Chris Godwin Jr. makes emotional return to Bucs

TAMPA - A little more than 11 months after the crowd at Raymond James Stadium fell silent watching Chris Godwin Jr. being carted off the field with what ended up being a dislocated ankle, the same crowd roared as the Buccaneers receiver ran back out onto the field against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

"There were a ton of emotions going through my head. Most of them were just gratitude," Godwin Jr. said.

After undergoing surgery last season and working his way back into shape, Godwin Jr.'s return to play was one that was worth waiting for.

"Just excited to be out there," Godwin Jr. said. "There's a level of energy that comes with playing in an NFL game and I missed that."

The backstory:

While 11 months of rehab and recovery flew by quickly for Godwin Jr. and the Bucs, a lot changed for the receiver in that time.

Godwin Jr. and his wife welcomed their first child together over the offseason while the long-time receiver signed a new three-year deal to keep him in the pewter and red.

Both moments weighed on the receiver as he returned to play on Sunday.

"Going through the tunnel, I got to see Mariah and Ace and that hit me very differently. It's a surreal moment," he said.

While the color of Godwin Jr.'s jersey stayed the same over the off-season, he did make one change to the back of his uniform by adding a Jr. after his last name in a nod to his late father.

"Just to be able to have the opportunity to continue to represent him and my family name is so special to me and something I don't take for granted," Godwin Jr. said.

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The 31-25 loss to the Eagles on Sunday may have spoiled Godwin Jr.'s comeback celebration, but it did little to dampen his feelings surrounding the day. 

"It's been a long journey," Godwin Jr. said. "I'm extremely grateful to be back on the field, to be back out there with my teammates, and just to have the opportunity to play the game again."

When the final whistle blew, Godwin Jr. ended the day with three catches for 25 yards on 10 targets from Baker Mayfield.

Clearly, some rust needs to be knocked off in the weeks to come. 

But the important thing for Godwin Jr. is, for the first time in almost a year, he is on the field with the chance to knock that rust off himself.

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