Wyndham Clark is the son of Randall Clark and the late Lise Thevenet Clark. The PGA Tour golfer and Colorado native has his family’s support as won his first major championship at the 2023 U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

Clark, 29, made his pro debut in 2017 and won his first career PGA Tour tournament, the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2023, according to his biography on the tour’s website. Clark also has six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.

Here’s what you need to know about Wyndham Clark’s family:

1. Wyndham Clark’s Mother, Lise Thevenet Clark, Died in 2013 After a Battle With Breast Cancer

Wyndham Clark’s mom, Lisa Thevenet Clark, died in 2013 after a battle with breast cancer, according to her obituary. She was 55 and he was 19. According to her obituary, Clark’s other was crowned Miss New Mexico USA and represented her state in the Miss USA pageant in 1981.

“Shortly after she quickly relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in advertising and marketing before beginning her Mary Kay career in 1984. When Lise began her Mary Kay business, she was so enthusiastic and so determined, she laughingly referred to herself as a “bulldozer,” or “a maniac with a mission.” Nothing was going to stop her from reaching the top. Within two years, she became an Independent Sales Director and achieved Independent National Sales Director in 2002,” her obituary said.

Clark’s parents have ties to Los Angeles, where he is hoping to win the U.S. Open. They married there in 1989 and lived there until 1992, when they moved to Colorado, where Wyndham Clark was born.

On Mother’s Day in 2019, Clark wrote on Instagram, “I miss this amazing woman and mother. I wish every mother out there a happy Mother’s Day and urge people to never take their mothers for granted because you never know how long you have with them. Love you Mommy.”

According to CNN, Clark told reporters at the U.S. Open that his mother’s two-word advice to him before every tournament was “play big.” Clark said he was in college when his mom, whose obituary mentioned she knew he would play in the PGA Tour one day, got sick, and she told him, “‘Play for something bigger than yourself. You have a platform to either witness or help or be a role model for so many people.’ I’ve taken that to heart. When I’m out there playing, I want to do that for her. I want to show everyone the person I am and how much joy I have out there playing and hope I can inspire people to want to be like me and be better than me.”

Clark told reporters after the second round of the U.S. Open, “I was walking down yesterday and was just smiling as I was playing well, and I go, ‘Man, I wish you could be here, Mom,’ because it’s a dream come true to be doing this at the highest level in front of friends and family that are out here.”

He said, “I wish she could be here, but I know she’s proud of me, and she’s made a huge impact on my life – I am who I am today because of her. She was kind of my rock and my always-there supporter. So when things were tough or when things were going great, she was always there to keep me grounded and either bring me up or keep the high going. I’m getting a little choked up. She’s everything, and I miss her, and everything I do out here is a lot for her.”

At the trophy presentation after winning the U.S. Open, Clark said, “I just felt like my mom was watching over me today. She can’t be here, and, miss you mom, but I just feel like I’ve worked so hard and I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long. There’s been so many times I visualized being here in front of you guys winning this championship. I just felt like it was my time. Thank you.”

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2. Wyndham Clark’s Father, Randall Clark, Was a Pro Tennis Player Who Turned to Real Estate After Injuries Ended His Athletic Career

Wyndham Clark’s dad, Randall Clark, was a professional tennis player and has worked in real estate after injuries ended his athletic career, Clark said at a press conference during the U.S. Open.

Clark told reporters, “My mom first took me to play golf but my dad was the one who really got me into golf. He picked it up just a few years prior to me starting at the age of 3. Every time I’d go golf at a young age was with my dad. There’s so many memories of us leaving at 6 a.m., our family on like a family vacation, and we’d play golf and come back before noon and that was the only way my mom would let us do that. There’s a ton of memories. And then he took me to tournaments.

Clark added, “My dad played professional tennis, so he’s an athlete, he gets it and he instilled in me hard work and discipline and I feel like I get a lot of my fieriness from him. My dad is a big reason why I’m out here. Hopefully tomorrow can be a great Father’s Day for him.”

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3. Wyndham Clark Has a Sister, Kristin Clark, & a Brother, Brendan Clark

Wyndham Clark has two siblings, a sister, Kristin Clark, and a brother Brendan Clark. According to their mother’s obituary, Kristin Clark is three years older than Wyndham and Brendan Clark is four years younger.

On the U.S. Open broadcast, NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks said both of Clark’s siblings were at the tournament cheering him on. According to Hicks, Kristin Clark had not watched her brother play live in a tournament before the U.S. Open.

According to Mile High Sports, Clark’s sister lives in Portland, Oregon, and his brother lives in Kansas City. His father still lives in Colorado.

Kaitlin Clark told PGATour.com about her mother and brother, “This was everything that she dreamed of for him. She was literally his biggest cheerleader. I made a big V victory; she was a cheerleader in high school, so whenever he would leave to go to school or leave for a tournament, she would do this big cheerleading move where she would land on her knees with a big V, and say, ‘Wyndham, victory!’ So, I did that. She was here the whole time.”

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4. Wyndham Clark Posted on Instagram in 2021, ‘Family Time Is the Most Important Time’

In 2021, Clark posted a photo with his family on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Family time is the most important time #cousins!

On Mother’s Day in May 2021, Clark posted a photo of his grandmother, and wrote in the caption, “Couldn’t be with grandma today but had to make sure she knew i was thinking of her and there in spirit! Today is always a little bit hard for me…but if its taught me anything it’s to celebrate and appreciate the time we have today.

Clark added, “I’ll never take for granted the memories i have of my mother and the love from my grandma. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!”

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5. Wyndham Clark’s Girlfriend, Alicia, Celebrated His U.S. Open Victory Alongside His Family

GettyWyndham Clark with his girlfriend, Alicia.

Wyndham Clark has been private about his personal life in interviews and on social media in recent years and has not posted about having a girlfriend. Clark is not married and does not have children. At the U.S. Open he revealed his girlfriend, Alicia, was with his family cheering him on. Clark was pictured kissing Alicia after winning the tournament.

Further details about Clark’s girlfriend, including her last name, were not immediately available. After winning the Wells Fargo Championship in May, Clark told Mile High Sports the first person he called after winning was his girlfriend. Clark said, “I FaceTimed my girlfriend, Alicia. Then I FaceTimed one of my best friends – my agent – Rob Mougey, my brother, a couple really close friends and my dad.”

GettyWyndham Clark celebrates his U.S. Open victory with his girlfriend Alicia.

Clark previously posted photos with his ex-girlfriend and fellow golfer Julia Kemmling, who played and coached at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and after his U.S. Open win, some media outlets mistakenly identified the woman Clark was seen with celebrating his victory as Kemmling.

According to public records viewed by Heavy, Clark, who grew up in Greenwood Village, Colorado, now lives in a $40,000 condo in Scottsdale, Arizona. Clark, who attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Oregon before turning pro, has earned more than $11 million during his golf career, according to Spotrac.

Clark told Mile High Sports that his girlfriend also lives in Scottsdale.

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Susan Lorincz is the 58-year-old woman who is accused of shooting her neighbor, Ajike Owens, to death on June 2, 2023, after police say Owens knocked on her door near Ocala, Florida, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

“On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes Detective Ryan Stith arrested Susan Louise Lorincz (W/F, DOB: 7/23/1964) for the killing of 35-year-old Ajike Owens,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page.

Lorincz is white, and Owens was Black, and the shooting sparked protests, according to CBS News. Lorincz was charged with “manslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony punishable by 30 years imprisonment, as well as culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault,” the sheriff’s release says. The suspect’s full name is Susan Louise Lorincz. Owens also went by the name AJ Owens.

In a news conference, Sheriff Billy Woods said the delay in charges was, in part, because there were children witnesses involved who needed to be interviewed. Owens’ mother said in a family news conference that Owens was unarmed. Woods said authorities had to contemplate the impact of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law on the case.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. When Authorities Responded to the Scene, They Found Ajike Owens Suffering From a Gunshot Wound in Front of the Apartment of Susan Lorincz, Sheriff’s Officials Say

On June 2, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., “MCSO deputies were responding to a trespassing call in the 1600 block of SW 107th Lane in Ocala when another call was received about a shooting at the same location,” the sheriff’s office’s statement said.

“When deputies arrived, they located Owens in front of Lorincz’s apartment, suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies rendered aid to Owens until Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) responded and transported her to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries,” the release said.

