Marquise Goodwin plays in the NFL, but the Buffalo Bills wide receiver is arguably a better track and field athlete.
Competing in the Pan Am Games, Goodwin finished second Wednesday night in the men's long jump with a jump of 8.27 meters. His teammate Jeffery Henderson won the event with a jump of 8.54 meters.
The silver medal adds to an impressive track and field resume for Goodwin. He is a two-time USA outdoor champion; his outdoor title in 2012 qualified him for the London Olympics. While competing in college at Texas, Goodwin was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA All-American.
Goodwin has put his long jump spikes on the shelf since the 2012 Olympics. Yet he acknowledged that his Bills teammates often reference his long jump capabilities.
"My teammates give me a hard time about that all the time," Goodwin told ESPN. "'Hey, if you catch the ball and get in an open field, I want you to long jump from the 10 into the end zone.' ... I might make it happen one of these days."
It would be nearly impossible for anybody to jump from the 10-yard line to the end zone, especially with pads on. Mike Powell's world record jump of 29 feet, 4.25 inches (8.95 meters) would've been just short of the end zone from 10 yards out, and obviously that's without pads on.
But what Goodwin can do is show his teammates the silver medal that he earned at the Pan Am Games.
The Bills open training camp on July 30, and Goodwin will have to compete for a roster spot. The dual athlete only has 18 catches since entering the NFL. Buffalo has three locks at the wide receiver in Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Percy Harvin. Goodwin and the other wideouts will all have to compete for the remaining spots on the depth chart.
*The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the eight most intriguing training camp battles heading into the season. *
