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 full support of his family during what proved to be a tough game for the NFL star.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback led his team as they faced 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 and was drafted as the first overall pick in 2009. He was traded to the Rams in January 2021.
The quarterback’s wife, Kelly Stafford, was there to support her, along with daughters Tyler, 3½, Hunter, 5½, and twins Sawyer and Chandler, 6½. The girls wore jackets that read “Born in Detroit, Raised in LA” as they greeted their father on the sidelines.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Matthew Stafford opens his arms to embrace his four daughters.
Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Matthew Stafford’s wife shared adorable photos of all four daughters posing on their first day of school
On her “Morning After with Kelly Stafford and Hank” podcast, the mother of four, 34, opened up about returning to “the city [that supported] during some of the most difficult times in our lives.”
“I’ll never forget the first time I walked into that stadium with my two daughters in my arms and entered that tunnel, which will probably be the same one I walk out of with my four daughters, but I think there’s going to be an overwhelming feeling like gratitude and it’s going to be crap because I’m not there to support that team that day,” she explained.
“And it’s not going to be easy. Because again, I don’t know a city that rallies behind people like Detroit. I really don’t. I don’t know if there is one. And it’s hard not to put your whole heart into it. It’s going to be hard.”
“In my heart I’ll say, ‘God, I love this place and I’m so grateful because I feel like it helped raise me and it helped raise the man that my husband is today and where my four daughters were born. I have so much love in my heart for that place and it’s going to be tough to want to beat them, but it is what it is.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(440x745:442x747)/Matthew-Stafford-Daughters-NFL-011524-01-f5d9ea17b45b46d6b7dcf01a9393be83.jpg)
Matthew Stafford hugs his children from the sidelines.
Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty
While the Rams finally ended their season on Sunday, Stafford has postseason glory. The quarterback led his team to victory in the 2022 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Los Angeles Rams player celebrated a special moment with his family that year. The quarterback was seen marking the joyous occasion with his wife Kelly and their four daughters, smiling from ear to ear while holding his two little girls.
The entire Stafford family was later seen playing in 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.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education