SANTA CLARA – The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Tuesday 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, a member of the 2012 Olympic Track and Field team, has accepted a one-year suspension for failing to properly file and maintain his whereabouts information.
The 49ers announced Goodwin will not be subject to discipline under the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
“Marquise informed our organization quite some time ago that he has no intentions of competing in track and field and has been entirely focused on his football career for more than a year,” 49ers announced in a statement. “We have been in touch with the League office regarding this matter, and understand that Marquise will not be subject to discipline under the NFL Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances as a result of USADA's decision.”
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Goodwin, 26, is a member of the USADA Registered Testing Pool, which consists of athletes subject to certain “whereabouts” requirements in order to be located for out-of-competition testing, according to the USADA. During a span of 12 months, Goodwin had three “whereabouts” failures.
Goodwin’s one-year period of ineligibility began on April 1, 2017, the date of his third failure in a 12-month period.
In 2012, Goodwin won the long jump competition the NCAA championships and at the U.S. Olympic Trials, becoming the first collegian since 1960 to accomplish that feat. He finished 10th at the London Olympics.
He returned to the sport last year to attempt to qualify for the Olympics for a second time. After posting world-best jumps after the football season, his Olympic quest ended at the U.S. Trials with a seventh-place finish while battling a sore hamstring.
San Francisco 49ers
In a May interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Goodwin was noncommittal about whether he will try to return to the Olympics in 2020, when he would be 30 years old.
Goodwin released a statement through the 49ers:
“Never in my life have I failed a test. I have never been opposed to testing and, in fact, have always been compliant with each and every protocol and policy associated with my competitive career in track and field.
More than a year ago, I decided to cease competing in the sport in order to concentrate 100 percent on my NFL career. Therefore, I discontinued all practices associated with competing in track and field, including submitting my ‘Whereabouts’ information.
It appears that because I did not inform USADA of my plans, my name was inadvertently included in their 2017 testing pool.
I greatly appreciate the support of the San Francisco 49ers and the National Football League as I work to clarify this matter.”