'If I can go through that, this is nothing': Packers WR Matthew Golden driven by a nightstand photo, bouts of homelessness

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Matthew Golden used to keep the photo on his bathroom mirror, next to the dry-erase list of goals he's scribbled atop mirror after mirror since he was 6 years old.

But now the Green Bay Packers' second-year receiver wakes up to the photo each morning on his nightstand. He glances at it.

Golden was young as he walked the aisle between pews, in his robin's-egg-blue suit. Perhaps 3 years old? At most, 5. Next to him, his cousin Makaylin's dress balloons from its blue velvet top into a white skirt with blue flowers. Golden was Granny's ring bearer; Makaylin, who was born the same day as Golden, her flower girl.

So much has changed since Matthew and Makaylin walked the aisle then, and so much changed long before the Packers selected Golden in the first round 23 years after they'd last spent a Round 1 pick on the position. Getting drafted, and achieving one of Golden's long list of mirror-scribbled goals, was a highlight. He told his teammates that when the Packers receivers went around the room in May to each share their three H's: hero, hardship and highlight.

Golden's hero and hardship? Those have shaped him much more strongly than his highlight.

First, the photo: Makaylin was killed not long afterward, in November 2009, when at 6 years old she was crossing her family's Houston-area street. A 62-year-old man who'd already received three DWI convictions was driving drunk, his blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit, per a local ABC News archive . As he sped, he lost control of the car and flipped. Makaylin was killed instantly, on the street where much of Golden's family lived and where Golden and Makaylin had so often played.

Golden's "first best friend" — with whom he played with dolls and in the mud, and with whom he bickered over chicken nuggets and shared Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties — was gone in an instant. On the family street where she died, the heart-shaped brick memorial bearing her initials seemed to magnify the unfillable void as Golden aged while Makaylin didn't. The quiet but inquisitive Golden went from asking his grandmother questions like how many stars were in the sky and how far away the moon was to darker questions.

"The questions then turned to, 'Why did she have to die?'" Golden's grandmother, Penny Williams, told Yahoo Sports by phone this week. "It was, 'Because God chose her,' and that was the way we had to make him understand because he didn't."

Seventeen years after Makaylin's death, Golden still doesn't understand and still doesn't forget. He dedicated his "My Cause My Cleats" campaign last November to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, his cleats imploring "No More Victims." He grieves for Makaylin far more often than once a year.

"Obviously I was young and the more you grow up and you just go now with life, you kind of forget about those things," Golden told Yahoo Sports during a recent sit-down interview. "But for me, that never left my mind, just the way she was gone. I think about it every day. Especially during hard times when things do get rough.

"I just think back to just us being little kids and just going back to everything outside of football or outside life. And it was a special moment for me."

Golden thinks back to his early childhood when maybe things weren't easy but they also, when he turned 6, weren't nearly as hard as they'd become.

Because back when Makaylin pulled a stage-fearing Matthew down the aisle with her to throw flowers for Grandma Penny's wedding, Golden's bossy cousin's confidence offered a sense of security that in the coming years would dissolve.

The nightstand photo stirs emotions of Makaylin's loss — but also of the oasis of life back when Golden still only knew what life was like with consistent housing.

So when the Packers receivers went around the room in May, sharing their heroes and hardships and highlights, Golden told them of his mother, Alicia Blackshear, sacrificing to support her son physically and emotionally. And for his hardship, Golden explained: Growing up, Golden, his mother, grandmother and cousin had together experienced homelessness.

"We had a very dark moment for about seven years when we just couldn't come afloat," Blackshear told Yahoo Sports during a recent FaceTime interview. "But we went through it holding our heads high. That's what I wanted for Matt: I want you to be able to battle. Go toe to toe with anything that happens.

So as Golden returns for his second year in Green Bay after opportunities and production that disappointed his rookie year, he does not buckle at the pressure.

Golden didn't buckle at the pressure of the Packers bucking a decades-long trend to select him 23rd overall and he doesn't buckle at the pressure of rising expectations after the Packers moved on this spring from receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, setting him up for more targets.

Instead, Golden thinks back to the loss of his cousin and the bouts of homelessness and the strength his mother and grandmother modeled, and the pressure morphs into motivation, reinforced always by the work ethic his mother instilled.

"I just kind of think back," Golden says, and "I'm like, if I can go through that, this is nothing."

Sleeping in hotels and a Walmart parking lot 'pushed me to get to where I am today'

When they lived at a hotel, Williams shared a bed with her two grandchildren. Golden cradled his football each night; her granddaughter snuggled a Barbie.