“The Major Crimes Unit responded to begin their investigation. That night, and during the days that followed, interviews were conducted with the witnesses to the shooting, including Owen’s children, who were interviewed yesterday by forensic interviewers from Kimberly’s Center who specialize in interviewing children,” the release said.

At a press conference in the days after the shooting, an attorney for Owens called for an arrest.

Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, said at the news conference, “This young lady, my baby, was so full of life. She was a single mother of four.” She loved her children with “all her being,” Dias said. “Her kids were everything.”

2. Susan Lorincz Is Accused of Becoming Angry That Ajike Owens’ Children Were Playing in a Field Close to Her Home

GoFundMeAjike Owens.

Woods said “this has been a neighborhood feud over time.” Both Lorincz and Owens had called police before, Woods said. “I wish our shooter had called us instead of taking actions into her own hands. I wish Mrs. Owens would have called us,” Woods said.

According to the release, Lorincz “was also interviewed by detectives. In addition to these interviews, detectives also gathered and reviewed forensic evidence, digital evidence, and surveillance footage obtained from various sources. Detectives also reviewed details of prior incidents and calls for service involving Lorincz and Owens.”

The release from the sheriff’s office said that investigators determined that, over a period of time, Lorincz “had become angry at Owens’ children, who were playing in a field close to her home. On June 2, Lorincz engaged in an argument with the children and was overhead yelling at them by a neighbor.”

During this argument, Lorincz “threw a roller skate at Owens’ 10-year-old son, striking the child in the toe. After this, when the child and his 12-year-old brother went to speak to Lorincz, she opened her door and swung at them with an umbrella. The children then went and told their mother, Owens, about what had happened,” the release said.

Something may have been thrown at the kids, but authorities aren’t sure if it was thrown directly at them, although it hit the children, Woods, the sheriff, said at the news conference. He added that this information could change because authorities are still interviewing the children. Reporters asked whether an iPad was thrown and the sheriff said authorities are trying to rule that out or confirm it.

3. Susan Lorincz Shot Ajike Owens Through the Door After Owens ‘Knocked on the Door Multiple Times,’ Sheriff’s Officials Say

According to sheriff’s office officials, Owens “approached Lorincz’s home, knocked on the door multiple times, and demanded that Lorincz come outside. Lorincz then fired one shot through the door, striking Owens in her upper chest. At the time she was shot, Owens’ 10-year-old son was standing beside her.”

When interviewed, Lorincz “claimed that she acted in self-defense and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm. Lorincz also claimed that Owens had come after her in the past and had previously attacked her,” officials wrote.

“Through their investigation – including obtaining the statements of eyewitnesses who only came forward as late as yesterday – detectives were able to establish that Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law,” the release said.

Woods said there were accusations of banging on the door and threats being made but that officials have only heard that from “one side.”

Dias said that four kids “are left behind without a mother.” She accused Susan Lorincz of taking “that voice.” She said that Owens “posed no imminent threat to anyone.” A family friend, Kimberly Robinson-Jones, said at the news conference that Lorincz, a “tenant,” had “no right” to tell the kids they couldn’t play in the field.

4. Ajike Owens Was Described as a ‘Devoted Christian,’ a Single Mother & a Team Mom ‘Whose Life Centered Around Her Children’

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for Owens’ children.

“Ajike Owens (affectionately known as AJ) graciously affected all she came into contact with her infectious personality. She had a smile that would A light up the room. But most of all, she was known for how much she loved and absolutely lived for her four children. To say she loved her children unconditionally is an understatement,” the page says.

“She was a single mother whose life centered around her children. She was the Team Mom for her children’s football/cheerleading teams. She excelled professionally as a manager in the Restaurant/Hospitality industry,” it adds.

“She was a devoted Christian who believed in bringing her kids up in a supportive Christian environment. After being a devoted mother, she was a devoted friend that took friendships to heart. There wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for those near and dear to her heart. She often would give to other single mothers that were in similar situations that she’d been in.”

“I want to thank my detectives for working tirelessly to fully investigate this case,” Sheriff Billy Woods said in the written statement.

“I also want to thank Ms. Owens’ family for their patience as we conducted the diligent investigation that we were bound by law to conduct. Ms. Lorincz’s fate is now in the hands of the judicial system, which I trust will deliver justice in due course. As I go to bed tonight, I will be saying a prayer for Ms. Owens’ children and the rest of her family. I’d ask all of you to do the same.”

5. Ajike Owens’ Mother Accused Susan Lorincz of Calling the Children Racist Slurs

In the news conference, Dias accused Lorincz of calling Owens’ children racist slurs in the past.

“Harassed the children in the neighborhood,” Dias said. “Harassed Ajike Shantrelle Owens’ four babies. She called them racial slurs: the N-word, slaves.”

“A closed, locked door,” Dias said. “Door never opened. My daughter, my grandchildren’s mother, was shot and killed with her nine-year-old son standing next to her.

At the sheriff’s office’s news conference, Woods said he received phone calls, text messages and emails expressing concerns about the shooting. To the family of Owens, he said he cares about the people who live in Marion County. He said he wanted the family to know he was there to provide all of his resources to find justice in this case.

“My heart goes to them,” he said, adding that there were also “young children who are victims.”

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Alexander Mattison’s parents are Darrell and Pearl Mattison. The Minnesota Vikings running back grew up in San Bernardino, California, with two older twin brothers, Lamarr and Darrell Jr. His father is a military veteran and Mattison has shared that his parents did a “great job” of raising their three sons.

Here’s what you need to know about Alexander Mattison’s family:

1. Alexander Mattison’s Father Darrell Mattison Is a U.S. Air Force Veteran & Moved His Family From Ohio to California

Darrell Mattison is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and his military background translated to the way he parented his children, with a focus on discipline, Mattison shared with the Vikings. “He would tell us about some of his experiences and tell a little bit about his time in the Air Force but not too much,” Mattison explained.

“He kind of just taught us the discipline of it,” he continued. However, although discipline was important, Mattison Sr. did want to move away from some of the strict scheduling and rigidity that he’d known in the military.

Darrell Mattison said he was living in Dayton with Mattison’s mother but when she was pregnant with the future NFL star, he decided that things weren’t working for them in Ohio and there weren’t a lot of jobs. “I actually moved out to California,” he recalled, in a “Fathering Excellence” podcast episode. “Actually caught a greyhound to California and worked and got everything furnished in that complex.”

He returned to Dayton in February 1998 and packed the family’s stuff and they all moved out to California, just a few months before Mattison was born. Afterward, Darrell Mattison revealed that he and his then-wife were working alternating schedules so there would always be someone home with the boys. “She was Sunday through Wednesday and I was Wednesday through Saturday,” he recalled.

However, the parents found that they were working long hours and spending a lot on child care, and decided instead that Pearl Mattison would be the one to stay home and look after their three boys. “It gave her a chance to nurture and give them the love,” he shared on the podcast.

He revealed that they were both pretty strict with their boys. “Any of those things that normal kids and their friends were doing, me and my wife wouldn’t allow, because there’s no reason that a 12 or 13-year-old should be out after midnight at some house,” he explained. “My wife always went over and met their parents before they can spend the night,” he added. Mattison shared that the two of them never clashed over parenting and wanted to raise their children the same way.

Mattison has said that his mother and father’s parenting style was a good influence on him, telling the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, “My parents did a great job of raising me and my brothers.” They had rules to follow and were only allowed to go play when they’d done their homework and couldn’t be out after the streetlights came on.

2. Alexander Mattison’s Mother Pearl Mattison Moved to Eagan, Minnesota, to Be Closer to Her Son

Mattison’s mother, Pearl Mattison, moved to Eagan, Minnesota, to help her son adjust to his new life there, he told Twin Cities Pioneer Press in 2019. Mattison’s parents were going through a divorce and the NFL star told the publication his mother “needed a change.”

“She makes sure I’m taken care of,” he said of having his mother in Eagan. “I love her cooking, and that’s a plus, having your mom make home cooked meals. When I get home, I’m thankful she’s here because we exert a lot of energy out here.”

Pearl Mattison didn’t want to spend her days at home, however, and began working at Walmart. “She likes to be active,” Mattison explained. “She likes to put her time and energy into something.” She shared that she loves helping people and wanted to get to know the neighborhood, so she decided to start working there.

