Despite a lackluster recent stretch, Penn State has produced multiple solid NFL wide receivers over the last 15 years.
From Allen Robinson to Jahan Dotson, some PSU receivers have done a decent job of adapting to the pros.
None has done better than Chris Godwin. Godwin, 29, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Heโs formed one of the best duos in the league with Mike Evans and re-signed in Tampa on a three-year deal worth $22 million per season.
Godwin returns to the Buccaneers with the same team, quarterback (Baker Mayfield), head coach (Todd Bowles), and the Bucs are the leaders in the clubhouse to win the NFC South.
One thing will be different in 2025: the name on the back of his jersey. Godwin and the Buccaneers announced on Thursday that Godwin will add โJr.โ to his uniform as a tribute to his late father, Rod.
โAs 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,โ Godwin said.
He lost his dad at the beginning of last year. Chris Godwinโs full name is Rod Christopher Godwin.
โI 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 Fatherโs Day,โ Godwin said. โI lost my Pops in January of 2024, and Fatherโs Day last year was a time of reflection and introspection.โย
Godwin said he had a โfull circle momentโ last Fatherโs Day when he celebrated the holiday with his son, Ace, for the first time.ย ย
โFatherhood has already been an unbelievable experience and has changed me in so many ways. I can only hope that Ace feels the same way about me as I do about my dad,โ Godwin said.
Godwin caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games before suffering a severe ankle injury. The Super Bowl LV champion owns 759 receptions, 7,266 yards, 39 career touchdowns, and four 1,000-yard seasons.ย
Sunday marks the second Fatherโs Day for Godwin without his dad.
As a professional athlete, you are always recognized for the name on the front of your jersey, but I also play for the name thatโs printed on the back,โ Godwin said. โThatโs why Iโve chosen to add โJr.โ 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.โ
Godwin was born in Philadelphia and attended Middletown High School in Delaware before coming to Penn State. He caught 154 passes for 2,421 yards and 18 touchdowns in three seasons. Godwin set career highs in receptions (69) and yards (1,101 – fourth most in a single season) as a sophomore in 2015. He recorded 11 touchdowns in 2016, tied for the third most all-time in PSU history.
Godwin and the Buccaneers take the field for week one of the NFL season in Atlanta on Sept. 7.