Blackshear slept on the bed beside them. She worked two to four jobs at a time, but they never seemed enough to support and maintain housing for this blended family of four.

The bouts of homelessness began in 2017, when Golden's family lost their multigenerational family house for reasons Blackshear prefers to keep private. Soon came the challenge of finding a home — and the challenge of keeping it. As a teenager, Golden knew they were on the move but never knew exactly why.

"You're my child, I'm going to let you be the child," Blackshear said. "I'm not going to insert you into my adult life, my adult mess."

Instability followed, from hotel bills that surpassed $1,000 some weeks to a house that tided them over temporarily before paychecks from jobs at Kohl's, Sprouts, a trampoline park and a home healthcare company still didn't align in time to pay every electricity bill on time. An eviction followed, Blackshear's credit score sinking with it.

"It's hard to get out when you're in it, and it's hard to recover after…" Blackshear said. "Everything was steps, stumbling stones and just grace. The process, I mean, it'll humble you. And I'm not saying we were out there with cardboard boxes and signs begging for money, but we were without sometimes.

Dollar tacos and Lunchables became go-to meals. When hotel bills mounted, or home electric bills exceeded Blackshear's paychecks, they slept some nights in their car.

On those nights, which family members estimate lasted at least two weeks, Blackshear pulled her silver Nissan Maxima into the Brenham, Texas, Walmart parking lot and parked until 6 a.m. It was cold outside, but the car heat held. Blackshear and Williams took turns keeping watch as Golden and his cousin, who was under Blackshear's custody, dozed in the back. (Blackshear prefers that her niece, still a minor, not be named.)

"I was so young, to where it was: As long as I was with my mom, I was good," Golden said. "But at the same time I was like … why did it have to be us? Why are we going through this?"

Williams marveled at Golden's composure amid upheaval.

"Most kids would cry, break down and cry, get frustrated, throw temper tantrums, but Matthew didn't," she said. "He accepted what was going on, or at least we thought, because he never complained about it. And he would get so selfless and be like, 'Well, Granny, we only have one biscuit left. You take it.'

Football was a ticket to more opportunity.

Golden had shown a knack for the game from the time he was little, when he was about 5 years old playing with his Uncle Major, who was 15. Golden would encourage his grandmother to play catch with him, the duo undeterred by resulting urgent care trips to examine Williams' rotator cuff, knee socket and sprained ankle. Golden was fast, once winning a race for the fastest kid in his elementary school, Williams said. And he was stunningly driven at a young age.

"I didn't have a choice," Golden said. "Days I was just unmotivated and I just thought back to my family: 'I got to be the one to do it. If I don't do it, nobody's going to do it.' So I feel like having that mindset right there is really what pushed me to get to where I am today."

Brody Robinson noticed Golden first on the seventh-grade football field, when the kid in the high-top golden cleats was making plays that left him thinking, "Damn, this dude's nice." Basketball season came around, Robinson's specialty, and he again noticed the athlete when their schools competed. A mutual respect burgeoned, followed by friendship. As the summer between seventh and eighth grade neared, Robinson asked Golden: Will you join our 7-on-7 team?

Soon they were playing football and basketball together, sharing sleepovers as they became best friends. Robinson's parents would give Golden a ride to practices, at times picking him up in hotel parking lots.

Robinson estimates it was about three weeks before eighth grade when he asked his mom, Lisa McConnell: Could Golden live with them? She didn't hesitate.

Blackshear was conflicted but knew that Golden moving away was the only way to keep him in the school district as she worked to get her footing, her Brenham jobs 60 miles from the high school Golden would attend and even the closer hotels districted to Cy-Fair schools instead of hometown Klein Cain High School.

"As a mom you're thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm fixing to let my child go stay with some people. Oh, I'm a horrible mother,'" Blackshear said. "No. I had to really self-reflect on that moment and think about what would've been best over my pride."

Golden arrived to his new home with a single black trash bag of clothing and a pair or two of shoes, Robinson said. McConnell decorated Golden's new room, and a mirror in their house soon bore the dry-erase goals, from "NFL" to Golden's statistical and record goals changing by game and season. Dinners of the boys' favorite chicken alfredo followed, and the household gummy bear consumption accelerated quickly. Blackshear visited often: Robinson emphasizes how consistently mom was present in her son's life.

"That shows how much she really does love him and wanted the best for him, even if it hurt her," said Robinson, who now plays basketball for Creighton . "She made it happen as much as anybody else with sacrificing everything."