Mattison and his mother are very close and he posted on Instagram in December 2022, “My momma proud.. so we good.”

3. Darrell Mattison Was Diagnosed With Cancer When Alexander Mattison Was Young & It Had an Impact on Him

When Mattison was still a child, his father was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a rare form of cancer. Darrell Mattison was admitted to the hospital on December 31, 2009, Mattison recalled to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, and said, “It was really scary. It was something that really affected me. I would kind of break down and be in a bad state of mind sometimes.”

Darrell Mattison shared that he didn’t allow his sons to visit him because he thought he’d get better and didn’t want them to see him in such a state. However, he sent for his family after three weeks, telling the publication, “I thought I was going to die. I wasn’t getting better, so I told my wife at the time, ‘You need to bring them up and let them see me in case I don’t make it out of here.’”

Mattison’s father did start to get better and was released after two months, and then went into remission. Mattison said that difficult time stayed with him and it’s been a driving force in him wanting to raise awareness. “I’m honoring my father, who fought leukemia for awhile,” he shared. “He’s doing great now, but I’m just honoring his fight and all those who are going through that.”

4. Alexander Mattison’s Parents Wanted Their Children to Focus on Their Education First

When Mattison was growing up, his parents made his education a priority, and his father shared that good grades were more important than anything else. He shared in his “Fathering Excellence” podcast appearance that he told his kids he didn’t care how good they were, they wouldn’t be playing any games if they had Cs.

“And, me and his mother always made sure that’s what happened,” he explained. “So, if he hadn’t finished his homework by the time football practice started, he would sit on the side and finish his homework before he could go into practice.” He explained that with football, anything can happen, including injuries, whereas an education will last forever. Darrell Mattison said it also helped that his then-wife, Pearl Mattison, made sure to reinforce their school lessons at home.

Though Mattison was drafted into the NFL in 2019, he still wanted to complete his college degree and began taking online classes from Boise State so he wouldn’t have to transfer to another school. He graduated in August 2021 with a bachelor of arts in multidisciplinary studies and shared at the time that he wanted to get his degree for his parents for “all that they have done to help me stay on the right path. Succeeding at higher education is how I pay respect to my parents.”

5. Alexander Mattison Is Very Close With His Family & Is Now a Father Himself

Mattison’s parents could tell from a young age that their son was hooked on football and his mother came up with a plan to get him some practice so he could learn to hold the ball better. She gave her son a football and he carried it around everywhere as his older brothers, twins Darrell Jr. and Lamarr, would follow him around and try to knock it out of his hands.

“If he were walking to the kitchen, his brothers would try to snatch it out of his arms,” Pearl Mattison recalled to Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “If he was going to the barber shop, they’d try to snatch it out. If he were watching TV, I’d sit down next to him and try to snatch it out.”

His father, Darrell Mattison, has said that what’s made him proudest of his son, beyond his football career, is when someone praises his son’s character. “When people speak of that before they speak of your football, then you know that the person he’s become is the person that you raise and that you get right,” he shared in his podcast appearance.

Mattison is now a father himself. He and his wife Drea Mattison, who’ve been together since their high school days, according to his social media posts, are the proud parents of a young girl. Their daughter Alayah Mattison was born on September 9, 2022. On May 14, 2023, he wished his wife a happy Mother’s Day and told her, “Alayah will grow up to be so proud of who her mommy is!”

Justin Jefferson, born on June 16, 1999, was raised in St. Rose, Louisiana. The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver grew up in a family of athletes. His parents are John and Elaine Jefferson and the NFL star is the youngest of three boys.

Here’s what you need to know about Justin Jefferson’s family:

1. Justin Jefferson’s Parents, John & Elaine Jefferson, Were Both Talented Basketball Players

It’s perhaps no surprise that Jefferson became such a talented athlete as both his parents were as well. His father, John Jefferson, played college basketball for Nebraska Western before transferring after two years to the University of Louisiana Monroe, then known as Northeast Louisiana, according to Jefferson’s LSU Athletics profile.

Both Jefferson’s mother and father attended Slidell High School, and his mother Elaine Jefferson attended Northeast Louisiana afterward. She was also a basketball star in high school and the NFL star’s father shared that his son’s height comes from his mother’s side of the family. He shared with The Advocate that Elaine Jefferson and her sisters are all close to 6 feet.

Since both John and Elaine Jefferson played basketball, they were sure their children would end up playing the sport as well, but all three of their sons ended up putting football first. “It wasn’t something we pushed,” John Jefferson told the publication. “As a kid they just had the natural gift to play [football].”

Even after their playing days, the couple remained very competitive in everything they did, and one of their sons, Rickey Jefferson, said he struggled to win at basketball. “I didn’t beat my dad in basketball till I was 19, and we’re talking about a dude who had a hip replacement,” he told ESPN. “He was ultra-competitive, and he might have called that foul late in the game that he wouldn’t have called earlier.”

2. John & Elaine Jefferson Wanted to Keep Their Jobs After Justin Jefferson Was Drafted & They Taught Him Humility

John Jefferson worked as an industrial supply salesman while Elaine worked as an administrator in the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Even after Jefferson was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the couple decided to keep working to get their pensions. “I want to get my 30 years,” John Jefferson told the Star Tribune in December 2022. “That’s something I’ve earned, and I’ve worked for.”

Jerry Sullivan, who became Jefferson’s mentor and receiver coach, told ESPN, “A lot of families look at [their son getting drafted] like their ship has come in. John and Elaine have just rejoiced in the fact that he’s making it. Justin bought his mom a car and she cried. She didn’t ask for it.”

In December 2020, Jefferson bought his mother a car as a surprise present and shared a video on Instagram of the moment he surprised her with it. “I wanted to give you something big,” he told her. “And this is for all the things that you have done for me. I wanted to give back to you. And look to your right.”

In fact, Jefferson’s parents taught him the importance of humility and it was a lesson that stuck. “My parents preached to be humble and just take what you’ve been given,” he told the Star Tribune. “And God definitely has given me a great opportunity to have this gift of mine and also have my platform to spread my joy and love of the game on and off the field. All of the things coming my way are definitely God’s blessing.”

They taught their son that no matter how many awards, accolades or honors he received, to always remain grateful and grounded, he shared with the Vikings.

3. Justin Jefferson’s Brothers Are Jordan & Rickey Jefferson & They Both Played College Football at LSU

Jefferson grew up the youngest of three boys, and there was quite an age difference between them too. The oldest Jefferson boy, Jordan Jefferson, was born on August 25, 1990, and is nine years older than the NFL star while the middle child, Rickey Jefferson, was born on December 28, 1994, and is five years older than the youngest Jefferson.

When Jefferson committed to Louisiana State University (LSU), he became the third brother to play at the school. Jordan Jefferson played quarterback from 2008 to 2011 while Rickey Jefferson played safety from 2013 to 2016.

In 2016, when Jefferson was still playing football at Destrehan High School in Louisiana, he said he was trying to keep comparisons to his older brothers out of his mind and ignore people that referred to him as “Jordan Jefferson’s brother.”

“I don’t try to think about it like that,” he told Fox8. “Most people might say, put it on my head you’re a Jefferson, you might go to LSU. I don’t think about it like that, I just want to be me. I’m Justin Jefferson, not Jordan’s little brother. I don’t really think about all that.”

Jordan Jefferson now works as the co-founder of NOLA HOTBOY$ alongside his youngest brother and is also its athletic director. His bio on the organization’s website states that he began coaching in 2014 and worked at Destrehan High School, the University of Houston and Colorado State University. NOLA HOTBOY$ “is a 7v7 program that guarantees high school athletes the exposure and knowledge needed to be D1 ready,” its website says.

An ESPN feature from December 2022 reported that Jordan Jefferson lives in Minneapolis with his youngest brother while Rickey Jefferson “runs much of the business side.”

4. Justin Jefferson & His Brothers Played Football Together for Hours & He Looked Up to Them

Jefferson was very influenced by his brothers growing up, both in athletics and overall. “He’s well-grounded,” Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell told the Star Tribune in 2022. “He respects his older brothers like they’re his parents. It just shows you what kind of atmosphere he had growing up.”

In the empty lot next to their house, the three boys would often play football or basketball, and sometimes their father would join in too, while their mother would sit in a chair and watch them. “We all talk trash,” Jordan Jefferson told ESPN of the family’s competitiveness. “Our dad probably talks the most trash, so that’s probably where Justin gets it.”

