C.J. Goodwin was able to get a crack at an NFL career after some strings were pulled for him. However, this was no charity case. Goodwin had to navigate some adversities after his NFL debut before he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. And since then, he has made every moment count as a silent cornerstone of the Cowboys’ special teams.
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Eight years after he signed that first contract with Dallas, Goodwin has now drawn the curtains close on his career. The 36-year-old veteran has announced his retirement from the league.
Goodwin did not announce this decision via a press release or big announcement. Instead, he broke the news to Rob Metzger at WTOV9 at his ninth annual PeGa Foundation All-Star Sports Camp. On Saturday, Goodwin’s friends and family came together for a celebration in honor of his career.
In 2014, Goodwin tried his luck at an NFL career by declaring for the draft, even though he built his career at non-Power 4 colleges. Naturally, he went undrafted. However, there was still some hope left for him, as Goodwin had a good relationship with former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mel Blount, who employed the DB on his farm.
What a ride for Linsly grad CJ Goodwin‼️ He’s calling it a career after 12 years in the NFL, the past 8 with the Cowboys. Here’s part of my conversation with CJ & Hall of Famer Mel Blount, who made a call which would change Goodwin’s life. Much more tonight on Sports Sunday!
🎥6.27.26 Video - CJ Goodwin hosts 9th annual free PEGA Foundation All-Star Sports Camp wtov9.com/high-school-su…
It was only after he put in a request with Blount for a tryout who reached out to the team. And soon enough, Goodwin was suiting up for offseason camp with the Steelers. He spent 2014 on the practice squad, but he was in the NFL at least.
Goodwin got his first real shot with the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent three seasons carving out a role from 2015 to 2017. He also had a brief stint with the Cardinals in 2017. But his true test came in 2018, which saw him go through practice-squad moves between the Giants, 49ers, and Bengals, all in a matter of months. The Cowboys came calling next.
He signed in 2018 and never left, turning it into an eight-season home that lasted all the way through 2025. He played in 136 career games, recording 94 tackles, two forced fumbles, and thousands of special teams snaps that rarely make headlines but always matter. Goodwin retired as the second-longest-tenured member on the Cowboys roster, only behind Dak Prescott.
From 2019, he has been among the most dependable names in the special teams, mostly lining up at gunner in punt coverage. His 69 total tackles in at Dallas’ special teams rank ninth all-time in franchise history, as stated by the official Cowboys website. He has also amassed 2,211 plays on special teams.
C.J. Goodwin played a small but imperative role in a big Dallas game
One of Goodwin’s most memorable plays is the famous ‘Watermelon Kick’ that saved the day for the Dallas Cowboys in their clash with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. With less than two minutes on the clock, Greg Zuerlein bet his all on an onside kick. If the Falcons got possession, they would have sealed the game by kneeling thrice from then on. However, the ball skidded 10 yards, and Atlanta waited before scrambling for the ball.
Goodwin had zipped into the action before the Falcons caught on and landed on the ball. The Cowboys kept possession, which allowed them to set up a field goal and win the game 40-39. It is one of the most memorable comebacks in the team’s recent history.
Then-special teams coordinator John Fassel was all praise about the DB.
“What C.J. did was better than I could’ve drawn up on a piece of paper,” he said after the game. “He was the behind-the-ball player, and he was just tracking it – he must have been inches from it. And he knows as soon as it crosses the front part of the white 45-yard line, that it’s live and it’s ours. And he pounced right when it crossed the line.”
Silently, Goodwin has been giving his all for the Cowboys. It is tough to see him hang up his cleats, but he has had a great career to look back on.