As Golden reached college stage, he leaned on faith but kept quiet

Golden's address changed throughout high school, from living with Robinson; to living with a man he now considers an uncle, Kevin Johnson; and then back with Blackshear, who had secured her own apartment by Golden's senior year, she said.

What didn't change: Golden's talent and production.

After a year on the freshman team, Golden raced to 3,242 yards and 32 touchdowns receiving in three varsity seasons. He rose to a four-star recruit and the 27th-ranked player in the state's class of 2022, per Rivals . Golden stayed close to home, signing with Dana Holgorsen to play for the University of Houston.

Golden posted 584 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year, breaking Houston's true freshman receiving touchdown record while rounding into form with two 100-yard games in the last five contests.

As a sophomore, moving between the outside receiver and slot positions, Golden scored six receiving touchdowns and two return touchdowns in nine games. His 725 all-purpose yards ranked second on the team even as he missed the final three games due to turf toe.

The surgery, paired with the firing of Holgorsen, tested Golden. Football had been his consistent outlet through the pain of grief and the fear of where he'd sleep. No longer.

But Blackshear had long preached faith: "It ain't your job to understand why it happened. It's your job to make it through it and come out on the other side." Golden leaned into scriptures and motivational messages, saying he felt closer to God as he rehabilitated. He transferred to Texas.

There, Longhorns coaches believed he was a good route-runner with extremely strong hands and a toughness to run through contact. They valued his position flex while also holding him to a high standard as he transitioned from Houston's Air Raid system to Texas' pro-style offense complete with formation and motion responsibility.

"I told him I wasn't giving away a starting spot, that it was going to be earned," Longhorns passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach Chris Jackson told Yahoo Sports. "He said, 'I'll never forget that.' He goes, 'I needed to hear that.'

"He just went about his business to prove himself right."

Golden proved himself right with a one-handed touchdown catch against Vanderbilt and he proved himself right with a game-high 149 yards in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal win against Arizona State. The crunch-time performance: Golden scored a 28-yard touchdown on fourth-and-13 in overtime to tie the Sun Devils, later muscling for the contested catch on the 2-point conversion that sealed the win.

He performed. But he didn't open up about the hotels nor the Walmart parking lot.

"It's strictly business," Blackshear said. "So that doesn't mean me airing out my life for you guys to feel closer to me. That's how I took it. …

"I said, 'Son: You don't let nobody question your mannerism. Just because you're not smiling all up in their face every day doesn't mean that you're not going to go out on the field and produce. … I would tell him you don't have to share, but you do have to move with respect."

Golden declared for the draft, projecting as a versatile receiver who'd embraced outbreaking routes from the slot in the red zone and became fond of 14-yard stop routes using different play speeds, Jackson said. NFL talent evaluators saw him as a No. 1 to No. 2 wide receiver with speed, ball skills and route-running chops; they were impressed by his contested-catch ability relative to his 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame.

And when Golden beat all his receiver classmates with a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine? His stock rose further, his mirror-scribbled dreams materializing before his eyes.

Williams asked Golden what was going through his mind as he raced.

"He said, 'I'm running home to my granny,'" Williams said. "So I asked Alicia, I said, 'Alicia, what did he tell you?'

As Jordan Love predicts 'big year' from Golden, Golden hopes he inspires more than just football fans

While the lore of the 23-year gap between first-round Packers receivers is fair, it's perhaps more public than other teams' drafting trends because of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Two receivers drawing Packers interest, Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson, went within four spots of quarterback Jordan Love in 2020. Rodgers famously responded to Green Bay drafting his successor rather than a weapon for him by winning consecutive MVP titles. So yes, Golden marked the first receiver Green Bay took in the first since they selected Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002. But Packers brass hear the chants and want to contextualize: They selected seven second-round receivers in that stretch and three more in the third.

"It's never been philosophical," general manager Brian Gutekunst told Yahoo Sports in May 2025. "But at the same time, we've always known you can get good receivers later. [Golden] just happened to work out for us."

Golden caught the Packers' eye not only because of his versatility but also, and meaningfully, because they believed he could thrive outside. They appreciated that he did not need to carry the room right away while working alongside Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Doubs and Wicks. Tight end Tucker Kraft and running back Josh Jacobs, entering Golden's rookie year, also were sure to get touches.