Jefferson’s father laughed recalling how much his youngest son looked up to his brothers and wanted to play at their level despite the big age difference. “He’d sit on the bench thinking he was on the team,” he shared with the Advocate. Instead of dismissing him, his older brothers made sure he’d always feel involved.

5. Justin Jefferson’s Family Is Close Knit & Very Supportive of the NFL Star

The Jefferson family is undoubtedly a tight-knit one, with Sullivan claiming that the wide receiver “likes ball, and he likes being around his family,” he told ESPN. His older brothers are keen to look after their youngest brother and foster and protect his talent.

The three of them all understand that they’re stronger as a unit and have all contributed to each other’s success. “We all played a significant role in the development of the others,” Rickey Jefferson told the publication. “Jordan was good, and then there were whispers, ‘You know, Rickey’s going to be good, too,’ and then with Justin people said, ‘He might be the best of them all.'”

“As a family, we’re more of an empire than an entourage, and ain’t nobody jealous about nobody,” he continued. “I’m sorry to have to say it like that, but I get passionate. The bond we have? You can’t break that. Other people shining doesn’t dim our light.”

While the three boys were ultra-competitive growing up, there was never any negative rivalry between them, Rickey Jefferson insisted. “Our parents, they raised us that way, man,” he told the Star Tribune. “When I see Justin out there, I see myself out there. He’s his own person at the same time. But like, as family, he has our name. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”

Jefferson thanked his family for their support in his speech after he was named the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year during the NFL Honors ceremony. “I’ve got to thank my parents, John and Elaine Jefferson,” he said. “Y’all made me into the man I am today. I appreciate y’all so much. My brothers, Jordan and Rickey, y’all made me into who I am. Y’all were so hard on me; all the countless times I cried at home, y’all were the reason that I’m tough. I appreciate y’all. More to come, more to come.”

Kirk Cousins’ parents are Don and MaryAnn Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings quarterback was raised in a supportive, close-knit family with his two siblings, older brother Kyle and younger sister Karalyne. Cousins’ father is a pastor while his mother worked as a flight attendant with United Airlines for over three decades.

Here’s what you need to know about Kirk Cousins’ parents:

1. Kirk Cousins’ Father, Don Cousins, Is the Lead Pastor at Discovery Church in Florida

Cousins’ father is Don Cousins, a longtime pastor and author. He attended Trinity International University from 1974 to 1978 and graduated with a bachelor of arts in biblical studies, according to his LinkedIn profile. After graduating, Cousins began working at the Willow Creek Community Church as an associate pastor for 17 years.

Willow Creek Community Church is an Evangelical non-denominational, multi-site megachurch, with its largest site in South Barrington, a suburb of Illinois, which was founded in 1975. While at Willow Creek, Don Cousins “played a leading role in the development of more than 90 internal ministries and the leadership for each,” his website states.

In 1992, Don Cousins left Willow Creek and founded Team Development Inc, his LinkedIn shows, where he spent 20 years. “I speak, write, consult with non-profit organizations and coach leaders,” he wrote as the description of his role for those 20 years. “It is my mission to help guide Christian leaders and organizations in transforming their vision into action.”

Since 2013, Don Cousins has been the lead pastor at Discovery Church in Orlando, Florida. The church is a non-denominational church as well.

Cousins’ father was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in 2015, the Orlando Sentinel reported at the time. He spoke about that time period in a podcast appearance with Sports Spectrum in 2019 and said he wasn’t anxious about the diagnosis.

“The process of going through that is not an enjoyable experience,” he admitted and said living with chronic pain during that time opened his eyes to what others who have chronic pain go through. In November 2015, Don Cousins was able to return to the field to watch one of his son’s games, and the quarterback had an excellent match, gifting his father with the game ball afterward.

“To have him back was exciting, and then to have a game like that was a lot of fun, giving him the game ball,” Cousins told Comcast SportsNet’s Mitch Tischler, according to Washington Post. “And he just said, ‘Thank you. Thanks for a great day.’ It put a smile on his face. And it was special for our family, and we’ll enjoy it tonight.”

2. Kirk Cousins’ Mother Is MaryAnn Cousins, an Iowa Native Who Worked for Over Three Decades as a Flight Attendant

Cousins’ mother is MaryAnn Cousins and she had a long career as a flight attendant with United Airlines. In 2019, Cousins paid tribute to his mother’s work, writing on Instagram, “Congrats Mom on 35 years (and counting) with one airline…your time at United has been the model of consistency, loyalty & hard work. Love you!”

MaryAnn Cousins, née Woodard, was raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and attended the University of Iowa, where she studied nursing and was on the dance team, MLive reported. Her family was passionate fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes and two of her family members were notable athletes. Her father, Ralph Woodard, played as a tight end and defensive end for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1940s, as did her uncle, Cousins’ great uncle Dick Woodard, as a center and linebacker.

Dick Woodard went on to get drafted into the NFL and played with the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, then known as the Washington Redskins. MaryAnn Cousins recalled going to football games growing up and told the publication, “We would be at the homecoming parade and the band would come down the street and my father would have tears in his eyes. Iowa football was such a part of our lives.”

3. Kirk Cousins’ Father Wanted His Children to Play Lots of Different Sports & Spoke About His Son’s Passion for Football

Cousins grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and when he reached the seventh grade, his family moved to Holland, Michigan, where he attended Holland Christian High School. Cousins’ whole family was competitive and his father, who’d considered a career in coaching before deciding to become a pastor, coached his son in little league baseball, the Commanders reported.

The Vikings quarterback played baseball, basketball and football when he was younger but nothing made him happy like throwing a football. “For some reason, it resonated with me,” he shared. “It was fun. I love the competition. I enjoy throwing the football.” He credited his father’s presence in his life for getting him passionate about sports. “He was certainly a big influence in terms of my involvement in athletics,” Cousins said, “and who I am as a person.”

In fact, Don Cousins wanted all of his children to play sports for as long as they could, and to try different sports instead of focusing on just one, he told the Sports Spectrum podcast. Even though Cousins played several sports, his father shared that “Football was always his passion.” It was when Cousins was in fourth grade that his father really thought he had “something there” in terms of his abilities.

Cousins has said that his father’s presence throughout his childhood is something he feels very grateful about, explaining, “I was fortunate to have a dad who was very involved, very present, very wise,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).

“Just about every experience we had through the years my dad would bring back to our faith walk and our faith journey,” he continued. “So it was pretty hard to go a day or a week and not go through something without scripture being accompanied to it so it would be a great thing if I parented close to the way my mom and dad raised me!”

4. Kirk Cousins Is Very Close With His Parents & Was Living in Their Basement During the Offseason

Cousins is still very close with his parents, and he revealed in 2017 that he was still spending summers living in his parents’ basement despite being a successful NFL quarterback. Cousins spoke about living with his wife, who was at the time pregnant with their first child, in the basement of the Cousins home in Holland, Michigan.

“It works well,” he told GQ. “We don’t pay rent.” The couple also spent some of the winter months in the basement of his wife Julie Hampton’s parents in Atlanta, the publication reported.

Instead of going to a gym, Cousins trained in his parents’ driveway after a warm-up in the basement, which was interrupted by his mother who said, “I was peeking to find out when it was my turn on the elliptical,” according to GQ.

Cousins’ parents are proud of their son and how far he’s come, however. “He’s consistently been overlooked and underestimated,” Don Cousins shared with Beyond the Ultimate. “He’s seldom the biggest, fastest or strongest, but in the end he’s had a lot of success.” He admitted that watching his son play was often “stressful” while speaking with Spectrum Sports but added, “It’s a joy to watch our son compete.”

5. Don & MaryAnn Cousins Are the Parents of 3 Children as Kirk Cousins Has an Older Brother & a Younger Sister

In addition to the Vikings quarterback, Don and MaryAnn Cousins are also parents to Kyle and Karalyne Cousins. Both of Cousins’ siblings were athletes growing up as well, with Kyle playing college baseball while Karalyne played tennis and ran cross country, Don Cousins shared in his podcast appearance.

Kyle Cousins is the NFL star’s older brother by 22 months, and the two are very close. “This season has been a joy for me to see Kirk enjoy the rewards of all the hard work he put in,” Kyle Cousins told the Holland Sentinel in 2010 when his brother was in college. At the time, he said, “To see him on this kind of a stage is a joy. Joy is probably an understatement.”

