 Goodwin in 1936 | |||||||||||||
| No. 14 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | End | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1911-12-05)December 5, 1911 Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | January 7, 1997(1997-01-07) (aged 85) | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 184 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Bellaire (Bellaire, Ohio) | ||||||||||||
| College | West Virginia | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career statistics | |||||||||||||
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Charles R. "Tod" Goodwin (December 5, 1911 – January 7, 1997) was an American athlete who playedfootball collegiately atWest Virginia University. Playing the position ofend, Goodwin spent the 1935 and 1936 season playing professional football for theNew York Football Giants.
Goodwin was the NFL leader in receptions with 26 in 1935, which earned him second-team honors on the1935 All-Pro Team.
Charles R. Goodwin, known to family and friends as "Tod," was born December 5, 1911, inWheeling, West Virginia. He grew up in Bellaire, Ohio, attendingBellaire High School in that city.[1] He had over 309 receiving yards and scored 66 points in his high school career.
Goodwin played football collegiately atWest Virginia University (WVU), where theend gained a reputation both for superlative pass-catching skills and for an exuberant confidence that offended the sensibilities of some traditionalists.[1] As a sophomore at WVU, Goodwin's arrogant patter inspired head coachEarle "Greasy" Neale to force him to wear a sign for a week reading"I Am Cocky," in an attempt to shame Goodwin to humility.[1] At the end of the week of what was intended as a public humiliation, Goodwin showed up before the team with a new sign that he had made himself, reading simply"I Am Still Cocky."[1]
While at West Virginia, Goodwin was a three-sport athlete, also starring inbasketball andtrack and field.[2]
Goodwin signed to play with theNew York Football Giants of theNational Football League in 1935, the last year before institution of theNFL draft. The jocular and gregarious Goodwin was popular among his teammates, earning the nicknames "Dingbat," "Baby Face," and "Mouth" from his Giants comrades.[1]
His brashness aside, Goodwin produced on the field, leading the NFL in receiving in the run-heavy year of 1935 with 26 receptions for 432 yards and 4 touchdowns.[3] Goodwin's reception total was a new league record, albeit short-lived, as in 1936 it was surpassed by futureHall of FamerDon Hutson of theGreen Bay Packers.[4] The effort was good enough for Goodwin to be named as a second-team member of the1935 All-Pro Team.[3]