miss you and will continue to miss you. I’ve always been and will always be damn proud to be your son. Rest easy Pops”
Though he goes by Chris, Godwin’s full name is Rod Christopher Godwin Jr., after his father.
Godwin posts fourth 1,000-yard season
Godwin wrapped up his seventh season in the league two weeks ago with the Buccaneers’ divisional-round loss to the Lions. The former Penn State star had his fourth 1,000-yard receiving season of his career while helping lead the Bucs back to the playoffs. He had two receiving touchdowns and another rushing score, which is as many as he had last season, but far fewer than in previous years.
The veteran wideout signed a three-year, $60 million extension with the Buccaneers in March of 2022. He has another year left on the deal before he is up to become a free agent in 2025. Godwin, a former third-round draft pick, has one Super Bowl ring so far in his career, which he won alongside Tom Brady in 2021.
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