As for Cousins, he said his older brother “is as good of an older brother as you can have. He’s my biggest supporter. He comes to every game. He schedules his work and his family plans around the games. He makes sure every weekend’s available so he can be at every game… We love being together.”

Kyle Cousins now works as the Orlando area director of Mission Increase Foundation, which aims to help Christian nonprofits with fundraising, its website states. His LinkedIn shows that he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business from Calvin University followed by a master’s degree in Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute.

Cousins’ younger sister is Karalyne Cousins Blochberger, and she works as a doctor in Kissimmee, Florida. She obtained her undergraduate degree at Hope College and then attended medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 2017, her Doximity profile shows.

Don Cousins said it’s been wonderful as a parent to see the close bond between his children. “Like any parent, you want your kids to get along — not just get along but in effect be best friends,” he told the Sentinel. “All three of our kids are in fact best friends. Kirk’s biggest fans are Kyle and Karalyne.”

Kelvin Dickerson and Christina Smith-Sylve welcomed their son, DeVonta Smith, on November 14, 1998. The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and his younger brother Christian were raised in Amite City, Louisiana, by their mother, and he usually spent weekends with his father.

Here’s what you need to know about DeVonta Smith’s family:

1. DeVonta Smith’s Parents Are Christina Smith-Sylve & Kelvin Dickerson & His Mother Said She Became Pregnant Before Her College Graduation

Smith’s mother, Christina Smith-Sylve, was raised in Amite, a town in southeastern Louisiana well known for its oyster industry. Like her son, she was an athlete, playing basketball at Amite High Magnet School, the same high school that the NFL star would later attend, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Smith-Sylve decided to pursue a career in social work after attending her high school career day and learning about the profession, and enrolled at the Southern University in Baton Rouge. She graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in social work, her LinkedIn shows.

She learned that she was pregnant with Smith before graduating from college and he was born later that year, though she shared with the Inquirer that her pregnancy wasn’t planned. “It was a surprise. Nothing planned. But that happens,” she told the publication. “It was hard work and determination to complete it and graduate.”

Smith’s parents weren’t together when he was growing up, but his mother shared that the two have a “great co-parenting relationship.” She told the Inquirer, “His dad is quiet. DeVonta gets that from him. Kind of reserved. Don’t show a lot of emotion. His dad is a hard worker.” Smith would usually see his father, Dickerson, who managed a car detailing business, on the weekend.

He described his father as a “neat freak,” which works well with his chosen career. “With him, it’s just about, really, details in everything you do,” Smith said. “When people expect you to clean their cars, they want everything done right, and that’s how he is. When he tells you to do something, he wants you to do it and do it the right way.”

One of Smith’s high school coaches, Zephaniah Powell, shared that Smith’s parents were very supportive and were always at his games, home and away, without fail.

2. DeVonta Smith’s Mother Christina Smith-Sylve Worked as a Social Worker When He Was Growing Up & It Worried Him

Smith-Sylve began working as a social worker when her son was still young, starting in 2006 as a Child Welfare Specialist with the Department of Children and Family Services in Amite, her LinkedIn states. Her job had a lasting impact on Smith, and he shared that he constantly worried about her safety when she was called to respond to families in crisis sometimes in the middle of the night.

He described that when the phone would ring at night, his mother would often have to leave him and his brother with a family member as she responded to a situation. She was sometimes accompanied by a colleague or a member of law enforcement, although she sometimes had to go alone to take children out of difficult situations and try to avoid escalating things, the Inquirer reported.

He told the publication he worried about her “all the time” and tried to accompany her himself. “I always asked, ‘Is this a time I can come?’” he shared. “You go into families’ houses and take their children away from them. … It’s not always the easiest job. I’ve been there when I’ve heard things [said to her] and it wasn’t so safe.”

“I’ve always wanted her to not be doing it, but I mean, that’s what she went to school for, that’s what she likes, that’s what she enjoys doing,” he continued. “I can’t blame her for that, but I always wish she was in a different situation.” Despite having stress over her job, he said he believes it made him a better son because he was exposed to what happened in other families.

“I would never want to put my mom in a situation like that,” he shared. “So I always try to do the right things, always try to be on the right path.”

3. DeVonta Smith Was Close With Both His Mother & Father When He Was Growing Up

When Smith was growing up, his family wasn’t living in the lap of luxury but his mother said that they were more fortunate than others. The NFL star, who’s been praised for his humility and maturity, was told by his mother, “We don’t have a lot,” she recounted to the Inquirer. “But what we do have, we value it, and some people are not fortunate [enough] to have what you have.”

He often played football outside with his friends, but his mother, wanting to make sure he stayed safe, told him he had to be home when the street lights came on, he told GQ.

When he spent time with his father on weekends, they’d be busy out in the woods, fishing or driving around on four-wheelers, Smith told the publication. “We find something new every day,” he said of his adventures in the woods with his father. “It’s real country, country wit’ my dad.”

His father valued his time with his son as well, and shared in an emotional interview after his son won the Heisman Trophy, “He’s been the best thing that probably could have ever happened to me.”

4. DeVonta Smith Bought His Mother a House After He Was Drafted Into the NFL & Wrote That She Was His ‘Absolute World’

Smith’s mother has always been very proud of her son and she said she’d told him when he was younger that it was up to him to “make [his] own destiny.” She told the Inquirer that she thinks he took her words to heart, explaining, “He’s always been a small child, but he has the work ethic, he has the heart and determination for it. He was a born leader. I’m very proud of the young man he has become.”

The Eagles star, who hasn’t posted much about his personal life and his family on his Instagram, preferring to post photos and videos of the team, made an exception on June 24, 2021, when he posted a sweet video on his page. He captioned it, “To the world you are a mother, but to me you are the absolute world.” The video showed the moment he surprised his mother with the house he’d bought her and her emotional reaction to his gesture.

5. DeVonta Smith Has a Younger Brother, Christian Smith, Who Is Playing High School Football

The football genes clearly run in the family as Smith has a younger brother, Christian Smith, who is also playing high school football in Amite. His Hudl profile states that he can play both as a running back and outside linebacker and is set to graduate in 2024.

Smith has shared that his brother doesn’t feel extra pressure due to his own NFL career and told the Inquirer that he “understands” it. “People call him my little brother, he don’t like it,” he added. “He made it easier for me, because he already understood that he’s not ‘DeVonta’s little brother,’ he’s Christian.”

The two brothers often brawled when they were younger over any sort of competition. In fact, Smith was “terrible” and didn’t quiet down until he got to high school, he shared, at which point his mother began threatening him with keeping him out of games if he didn’t behave. “If she said I wasn’t playing this game, no one was gonna talk her out of it. She stuck by what she said,” Smith told GQ.

D’Andre Swift was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to his parents Darren and Ayanna Swift. Born on January 14, 1999, the Philadelphia Eagles running back grew up with his two sisters. His maternal grandfather Henry Holloway, who died when Swift was young, had a big impact on his life and football career.

Here’s what you need to know about D’Andre Swift’s family:

1. D’Andre Swift Was Very Close With His Grandfather & His Mother Said the Two Were Best Friends

Swift was really close with his maternal grandfather Henry Holloway when he was a child. His family would often get together on Sundays at Holloway’s home as it was close to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, which the family attended for weekly worship, The Ringer reported.

After church, Swift would sit on his grandfather’s lap in front of the TV and they’d watch football together. One day, he told his grandfather, “Pop-Pop, I’ma play on the box… I’ma play on the box on Sundays!” he said, pointing to the TV, Swift’s parents recounted to the publication.

The NFL star’s mother Ayanna Swift explained that since she was an only child, her father treated Swift like his own son. “[D’Andre] was like the son he never had, cause I’m the only child,” she shared. They would watch football and playfully wrestle around the house. “I believe that the relationship that he built with my dad, it gives him that much more of that fight of what he already has in him as just a person,” she added. “That’s what makes D’Andre who he is.”

It wasn’t just Swift who loved his grandfather, as the NFL star’s father, Darren Swift, also looked up to him. “Henry Holloway was a great great man,” Darren Swift told Dawg Nation. “I couldn’t have asked for a better father-in-law and a better mother-in-law. Period. His grandparents reflect everything that should be the good things and the great things you find in all people.”

