Tyrell Godwin

Carlton Tyrell Godwin

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.
• School University of North Carolina
• High School East Bladen High School
• Debut May 27, 2005
• Final Game May 30, 2005
• Born July 10, 1979 in Wilmington, NC USA

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Biographical Information

Tyrell Godwin was twice selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. He passed up a $1.9 million signing bonus from the New York Yankees in 1997 (24th overall) to attend the University of North Carolina and then had the Texas Rangers (35th overall) rescind a contract which included a reported $1.2 million bonus when management questioned an old knee injury in 2000. Godwin fell to the third round of the 2001 draft when he was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 91st overall pick. He was signed by scout Charles Aliano and spent four years toiling in the Toronto Blue Jays' system, never advancing beyond AA, before being drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 2004 Rule V Draft.

He did appear in three Major League games in 2005 for the Nationals (going 0 for 3), but spent the majority of the season with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs, having his best year as a professional (.321 average with 83 runs scored in 129 games). He also played the 2006 season in New Orleans, before signing with the Cincinnati Reds organization during the 2007 season. It was his final campaign in professional baseball playing for the Reds' AA and AAA affiliates.

Godwin attended North Carolina on an academic scholarship and played both football and baseball. He played on the Tar Heel football teams during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 27.8 kickoff return average in 1998 and setting a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Stanford on September 19, 1998. Godwin did not play football for the Tar Heels after the 1998 season, deciding instead to concentrate on baseball.

Godwin was a four-year letter winner for Carolina on the diamond hitting .337, .371, .363, and .327 during his four seasons as a Tar Heel. Named first-team All-ACC as a sophomore in 1999 when he led the Tar Heels in batting (.371), stolen bases (29) and triples (five) and shared the lead in base hits (82). He led the ACC in steals and was second in triples. He was named second-team All-American and All-ACC as a junior.

Related Sites

• UNC baseball bio
• UNC football bio