Matthew Stafford Poses with Daughters on Sideline Ahead of NFL Star's Emotional Game: 'Detroit Born, LA Raised'
All four of Stafford's daughters were born during his 12 years in Detroit before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021
Matthew Stafford had the complete support of his family during what turned out to be a difficult game for the NFL star.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback led his team as they faced off against Stafford's former team, the Detroit Lions, in a Wild Card game that would send one team home for the season. Stafford spent 12 years leading the Lions, being drafted to the team as the No. 1 overall pick in 2009. He was traded to the Rams in January 2021.
The quarterback's wife, Kelly Stafford, was there to lend her support, along with daughters Tyler, 3½, Hunter, 5½, and twins Sawyer and Chandler, 6½. The girls wore jackets made by Tongue Tied Apparel that read, "Detroit born, LA raised" as they greeted their dad on the sidelines.
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Related: Matthew Stafford's Wife Shares Adorable Photos of All Four Daughters Posing on First Day of School
On her podcast "The Morning After with Kelly Stafford & Hank," the mom of four, 34, opened up about returning to "the city [that supported] us on some of the hardest times of our lives."
"I won’t ever forget walking into that stadium for the first time with my two little daughters in my hands and coming in that tunnel, which will probably be the same tunnel I walk out with the four of my daughters, but I think there’s going to be an overwhelming feeling of just like gratitude and it’s gonna suck because I’m not there to support that team that day," she explained.
"And that’s not gonna be easy. Because again, I don’t know a city that rallies behind people like Detroit does. I really don’t. I don’t know if there is one. And it’s a hard place not to put all your heart into. It’s gonna be hard."
"In my heart, I'll be saying, ‘God, I love this place and I’m so thankful because I feel like it helped raised me and it helped raise the man my husband is today and it’s where obviously where my four daughters were born. I have so much love in my heart for that place and it’s gonna be hard to want to beat them, but that’s what it is.'"
While the Rams ultimately ended their season Sunday, Stafford does know postseason glory. The quarterback led his team to victory in the 2022 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Los Angeles Rams player celebrated the special moment with his family that year. The quarterback was seen commemorating the joyous occasion with his wife Kelly and their four daughters, grinning ear to ear while holding two of his girls.
The entire Stafford family was later seen playing in the blue and yellow confetti on the field at SoFi Stadium. Stafford and his wife Kelly shared an emotional kiss as the quarterback knelt on the ground with his children.
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