Holloway died when Swift was six years old and before he’d embarked on the football career that would see him get drafted in 2020 by the Detroit Lions with the 35th overall pick in the second round. “He passed when D’Andre was six,” Darren Swift shared with the publication. “So he never saw him play. But they did everything together. D’Andre would still watch every Eagles game with him. He’d sit in his grandfather’s lap. Their whole conversation would be about that game. They were inseparable.”

Swift himself recalled his grandfather’s home being filled with “love and care” and knowing that his grandfather always put him first.

2. D’Andre Swift’s Father, Darren Swift, Played Football As Well & Said He Was Worried About His Son Wanting to Play Running Back

Swift grew up with a love of football, but Darren Swift admitted that he was worried at first about his son’s love for the game. Darren Swift had played himself and he knew that the sport came with a high risk of injuries. “I was like, ‘Dude, no, no, you’re little,’” Darren Swift told the Ringer of his back-and-forth with his son. “Any excuse I could have given him not to play [running back]. That’s what I did.”

Swift’s father eventually helped coach his son as he began playing for the church football team. He recalled when his son first played running back, he got a touchdown. “We gave Dre the ball on that play and he hit that sideline and then cut across the field against the grain, against everybody,” Darren Swift recalled to the publication. He said both he and Ayanna began running after their son down the sideline.

“And I’m forgetting that I’m a coach, but I’m so happy because my son is, you know what I mean, running down [the field],” he shared. “I got my whistles around my neck and I’m running down the sideline. She’s running down the sideline. Her friend is running down the sideline.”

Swift attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, which was his parents’ choice and not the school he wanted to attend. “It was more of a parent decision because they thought it was best for me,” he told the Ringer but added that it ended up being the best move in his career. Ayanna Swift explained that they wanted to choose a “rigorous and demanding school” so that their son would have to face and overcome adversity, she told Dawg Nation.

3. D’Andre Swift’s Father Darren Swift Is the Owner of a Gym in Philadelphia & His Mother Ayanna Swift Spoke About Their Father-Son Bond

Swift’s father Darren Swift is the owner of Swift Fit, a North Philadelphia-area gym. In his Instagram bio, he describes himself as a “body transformation expert.”

He spoke about being Swift’s father and the pride he feels in his son. “Being a dad is one of the best things I could ask for in this life,” he shared, according to ASCJ Capstone. “You not only get to love and nurture this child that is 50% you, but you also get to watch them take that love and knowledge that you instilled upon them and apply it to their life.”

Darren Swift said that being present for his son’s upbringing was “one of the greatest joys.” He added, “Not every young man has this type of support from a father figure in their lives, so I want to make sure I give back to the community that helped me to raise my son.” Ayanna Swift told the publication that her husband was “the one that had the pompoms in his hand” and was one of Swift’s number-one fans.

She added that she loved watching her husband and son’s relationship over the years, which she said only strengthened as Swift got older. “I’ve seen Dre invest in his father as well as his father invested in him,” she explained. “And that’s big because it just is a testament to not only like, wow, what Darren has been depositing means something. But you can also begin to see some things manifest and unfold in front of you where he [D’Andre] can deposit into his father.”

Ayanna Swift has spoken about her husband and father to her three children, describing him as having “the heart of a teddy bear” in an interview with Dawg Nation. She said her husband is in tears at the end of each football season when he looks back at the children’s progress.

4. Darren & Ayanna Swift Were Protective of D’Andre Swift During the Recruitment Process

Darren and Ayanna Swift were very involved in their son’s football career and made it clear when it came to college recruitment that schools would have to go through them. They told Dawg Nation that any coach who contacted their son directly wouldn’t be considered.

However, it wasn’t easy to let him go to the University of Georgia, she told the Ringer, and she cried over their phone calls. “Being a parent is really a thankless, relentless job, and when you see the manifestation of what you deposited unfold in front of your eyes, it melts your heart,” she told ASCJ Capstone.

Swift’s father agreed with that and said it felt “surreal” to see everything his son had achieved so far and to see the reward for his hard work. Darren Swift said he believes that the death of Swift’s grandfather continues to be his son’s “why.”

“Everything he does is to honor his grandfather and that great great man’s name,” he told Dawg Nation. He explained that his son even wears a chain around his neck that used to belong to his grandfather and it represents the connection Swift still feels with his grandfather.

Faith is also a strong foundation of the Swift family and that was ingrained in the Eagles star thanks to his mother, who described faith as “the backbone of our family.” She revealed that she did devotions with Swift when he was younger to focus on his foundation. “I needed him to know that God is always with him,” she revealed to the publication. “That’s his foundation.”

5. D’Andre Swift Grew Up With 2 Sisters, Dominique & Angelique

Darren and Ayanna Swift had three children together: Swift, and two daughters, Dominique and Angelique. Swift also has older brothers on his father’s side of the family.

Swift’s high school coach Gabe Infante has shared that he was touched to witness Swift’s protectiveness over his sisters.

He recalled one instance when Swift invited his mother and sisters to a team lunch in an interview with Dawg Nation. “The number one thing was how protective he was of his beautiful sister who is a sophomore now in high school,” he shared. “His care and love and support for his little sister is something rare. You just don’t see that in a guy with his competitive nature and his ability.”

Swift’s sister Dominique graduated from college in 2023, as her father shared on Instagram. She also posted about her graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, writing in her caption that she graduated Summa cum laude. She is a talented artist showcasing some of her work on her Instagram page Domino Effect Artistry. Swift’s youngest sister Angelique turned 17 in March 2023, according to Darren Swift’s Instagram.

A.J. Brown was born on June 30, 1997, and raised in Starkville, Mississippi. The Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver’s parents are Arthur Brown and Josette Robertson and he grew up playing both baseball and football. He is now a father himself to a daughter and a son.

Here’s what you need to know about A.J. Brown’s family:

1. A.J. Brown Was Born & Raised in Starkville, Mississippi & Had a Love for Baseball as Well

Brown was born and raised in Starkville, Mississippi, and was surrounded by a supportive environment at the 16th Section Missionary Baptist Church in Starkville. His father, Arthur Brown, described the congregation as an extended family.

“It was a blessing to have everybody in the community,” he told WCBI. “Then, you got the youth department, like Mrs. Ware that would grab them, say, ‘Now, all right.'” Mrs. Ware’s full name is Bridgett Ware-Gay and she is the mother of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr.

When Brown was growing up, he played both baseball and football but appeared to be leaning more toward the former sport, where he played center field, rather than the latter. Part of that preference was due to his father’s love of baseball.

“His dad was more of a baseball fan,” said Ricky Woods, who was then head coach of Starkville High School, in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But he didn’t choose what [Brown] wanted to do. But I think his senior year, he was in a dilemma of what he was going to do. He had such a great senior year, I think football was the way he wanted to go.”

When Brown was growing up, he had a batting cage in his father’s backyard, NFL.com reported. “I started swinging a bat as soon as I could walk,” Brown told the Clarion Ledger. He described that he’d often be swinging a bat around the house, and said he once accidentally hit a fish tank and smashed it.

“He always said he didn’t wanna do nothing but play baseball, and that he was going to the major leagues,” Arthur Brown told the Athletic. During his high school years, Brown started developing a preference for football over baseball, and he shared with the Inquirer, “I like scoring touchdowns over hitting home runs.”

2. A.J. Brown’s Father Is Arthur Brown, Who Instilled in His Son a Good Work Ethic

Brown’s father was an influential figure who often gave his son advice, and whose teachings guided the NFL star through his career. According to the Athletic, Brown’s decision to attend his hometown’s rival college, the University of Mississippi, instead of Mississippi State was rooted in his father raising him to follow his convictions instead of worrying about what others thought about him. He chose Ole Miss because he wanted to try to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Brown has opened up about his father’s influence on his career and wrote in a piece for the Tennessee Titans, “I mentioned my dad earlier, too, and he’s the one who instilled in me to work hard at a young age. He’s retired now, but he worked for the electric company and I remember his work ethic.”

“He was a good athlete growing up,” Brown continued. “His sport was baseball, and he was really good at it. And he always pushed me to be the best I can be. I still remember him telling me at a very young age: If you are not trying to be the best, then you need to find something else to do. So I have to give my dad credit for giving me that competitive edge and pushing me, and now it is up to me.”

