When the Bucs’ season ended in Detroit last January, Chris Godwin was back home just ten days later—this time, not to train or rest, but to say goodbye. His father, Rod Godwin Sr., passed away after a battle with cancer, and the timing hit like a freight train. The playoffs faded fast. Everything football-related did. What followed wasn’t an offseason—it was a stretch of deep loss and reflection.
He called him “Rifle.” Not Dad. Not Pops. Just Rifle. The man who’d blast Sinatra one minute and shout “HALF MAN, HALF MONSTER, THE MANSTER!” at all his games the next, like he was coaching a pro wrestler, not a kid with shoulder pads too big for him. But behind all that noise was a father who showed up for everything, nurtured every goal, and believed in Chris before anyone else did. That note? It was gratitude, grief, and a legacy wrapped into one.
And now, ahead of Father’s Day, Chris Godwin decided to honor his dad in a way that will honor him in every game, and every time he walks to the gridiron. The Buccaneers recently announced that the veteran wide receiver has changed the name on his back from Chris Godwin to Chris Godwin Jr., to honor his father, Rod Christopher Godwin Sr. Godwin penned down an emotional note, shared by the Tampa Bay team on social media.
Why @CGtwelve_ changed the name on the back of his jersey pic.twitter.com/AJSQmxYCRz
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 12, 2025
This is a developing story. Stay Tuned!
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