C. J. Goodwin
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Charaun Jareé "C. J." Goodwin (born February 4, 1990) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He was signed by the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
as an undrafted free agent following the
2014 NFL draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He played
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at Bethany College, and
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at Fairmont State and California (PA).


Early life

Goodwin was born on February 4, 1990, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Yvette Goodwin-Rowe and Galloway. He attended The Linsly School in Wheeling, West Virginia, and did not play football until his senior year. He was a starter at wide receiver. In addition to football, he also competed in
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
.


College career


Bethany College

After graduating from high school, Goodwin attended Bethany College. He played basketball for Bethany for two seasons and transferred after his sophomore year. He did not play football at Bethany.


Fairmont State University

Following his departure from Bethany, Goodwin would enroll in Fairmont State University for his junior year. After his arrival, he played in an intramural basketball game against the school's football staff. At the urging of his father, the late Perry Galloway Jr., and his college roommate, future NFL player
Dewey McDonald Dewey Dupree McDonald (born June 10, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at California University of Pennsylvania, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL dr ...
he eventually joined the Fighting Falcons football team. In his first game against Clarion he would make 6 catches for 56 yards. On September 22, Goodwin would amass 3 catches, 104 yards, and make an 83-yard touchdown catch in a game against West Liberty University (during a game against his first cousin Daree' Goodwin). While matching up against West Virginia Wesleyan, he would reel in three receptions, 55 receiving yards, and a career-high two touchdowns. In the next game against Seton Hill, Goodwin would score on a 31-yard reception. On November 10, he made a career-high seven catches for 141 receiving yards in a win against Shepherd. After walking on his first year and having a successful season he was offered a scholarship to continue playing for Fairmont. Head coach Mike Lopez would be fired after Goodwin's first year playing for Fairmont and accepted a
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
position with California University of Pennsylvania. Goodwin finished the 2012 season third on the team with 24 receptions and 440 receiving yards. He also led the team with 18.3 yards per a catch and finished the season with 4 touchdown receptions.


California University of Pennsylvania

After the departure of Fairmont's head coach, Goodwin would transfer to California University of Pennsylvania to continue playing wide receiver for his former head coach Mike Lopez. Since he already graduated from Fairmont, he was able to begin playing immediately, instead of sitting out a year due to
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
student transfer guidelines. Goodwin would make his first touchdown reception of the 2013 season against Kutztown. In a game against IUP, he made two receptions for 16 yards. While playing Gannon, he made three receptions for 40 receiving yards. Against Millersville, he ended with a season-high four catches and 49 yards. Since he mainly saw action on
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
, he only finished his senior season at Cal-Pennsylvania with a total of 11 receptions, 126 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 11 games and one start.


Professional career


Pittsburgh Steelers

After finishing his collegiate career, Goodwin would enter the
2014 NFL draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He was a virtually unknown prospect due to him playing at two
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
schools and he was thought to be a raw player, but also had good size and measurables to play wide receiver. Although he wasn't invited to the official
NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...
held annually in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, he still had good showing at a pre-draft combine held by the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. After going undrafted and not receiving any interest as an undrafted free agent immediately after the draft, Goodwin finally received a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers after Mel Blount urged them to give him an opportunity. He had attended the same high school as Blount's son and worked for Blount as a farmhand for seven years. On June 4, 2014, he signed an undrafted rookie free agent contract with the Steelers, for three-years and $1.53 million. He was released on August 26. He was added to the
practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
five days later. He signed a reserve/futures contract on January 5, 2015. On August 31, 2015, Goodwin was waived by the Steelers.


Atlanta Falcons

On November 3, 2015, Goodwin was signed to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
practice squad. Goodwin signed a reserve/futures contract with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on January 5, 2016. During the Falcons training camp in 2016, he converted from a wide receiver to a cornerback. In 2016, he played in 14 games with one start, recording 7 defensive tackles, 2 passes defensed and 10
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles. Goodwin and the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017. Against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, the Falcons fell in a 34–28 overtime defeat. He recorded 2 defensive tackles and one special teams tackle in the game. In 2017, Goodwin played in 12 games, making 5 defensive tackles and 3 special teams tackles, before being waived on December 14, 2017.


Arizona Cardinals

On December 15, 2017, Goodwin was claimed off waivers by the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. He played in the final two games of the season and had one special teams tackle. On May 1, 2018, Goodwin was released by the Cardinals.


New York Giants

On May 2, 2018, Goodwin was claimed off waivers by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. He was waived by the Giants on May 14.


San Francisco 49ers

On May 15, 2018, Goodwin was claimed off waivers by the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. He was waived on July 31, 2018.


Cincinnati Bengals

On August 4, 2018, Goodwin signed with the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. He was waived on September 1, 2018, and was signed to the practice squad the next day.


Dallas Cowboys

On October 9, 2018, Goodwin was signed by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
off the Bengals practice squad. He was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on October 26, after undergoing surgery for a broken forearm. On December 24, he was activated off injured reserve, to play gunner on
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
and improve the coverage units. He played in two games, before being sidelined for 8 contests with a broken arm, returning for the season finale and the playoffs. He finished the season with one
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackle. In 2019, Goodwin appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career and became an important player on the
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
units. He registered 2 defensive tackles and 10
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles (led the team). He had 3
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. On March 30, 2020, Goodwin re-signed with the Cowboys. He was released during final roster cuts in a planned roster maneuver on September 5, 2020. He was re-signed two days later after the roster moves were completed. In Week 2 against his former team, the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Goodwin recovered an onside kick with less than two minutes left in the game to set up the game winning field goal of the improbable 40–39 comeback win. The play came to be known as the 'watermelon' kick. In Week 16, he had a key role in the 37–17 win against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, where he was used as a spy defender, to help neutralize the running of rookie quarterback
Jalen Hurts Jalen Alexander Hurts (born August 7, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first three seasons of college football at Alabama, where he was part of the team t ...
. On March 19, 2021, Goodwin re-signed with the Cowboys on a two-year contract. He appeared in all 17 games, making 10
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles and becoming the first player in franchise history, to lead the team in that category for three consecutive seasons (since
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles began to be tracked in 1988). Goodwin was waived during final roster cuts in a planned roster maneuver on August 30, 2022. He was re–signed to the team's practice squad the following day. He appeared in all 17 games and finished second in
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles behind
Luke Gifford Luke Gifford (born August 28, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska. Early years file:Luke Gifford (cropped).jpg, left, 200px, Gifford with ...
. On March 16, 2023, Goodwin re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year contract. He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on September 23. He was placed on injured reserve on October 16, with a pectoral injury. On March 14, 2024, Goodwin re-signed with the Cowboys.


Philanthropy/Causes

Goodwin founded the PeGa Foundation (Perry Galloway Jr. Foundation) to honor his late father/mentor after his passing. The PeGa Foundation is a nonprofit mentoring organization based out of his hometown in Wheeling, West Virginia. Off the field, he spends most of his free time mentoring youth of PeGa and volunteering his time by speaking to schools and youth groups across the country.pegafoundation.org


Personal life

Goodwin has a daughter.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, C. J. 1990 births Living people Players of American football from West Virginia American football wide receivers American football cornerbacks Fairmont State Fighting Falcons football players California Vulcans football players Sportspeople from Wheeling, West Virginia Pittsburgh Steelers players Atlanta Falcons players Arizona Cardinals players New York Giants players San Francisco 49ers players Cincinnati Bengals players Dallas Cowboys players 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportspeople Basketball players from West Virginia Bethany Bison men's basketball players Fairmont State Fighting Falcons men's basketball players American men's basketball players