In addition to teaching him a good work ethic, Brown’s father taught him humility. Woods, his high school coach, recalled to the Philadelphia Inquirer that he told Brown the No. 1 jersey was available. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to take No. 1, but I gotta talk to my father,'” Woods recounted. “He talked to his father and came back in and said, ‘My daddy doesn’t want me to wear No. 1; that [means] I’m the best player on the team.”

Brown’s father Arthur Brown worked for Starkville’s electrical service for 24 years and was forced to retire in 2009 after a workplace accident that injured his back, NFL.com reported. He lived on a 165-acre property, which was a lot of space for his son to run around on.

3. A.J. Brown’s Mother, Josette Robertson, Is an Entrepreneur Who Lives in Nashville, Tennessee & He Has 2 Sisters

Brown’s mother is Josette Robertson, and he has two sisters, Reva and Shareda. His mother lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is an entrepreneur who runs a jewelry business called Joe’s Sharing the Jewels. “Welcome, my name is Josette Robertson, I am a mother of three and a MeeMee of five,” her website states. “I love sharing peace, love, joy, sharing positive vibes and sharing the jewels.”

Brown’s older sister is Reva Claybrook and she lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. The mother of two is also an entrepreneur who started her own business with her daughter called Zoey’s Bow2ful Boutique. When Brown was selected by the Tennessee Titans in 2019, he referenced his sister living in Nashville as a bonus for him. “She’s 28, several years older than me, so it was nice to have her here to help me get settled in,” he told the Titans in 2019.

“Really, that was huge for me,” he continued. “When you go to a new place, you want to be around your family and she would cook me home-cooked meals, and she just made me feel like I wasn’t alone… I was 21 years old when I got drafted and going off to live on your own is an adjustment, different from college. Having my sister here helped, but I think me just being the way I am helped too. I am a homebody.”

4. A.J. Brown Is a Father of 2 & Said He Loves Being a Father & It’s Changed His Outlook on His Career

Brown is a father of two and while he hasn’t spoken much about his children’s mother in public, he’s spilled on fatherhood and how much he loves having a son and daughter. His daughter Jersee was born in May 2020 and Brown shared the following year how inspired he was by his baby girl. “My little girl, she’s amazing,” he told reporters. “She’s the reason I’m still going today. I don’t even have the words for it. She gives me strength, she’s who I play for.”

His second child, a son named A.J. Brown Jr., was born in September 2022. He said his daughter was so excited to have a little brother and “couldn’t stop smiling,” according to Josh Tolentino of the Philly Inquirer. Brown added, “When I go home, I’m a father. When I’m in the building, I’m working. Once the kids go to bed, I do what I need to do to get ready for the game… Sleep is tough. It’s been a tough 48 hours. But I’ll make sure I get some rest before the game.”

He said becoming a father changed his outlook on football and his career, explaining that he doesn’t just play to “be the best” now but also to provide for his family. “Now that I have a little boy, a little son, it means the world to me,” he said, according to NBC Sports. “Hopefully, I can play long enough for him to understand that his dad’s in the NFL.”

5. A.J. Brown Said Family Is What’s Most Important & He Loves Being With His Family

Brown has opened up about how getting to the NFL has been an amazing opportunity for him to help his family. “For me, personally, I feel like I’ve won,” he told the Athletic. “I’ve changed my family’s life forever. That’s the goal. Especially growing up where I’m from. Of course, I want to do great and accomplish all the great things. But that’s the reason why we play the game.”

He spoke about becoming a father and said he loves spending him with his family. “Man, I’m a happy, happy man,” he told SJ Mag. “My kids, I love being with my family… When I’m not here, I’m home and I’m watching movies and changing diapers and playing with my kids. I’m a big family guy. I love it all.”

He added that he was appreciative of the fans in Philadelphia who have been welcoming and described meeting people when out with his family. “At the end of the day, it’s a blessing,” he shared. “That’s how I feel about the whole thing. I’m playing for my family and this team and Eagles fans who are so supportive. I appreciate all of this.’”

Jalen Hurts is in a relationship with Bryonna “Bry” Rivera Burrows, a University of Alabama graduate. The couple, who met when they were both attending the university, kept their relationship private until going public in January 2023 after the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFC Championship win.

Here’s what you need to know about Bryonna “Bry” Rivera Burrows, Jalen Hurts’ girlfriend:

1. Bryonna ‘Bry’ Rivera Burrows & Jalen Hurts Met When They Were at the University of Alabama, Where Burrows Obtained Her MBA

Hurts and Burrows have been dating “off and on” since meeting at the University of Alabama, where Hurts played as the Crimson Tide quarterback, Essence reported. Hurts opened up with the publication about having to work hard to earn a start with the famed team, sharing, “When you’re thrust into new situations, you have to learn the lay of the land. I remember telling one of my coaches, ‘I’m going to make all of them see.’”

Hurts, who was majoring in Communications, made a big impact on the team and became the first starting freshman since 1984. During his sophomore season, he was named MVP. He played at the school for three seasons, from 2016 to 2018, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma.

While at the University of Alabama, Hurts joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, while Burrows was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, so the two may have met through these organizations, though neither has shared the details of their first meeting.

Burrows studied Spanish language and literature and Latin American literature at the Universidad de Granada in Spain’s Andalusia.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and political science at the University of Alabama and during her undergrad, she was heavily involved in the school, as her LinkedIn lists her activities and societies as, “Capstone Men and Women, XXXI, SGA Homecoming Directors, SGA Board of Governors, Spanish Outreach, Alpha Kappa Alpha, NPHC, Tuscaloosa ARTS, SGA Bama Bash Committee, FATE, UA Honors College, Blue Key, ODK, Order of Omega.”

Afterward, Burrows obtained her MBA at the University of Alabama, during which time she was also the MBA Class Vice President and the Manderson Case Team Captain, her LinkedIn states. An article about her time at school reports that she is an Atlanta native.

2. Jalen Hurts & Bry Rivera Burrows Were First Seen Together in January 2023 & Have Appeared at a Few Events Together Since Then

The couple was first seen in public together after the Eagles’ NFC Championship win on January 29, 2023. Fox Sports posted a video captioned, “Jalen Hurts taking it all in,” which showed the quarterback and his girlfriend both celebrating with loved ones.

Burrows and Hurts were then pictured together at the Maxwell Football Club Gala in March. Burrows was also present in April 2023 when Hurts signed a five-year contract extension worth $255 million. A video posted to Twitter showed Hurts arriving at his post-signing press conference with Burrows and his agent Nicole Lynn.

Despite having made a few public appearances, Hurts has yet to post about his relationship on Instagram, preferring to keep it private. As for Burrows, her Instagram page is set to private, with a bio showing the Brazilian flag and the description, “love language: wine.”

3. Jalen Hurts Confirmed His Relationship With Bry Rivera Burrows in an April 2023 Interview

Hurts did confirm the status of his relationship in an interview with Essence in April 2023, confirming for the first time that he is in a relationship with Burrows. “I’m not married or anything like that,” he told the publication. “But I am spoken for.”

The publication went on to name Burrows, adding that she “works as an IT professional and is a woman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.” It wrote, “They’ve been dating off and on since their University of Alabama days, back when he was quarterbacking for the Crimson Tide.” Hurts described his idea of romance as taking a date to the holiday Houston Zoo Lights extravaganza, Essence reported.

He also shared that he’s known for a long time that he and Burrows had something special. “I knew a long time ago,” he spilled. “I mean, to this point in my life, that’s an irreplaceable feeling. I think that’s what allowed us to get to where we are now.”

4. Bry Rivera Burrows Works for IBM as an Artificial Intelligence Partner

Burrows works for IBM as an artificial intelligence partner and has had an accomplished career so far. The self-professed wine lover worked for over a year for E. & J. Gallo Winery in Miami in sales and marketing, her LinkedIn shows. During that time, she wrote that she “completed training on wine basics and regions, food and wine pairings, key elements of hospitality and advanced wine service” with the Culinary Institute of America.

Afterward, she worked for over a year as a graduate assistant for the University of Alabama, first with the Culverhouse Career Center in the Employer Development and Relations department followed by a stint with the Black Faculty and Staff Association.