The result: Golden caught 29 of 44 targets for 361 yards in the regular season. He flashed with plays, including a chain-mover on fourth-and-6 in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys and as he adjusted to beat safety Jordan Battle for a deep ball on third-and-9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But shoulder and wrist injuries sidelined Golden three games. Adjusting to a complicated scheme with touches sparse in a deep room slowed his takeoff. Love talked with Golden often, quarterback reminding receiver about the three years that Love had sat behind Rodgers before starting. Love's vote of confidence helped Golden's psyche some. Still, when the playoffs began, Golden had not scored a touchdown.

"That was one of those things that was just kind of hanging over the whole season," Love told Yahoo Sports in July. "Every game's, 'We're going to get you one this game. We're going to get you one.'"

In a wild-card matchup against the Chicago Bears, they finally did.

Up 21-16 in the fourth quarter, Love hit Golden in the backfield and let his receiver work from there. Golden evaded four initial defenders, spinning out of one's tackle and hurdling another before ignoring the grasp of a third. He barreled into the end zone for a 23-yard score that featured 29 yards after the catch.

A wave of relief washed over Golden. In the stands, Blackshear cried.

"I feel like that one touchdown gave him so much clarity after not getting any all year," Blackshear said. "Everybody else seen, 'Oh touchdown. Oh well, go team go.' No. When we celebrated, it was celebrated more because we knew the impact that it was going to have on his mental."

The nine months until Golden's next opportunity now stood against the backdrop of his postseason 84 yards and touchdown rather than the burden of his end zone-less rookie debut.

When training camp arrived, that momentum was evident.

In July 30 team drills, Love found Golden early and often. Love's explanation: While the Packers' system values staying true to quarterback reads, Golden is playing outside more now, a position that's heavily featured in Love's progressions. Nearly a month later, in a joint practice against the Cardinals, Love praised Golden for his route and catch in a narrowing window on a touchdown against safety Budda Baker.

Teammates believe these highlights will become increasingly routine now that Doubs and Wicks left after a combined 131 targets last year. Golden's opportunities outside should expand, too: While Golden took just 267 of his 488 offensive snaps (54.7%) at wideout last year, per Pro Football Focus data, Doubs took 708 of 831 (85.2%) and Wicks, 197 of 410 (48.0%).

Doubs' 8.5 yards per target last season weren't far from Golden's 8.2; but with 85 targets to Golden's 44, Doubs posted 724 yards and six touchdowns.

"The X position in our offense is someone who, you get a lot of targets," Love said. "You can see our connection already picking up where it left off and him able to step in that role where really [Doubs] was at X last year for the majority.

"I think he'll be able to take over that position and have a big year."

Golden hopes any big year inspires much more than just himself and his teammates.

Williams remembers sitting on a couch with her grandson after he began sharing his story at the NFL Draft. She asked: Why did you tell people? Weren't we going to keep this our secret?

"He said, 'Granny, because [there's] a lot of people in the world [who are] homeless,'" Williams told Yahoo Sports by phone this week. "'And I just want somebody that think they can't make it [to know] that they can make it.'"

Williams says Golden added: "It was scary, Granny."

"He said, 'Because I had to be brave for y'all,'" Williams said. "He just didn't want us to know that he was scared."

The fear of homelessness has since dissipated, from Blackshear finding stability late in Golden's high school days to Golden teaming up with with RE/MAX to gift Williams a new house . Golden's first-round contract amounted to $17.57 million fully guaranteed at signing. He's financially more secure, but the impact of his heroes and hardships continue to define him.

So Golden will keep waking up to Makaylin's photo on his nightstand and to the dry-erase goals on his mirror, the "NFL" goal still written as a reminder of how far he still wants to go.

But now Golden wakes up in the same home each morning in Green Bay, writing on the same mirror rather than a hotel mirror here and a car side mirror there. And he wakes up knowing he no longer hides his past. Sharing his "three H's" with receivers in May, he found comfort in the vulnerability.

"That's what puts just the heart and just the fire I have behind my character the way I am," Golden said. "A lot of people growing up, they always told me I seem unapproachable or kind of got an ego, but it's never been that. It's always been strictly when I'm playing football, it's business to me. I'm trying to get somewhere. I got a goal I'm trying to reach. I just feel like for me, once people talk to me and they get to know me, they'll understand why.

"And for me, that's why I started letting my story be known. …

"That's really the reason I am the way I am."

Jori Epstein is a senior NFL reporter for Yahoo Sports and the author of 'The Upstander: How Surviving the Holocaust Sparked Max Glauben's Mission to Dismantle Hate.' She previously reported for USA TODAY and The Dallas Morning News. Follow Jori on Twitter @JoriEpstein.