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49ers receiver gives update after terrifying brutal hit leaves him twitching

By Ross Kelly January 1, 2018 at 11:55am

San Francisco 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin ended the best season of his career in the worst way imagineable as he was carted off the field in Sunday’s win against the Rams.

Goodwin, whose 962 receiving yards set a new career-high, took a vicious shot to the head in the first half. He was running a slant and went across the middle when Rams safety Blake Countess appeared to launch himself into Goodwin’s head and neck area.

Goodwin ended up taking not one but two hits on the play as he took the shot from Countess, and then his head appeared to hit the ground with nearly as much force. Afterwards, Goodwin was left twitching on the ground in a scary scene.

Terrifying hit by Blake Countess on Marquise Goodwin. He had to be carted off. pic.twitter.com/ASGbkvCXh1

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 31, 2017

Goodwin left the game on a cart and was diagnosed with a concussion. He was able to give a thumbs-up to the crowd on the way out and was taken to a local hospital.

Fortunately, the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked despite the fact that it was Goodwin’s fourth concussion in 14 months. He returned to the stadium to visit with teammates after the game and provided a positive update on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/flashg88dwin/status/947649822126776320

Goodwin appeared to be in good spirits after the hit, but his teammates definitely were not. 49ers safety Adrian Colbert grew up with Goodwin in Texas and thought Countess intentionally looked to take out the receiver.

“I was pissed off. I was real pissed off,” Colbert said. “I was really frustrated because, as a (defensive back), I feel you can control where you hit and where you aim. … That guy, I feel like he did that on purpose.”

Fellow receiver Louis Murphy was so mad at the hit that he had to be escorted off the field by team staffers. He compared the hit to the reckless football that often takes place during preseason.

“It reminded me of the preseason — dudes really just trying to make a name for themselves,” Murphy said. “I get it. But he hurt himself, too. He concussed himself.”

Countess also left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and with the Rams playing Saturday in the Wild Card round, his status against the Falcons is in question.

Goodwin’s breakout season has had its fare share of tragedy, not even including the concussion. In Week 10 he had an 83-yard touchdown reception in a win against the Giants just hours after the death of his prematurely born son.

Just weeks later, Goodwin revealed that his biological father had died in mid-December. He talked about how he relied on his faith to help him get through the tough times.

“I’ve been dealing with a lot,” Goodwin said. “I’m blessed. I’m thankful for the opportunity. God has shown me so much in this season. I had a lot going on this year losing my baby, and I just recently lost my biological father this week. It’s just been a lot, but I really didn’t let the outside negative energy affect how I play, how I approach this game or how I come to work each day. I just kind of stayed positive and kept my mind fresh, and I relied on God to bring me through all of the situations that I’ve been through.”

Goodwin’s 56 receptions and 962 receiving yards were both team highs and career highs. He had more receptions and receiving yards this season than he had in his first four years combined.

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