The illustrious athletic career of Marquise Goodwin spans many achievements. 

From winning the 2012 Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP at the University of Texas and representing the United States at the 2012 London Olympics, to ten years as a wide receiver in the NFL, the Texas athlete has much to be proud of. However, what stands out more than Marquise’s athletic prowess is his unparalleled resilience and determination. TLM was recently honored to sit down with Marquise and reflect on his inspiring journey. From finding love to overcoming adversity, Marquise offers an intimate look into his past and shares his own advice on how to weather any storm that comes your way.

You were recently inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, joining many notable names like Jordan Spieth and Kevin Durant. How does this honor feel?

I think my class this year is arguably one of the finest classes that have been assembled at UT. That being said, I’m extremely honored and grateful to be placed amongst such accomplished people. Look, you just said Jordan Spieth and Kevin Durant, two of the top people in their respective sports – and here I am. I come from the same university, and now I have a seat at their table. I’m extremely honored.

Is there anyone that you’d like to thank for helping you along your journey?

First and foremost, I’d like to thank God just for blessing me with so many talents and opportunities. Even though I faced a lot of hardships, God has still been very productive in my life. I thank my mother for giving me life. Special thanks to Bubba Thornton and Mack Brown, who were my head track and field and head football coach at UT. I thank them both for changing the trajectory of my life by awarding me full-ride scholarships. Because [they] recognized my talents, they gave me full rides. The trainers and the doctors who helped me recover and remain healthy so that I could compete over all those years and in two sports. I want to thank my siblings for sacrificing their lives essentially to support me along my journey, because my mom was so busy as a single parent trying to make sure that her only son was taken care of while he was doing sports and even through college. I have to thank my sisters for that. And lastly, to all my extended family, my friends, and teammates. Primarily my wife, my favorite teammate who supported me and pushed me towards the greater.

You met your wife at UT. Do you mind sharing the story with us?

Yeah, I’ll be brief; this could get long! We were teammates on the UT track team. I was a junior, she was a freshman. Even though we competed at the same university, we had two individual programs, so we didn’t train together. We didn’t even compete at the same meets because of separate programs. We would only congregate at the kickbacks and see each other around campus or just in passing. That was the only time we would really have time to get to know each other because we were busy doing our craft.

How we technically met and began talking, though, one day we were at two separate track meets. A friend of mine who ran for LSU, rest in peace, called me on the phone and said, “Bro, I didn’t know your sister ran for Texas.” And I started laughing and said, “You know my sisters.” I thought he was joking because he’s very comical. And he said, “No, I’m being serious. There’s a girl on the team that looks just like you.” So I had one of my teammates give her my number and told her to hit me up. And she texted!

I didn’t say, “Hello, how are you doing? Nice to meet you. My name is…” I just went, “What’s your daddy’s name?” I’m the oldest of 12, and my father moved around. I wasn’t even trying to holler at Morgan. I just had so many questions. She confirmed that we weren’t siblings. The rest is history.

With you two being star athletes, was it a challenge for your schedules to sync up?

We just made time, honestly. During college, it was fairly easy for us because we both lived on campus or I lived like a five minute bus ride away. We commuted often, and we did have off time like study hall hours. So we would plan our study hours after we became a formal relationship. We would plan our hours to where we could have more time together, like in the evenings after practice or during treatment. We would do treatment together. We really became friends at first. Really, really, really good friends,  which is why I think we’ve sustained our marriage. Just by being good friends and knowing each other before.

How would you describe your time at UT and what’s your advice for anyone looking to join any of the sports programs there?

I would describe my time at UT as academically challenging but exhilarating. I had very few dull moments being a dual sport athlete. I gained two totally different experiences at once, so that was really opportunistic for me.

Advice that I would give: if you’re blessed enough to come here, take it seriously and take advantage. You’re here to be great, not average.  My biggest advice: you shouldn’t worry about criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from. So sit back and enjoy the noise.

One of your achievements is the 2018 George Halas Award for overcoming adversity. Can you share a little more about this experience and what others can learn from how you overcome adversity?

The George Halas Award is given by the Pro Football Writers of America to an NFL player, coach, or staff Member of each team every year that overcomes the most adversity to succeed. My reason for receiving this award was because my wife and I, in 2017 and 2018, we had three late term (pregnancy) losses. The experience was what it was. It made us a better couple. It made us better people. It made us so strong together. It’s hard to put it in words; I haven’t spoken about it much.

I would say what you can learn from how I overcame it is to establish a faith that’s too strong to be broken by anything – and stand on it. Everybody wants to stand on business, stand on your faith. That’s what we did, and we stood on it together. So if you are a couple and you’re reading this, make sure you stand on faith together and you’ll make it through anything.

Thank you for sharing your personal story with us. You’ve achieved a lot. Dual athlete in college. From an Olympian to the NFL. And many recognitions. What’s next for you?

Honestly, just diving deeper into fathering and making sure my kids and my wife are set up for the future. I’m in the process of getting my aviation license. I started back in October last year after I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. I ended up getting cleared to play, so I had to stop aviation school because I was playing for the Browns last year. Now that I’m not playing anymore, traveling is definitely high on the list. I may go back to school for architecture or some type of design.

Be sure to follow Marquise Goodwin to see what’s next.

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Cover photo Photo Marquise Goodwin

Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State.