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When Matthew Golden walked out of the green room at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay this past Thursday, he emerged as a member of the Packers – and the hometown fans let him hear how excited they were for it.
The surreal moment still feels like a dream to Golden.
“Just the way it happened, I feel like God made it happen like that for a reason. That’s something that’s going to stick with me forever,” he told Fox News Digital while also discussing his time working with Tide at the draft.
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Wide Receiver Matthew Golden of Texas poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers Mark Murphy after being selected twenty-third overall pick by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay. (IMAGN)
Golden’s answer about his draft day moment says it all in terms of how much faith plays a large role in his life.
The Houston, Texas, native said that he “grew up in the church house,” where he learned to play the drums at six years old.
PACKERS’ MATTHEW GOLDEN UNCONCERNED ABOUT PRESSURE AFTER HISTORIC PICK: ‘I’VE GOT SOMETHING TO PROVE’
That strong faith, as well as a strong family connection, has helped drive Golden to the heights of the NFL today. And he knows he wouldn’t be in this position without those two pillars of foundation in his life.
“There were times adversity did hit me and God was the one who was there for me,” Golden explained. “There were times people doubted me, and I did want to give up sometimes. But going back to God, he definitely helped me get here.”
NFL draft prospect, Matthew Golden of Texas, signs autographs during the NFL Draft Red Carpet event at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (IMAGN)
One of the biggest pieces of adversity came in 2023 when Golden suffered a foot injury while playing for the Houston Cougars. After a solid nine games, he had to miss the remainder of the season because of it.
“That was the first time football got taken away from me,” Golden said of the injury. “So, I didn’t know how to cope with it and I was frustrated. But at that time, my relationship with God grew a lot stronger, and I started to understand it happened for a reason.”
Golden would enter the transfer portal in December of that year, and he landed with the Longhorns, remaining in Texas not too far from home.
Golden posted his best collegiate season in his one year with Texas, tallying 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns over 16 games to help the team reach the College Football Playoff.
He would later run a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, cementing his spot as one of the best receivers in this year’s class, and the Packers jumped at the opportunity to make franchise history.
Wide receiver Matthew Golden embraces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after the Packers select him with the 23rd pick during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The draft runs through April 26. (IMAGN)
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For the first time since 2002, the Packers selected a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Golden is ready for this next chapter of his football career.
“Now looking back, it definitely makes sense, and like I said, God put me through everything I went through in my life for a reason. I feel like that’s truly what made me who I am today and that’s why I am who I am.”
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