Tampa Bay Buccaneer and ex-Penn State Nittany Lion Chris Godwin Jr. announced that moving ahead into the 2025 season, "Jr." will be added to the back of his jersey.
Via Instagram on June 12, he shared the reason why. With Father's Day approaching, Godwin Jr. reflected on his relationship with his father who passed in January 2024, writing:
"As a kid I enjoyed an amazing relationship with my dad, Rod Christopher Godwin, Sr. From youth football through high school, I always knew that he was there because I would hear him yelling in support of his son. He instilled in me early that I could achieve anything I wanted if I worked hard enough and treated people with respect. I always appreciated and valued the immeasurable impact he had on my life, and I made sure to let him know that every day, not just on Father's Day. I lost my Pops in January of 2024, and Father's Day last year was a time of reflection and introspection."
Continuing his message, Godwin Jr. discussed his "full circle" journey, celebrating his first Father's Day with his son, Ace. Recognizing the importance of fatherhood and its impact on his life, he shared that he chose "to add 'Jr.' to my name in honor of the man who gave so unselfishly of himself to others and helped mold me into who I am today."
As a Nittany Lion, he was the eighth player in program history to reach the 2,000 career receiving yard mark. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in his rookie season at Penn State and was a third-team All-Big Ten player in 2016.
After his third season with the Nittany Lions as a junior in 2016, Godwin Jr. decided to declare for the NFL Draft. He was a third-round draft pick and has spent his NFL career exclusively with Tampa Bay.
With the Buccaneers, Godwin Jr. has reached the 1,000 receiving yard mark four times. Over his career, he has totaled 7,266 receiving yards on 579 receptions and 39 receiving touchdowns.
In his recent era of free agency, he decided to return to the Buccaneers rather than continue his career elsewhere. The Pittsburgh Steelers was one team looking to pick up the wide receiver, but he ultimately signed a three-year, $66 million contract with Tampa Bay.
Godwin Jr. is currently recovering from an ankle injury, but is likely to be healthy when Week 1 rolls around, according to The Tampa Bay Times.