The Super Bowl Babies Born Close To Their Dads' Big Games
In 2012, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger caused heads to turn when he said he would skip game day if his wife was giving birth to their first child. "I'm not missing the birth of my child," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via NFL.com). "There's no chance. I know some fans probably don't want to hear that, but there's no chance." He added that every action was being taken, noting, "We'll do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen." Of course, that was an easy stance to take since their child was expected during the regular season, not the postseason. And, as it turned out, the Steelers had a mediocre season, so he didn't have to make a tough choice for playoffs or even the Super Bowl.
But what is an NFL player to do if their partner goes into labor during or around the Super Bowl? In 2023, Kylie Kelce, the wife of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, was 38 weeks pregnant going into Super Bowl Sunday. That's not enough for her to stay home, though. In fact, the entire Kelce family — including their two daughters — will attend the Super Bowl. As a precaution, Kylie scheduled her OB-GYN to make the trip with her just in case a surprise came along in the form of their fourth child. "That could be a super Kelce Bowl," Jason Kelce joked (via People). "If she has a baby in the stadium, it's officially scripted."
Van Jefferson's wife took the lead
In 2022, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson had some tough choices to make. The team was preparing for Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, but his wife, Samaria Jefferson, was getting ready to have their second child. In the lead up to the big game, Samaria said her mind was on the Super Bowl. "Just like any other game, I'm going to be there this Sunday and I'm going to stay calm ... and pray to God my water doesn't break," she told The Athletic. "I am 100% going to be there. I would not miss this moment for anything. I will be 40 weeks pregnant at the Super Bowl, supporting my husband 100%." She added: "I will never take that moment away from him."
Jefferson caught four receptions for 23 yards in the 23-20 Los Angeles win over Cincinnati, but Samaria went into labor during the game (via Sports Illustrated). But per her instructions, he wasn't told until the game was over. As soon as the game was over, he hustled out of the stadium to be with his wife at the hospital. Due to traffic jams, Jefferson didn't make it in time and watched the delivery over FaceTime. Given the day's events, they went with the name Champ for their son. "He's a champ, and she's a warrior. So Champ Curtis Jefferson," Van revealed on ESPN's "The Adam Schefter Podcast" (via Sports Illustrated).
An all-nighter for Jarius Wynn
Super Bowl Sunday in 2011 was a big day for Green Bay Packers defensive end Jarius Wynn. Not only were the Packers taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the championship, but Wynn was at the hospital the whole night before with his wife, Martavia. Although her official due date was 10 days after the Super Bowl, according to Fox Sports, she was in labor and in the hospital the night before the game. They named their son Jarius Wynn Jr. and were reportedly contemplating adding a middle name — "Super" — according to NBC Sports. Wynn wasn't on the field that night, but the Packers won the Super Bowl, giving him two things to celebrate that night in Dallas.
And sometimes, a Super Bowl baby can mean something different altogether. In 2017, Atlanta Falcons offensive guard Andy Levitre and his wife Katie were concerned that there could be a conflict with Super Bowl LI and the birth of their child. Instead, she went into labor during the final NFL playoff game of the season. "I was well aware I was in labor, but I thought it was going to be a day or two, so I didn't panic at the beginning," Katie Levitre told ABC News. "By the end of the game, I couldn't take anymore," she added. Several hours after the game, Lily Gene Levitre was born at 12:07 a.m. on January 15, 2017. And she was in the stadium for the Super Bowl two weeks later.
The babies of Super Bowl LVII
As it turned out, Kylie Kelce's OB/GYN could enjoy the Super Bowl without delivering her baby. But a couple of players on the Kansas City Chiefs had something else to celebrate beyond their 38 to 35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023. First, there was Chiefs offensive lineman Nick Allegretti and his wife Christina. The AP first reported that she gave birth in the early hours of Super Bowl Sunday to twin girls back home in Chicago. Allegretti witnessed the birth of his daughters around 3:30 a.m. via FaceTime while the rest of the Chiefs slept ahead of the big game.
But the Allegretti twins weren't the only additions to the Chiefs family. Around the same time, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman learned that his girlfriend, Chariah Gordon, was going into labor. Hardman took to Twitter to share the news with the world, tweeting, "OMG HER WATER BROKE" with three eyes emojis. For her part, Gordon reposted the tweet on her Instagram story (via Twitter) with a video of her in the back of an ambulance, writing, "Thanks for jinxing me everyone." Since Hardman was on the injured reserve list, he didn't have to make the tough choice between witnessing his child coming into the world and playing in the Super Bowl. At 5:17 a.m. on February 13, 2023, Hardman posted on Twitter, "He's HERE!!!!!!" with three purple devil emojis.