NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford wasted no time in getting back to daddy mode after the Los Angeles Rams lost the NFC Championship game.
“My daughter was crying after the game in my arms and saying, ‘Dad, I feel so bad for you,’” Stafford, 37, recalled on the Monday, January 26, episode of SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go” podcast. “I told her, ‘You know what? Don’t feel bad for me. My life’s a blessing. I get to play this game. I’ve gotten to play it for 17 years.’ I got four little girls that are cheering me on, a beautiful wife that’s doing the same.”
Matthew — who is married to Kelly Stafford — arrived home on Monday, January 26, after his Rams team lost 27 to 31 against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs the night before.
Kelly, 36, shared a glimpse into her husband’s role away from the football field when she posted two videos of Nest camera footage inside their house.
“After a hard fought NFC Championship game, Matthew Stafford still made sure to tuck his daughters in when he got home at 2:30 AM,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, with video of her husband kissing his daughters Sawyer, 8, Chandler, 8, Hunter, 7, and Tyler, 5.
Although it was hard for Matthew to lose the football game that would have secured his team a spot in Super Bowl LX, his family quickly reminded him of what matters most.
“Sports and football, in particular, are difficult at times, but it also gives me the opportunity to teach my kids and be something for them,” he shared. “I could sit there and be like, ‘Man, I feel like I played good and we didn’t win and this happened and that happened,’ but it’s like, no. Have the courage to go put yourself out there.”
Matthew continued, “Live with the results and learn from them. It was a moment in time that I’ll never forget just being able to talk to her in that moment and bring her back from tears but also saying it to her and also saying it to myself at the same time. It’s a special thing.”
While the Los Angeles Rams’ football season may be over, the Seattle Seahawks are headed to Santa Clara, California, to face off against the New England Patriots at Super Bowl 60.
One dad Matthew can’t help but root for is his former Rams teammate and current Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
“Cooper is a great friend in life for me,” Matthew shared in his latest podcast interview. “I went and grabbed him [after the game] and just told him good luck and hope he wins another one because he deserves it. I’m happy for him. I’m happy for his boys, his wife and his family.”
Cooper and his wife, Anna Marie Cupp, have three sons who have previously been spotted on the football field cheering on their dad before game time.
Regardless of who wins or loses, Matthew believes the friendships that come out of football may be the greatest trophies.
“Life is about relationships,” he explained. “Football has given me so many great opportunities to build those relationships with some really special people.”
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