In June 2019, Burrows began working for IBM, starting as a senior solutions sales specialist. She then made her way up in the company, working as a financial sales executive and then as a software financing leader. She now works for the company as an artificial intelligence partner. Her bio on LinkedIn states that her strengths lie in “strategic consulting expertise and effective project management skills involving high-impact leadership transformation.”

Burrows opened up about the opportunity to work for IBM when it was first announced on LinkedIn that she’d been hired, writing, “Counting down the days! Can’t wait!”

5. Bry Rivera Burrows Is a Driven Woman Who Was Very Involved in Societies at School

Burrows has been heavily involved in many aspects of life at the University of Alabama as well as at IBM. When she was at the school studying for her MBA, she was the captain of the MBA Case Team and she wrote on LinkedIn that it was one of her highlights. “To say we had fun would be an understatement!” she wrote. “Case team is one of my most memorable moments of grad school and it would not have been the same without my advisors, Manderson staff, colleagues (but more so best friends) and family always supporting from afar.”

Burrows and her team won the SEC MBA Case Competition in 2019 and Burrows herself won the Best Q&A Award for their division, the University of Alabama reported. “Once we were able to get over the hump in establishing our strategic approach, it was smooth sailing in a way,” she shared. “We had a mock-up of where we wanted to be at any given time during the day, and we would check the clock and then check it off when we hit those markers.”

She was named one of the Women of Culverhouse, highlighting women in the faculty, alumni and student body at the University of Alabama. Her bio states that she “is an advocate for advancing student life and a longtime campus leader” and that she graduated cum laude.

She was also recognized by the school for Honors Day and the college tweeted a quote from Burrows. “‘No words to describe the humble reminder of Honors Day at #UA. Knowing I have been recognized is priceless.’ -Bry Rivera Burrows,” the college’s Twitter account posted.

The university also posted a quote from Burrows during Black History Month, in which she said, “For me, Black History Month is overwhelming with inspiration from all areas. It’s a time where I am fortunate, proud and encouraged to continue raising the bar and creating avenues for those who look like me to succeed. Every year, this month reminds the world of the beauty that makes up Black History and it is a time where we can be fueled for the future,” she finished.

Jerry Jones is married to Eugenia “Gene” Jones, an Arkansas native and former beauty queen. Gene Jones, who’s been referred to as the “Mother of the Dallas Cowboys,” is often seen around Dallas at various events, though she has remained fairly private when it comes to her personal life.

Here’s what you need to know about Eugenia “Gene” Jones, Jerry Jones’ wife:

1. Eugenia ‘Gene’ Jones Was Born & Raised in Danville, Arkansas, & Met Jerry Jones at the University of Arkansas

Gene Jones was born Eugenia Chambers and raised in Danville, Arkansas. Gene Jones was an Arkansas Poultry Princess and in 1960, she won the Miss Arkansas USA beauty pageant, Texas Monthly reported, describing her as a “gorgeous small-town banker’s daughter.”

She attended the University of Arkansas, where she met her future husband on a blind date, according to Dallas News. The two went to a state fair with some friends and Jones tried to win his date a teddy bear like his friends were doing for their dates but was unsuccessful. “I tried and tried, but couldn’t,” Jones shared, “so I went behind and bought her one.”

Gene Jones also opened up about that fateful first date with WFAA, sharing, “We went to the county fair and all of the boys were winning little teddy bears, throwing baseballs at little dolls trying to knock them over, and Jerry wasn’t having a lot of luck with that,” she smiled.

“So he disappeared and a little later came right back, carrying the biggest teddy bear at the carnival and wearing a bigger smile on his face,” she continued. “He had gone back behind and bought me a teddy bear. It was the beginning of our relationship, so we married three years later.” They married in 1963.

2. Gene Jones Is Involved in Many Organizations & Has a Special Interest in the Arts

Jones has put his focus on the Cowboys while his wife has been heavily involved in the community, especially in the art sphere. She curated the Dallas Cowboys Art Collection at AT&T Stadium and the Star in Frisco but revealed that she couldn’t name her favorite work of art in the collection. “That is like being asked to name your favorite child or grandchild. The answer is, ‘I love them all!'” she told the Dallas Morning News.

She is also a member of the Southern Methodist University Board of Trustees, on the executive board for the Meadows School for the Arts, and on the board of directors for the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies at SMU, according to her bio with the Texas Cultural Trust. Gene Jones is also involved in the art community in Dallas as a member of the executive board of directors and the President’s Advisory Council for the Dallas Center for Performing Arts.

The Joneses are also members of the Dallas Center for the Performance of Arts’ Founding Family Donor Program, becoming members in 2004 after contributing more than $1 million. Beyond her artistic philanthropy, Gene Jones, her husband, and their children are deeply involved in the Salvation Army. The couple opened The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Center for Children in conjunction with Salvation Army offices, which provides programs for children in Irving, Texas.

3. Gene Jones Was the Presenter When Jerry Jones Was Inducted Into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017

Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and he chose his wife to be his presenter at the event. The Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager announced the decision in a press release that stated his wife is the “backbone of our family… Her influence guides and inspires all of us. She is my closest advisor, my best friend, and it is only fitting that she present me.”

During his speech at the event, Jones said his wife was his presenter because she was always there for the family and told her, “You’ve kept me between the rails when I didn’t really have the strength to get to the middle.”

Gene Jones opened up about being her husband’s presenter and the moment he learned he would be inducted in a rare interview with WFAA. She said they’d originally wanted their three children to present him but there was a rule limiting presenters to only one person. She described learning that Jones would be inducted into the Hall of Fame as “such a special day.”

“It was amazing, it was more amazing than I expected,” she shared. “We had every member of our family there, all of our kids, all nine of our grandchildren… None of us have ever experienced anything more exciting.”

The Mom of the Dallas Cowboys got emotional as she spoke about Jones getting the team. “I knew Jerry wanted to be involved in sports, he’d loved being an Arkansas Razorback,” she shred. “And it was such an exciting time in our lives, the time we were at the University of Arkansas and he loved the game of football. And when he found out that the Dallas Cowboys were available… he was just thrilled beyond explanation.”

4. Gene & Jerry Jones Have 3 Children Together, Who All Work as Executives in the Dallas Cowboys Front Office, & 9 Grandchildren

Jerry and Gene Jones have three children together and nine grandchildren. Their children, Stephen, Charlotte and Jerry Jr., are all involved in the Cowboys organization. The oldest, Stephen Jones, works as the club’s chief operating officer, the executive vice president, and is the director of player personnel, according to the team’s website.

Stephen Jones, who’s been working with his father from the beginning, “oversees the management operations for all aspects of the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, while also supervising the team’s scouting and player personnel department,” his Cowboys profile states. Stephen Jones is married to Karen and the couple has four kids together: three daughters named Jessica, Jordan, and Caroline; and a son, John Stephen Jr.

As for his sister Charlotte Jones, she is also an executive vice president and holds the title of chief brand officer. “Recognized as one of the most powerful women in sports, Charlotte Jones was named Chairman of the NFL Foundation in 2012,” her profile indicates. She’s also the president of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as well as responsible for everything related to the team’s brand, fan engagement, stadium design and more.

Charlotte Jones has three children with her ex-husband Shy Anderson: a daughter named Haley and two sons named Shy Jr. and Paxton.

The youngest of the three Jones children, Jerry Jones Jr., is an executive vice president as well as the chief sales and marketing officer. In his position, Jones Jr. “leads a team that is not only responsible for the sales and marketing of the club, but also its vast merchandising business as well as all digital and broadcast media.” He and his wife Lori Lemon Jones have two children together, James Alexander and Mary Chambers.

5. Gene Jones Has Shared That Family Is What’s Most Important to Her & Jerry Jones

Family is very important for Jerry and Gene Jones, who have nine grandchildren. Gene Jones described their long marriage as a “rollercoaster,” she told WFAA. “It’s been great,” she added, “I wouldn’t change, I really wouldn’t change a day of it. You look around, we have nine beautiful grandchildren and every holiday, we’re all together. He’s all in about family.”

“I’ll never forget when the kids were young, Jerry introduced me to a business friend and they were like, ‘Does Jerry play golf or what’s his hobby?'” she recalled in the same interview. “And I’m like, ‘I think it’s our kids.’ And that’s what both of our hobbies have been.”

Their eldest son, Stephen Jones, said his parents were very present despite their high-profile position in Dallas. “The greatest gift my mom and dad gave me as parents was time on the job,” he told the Dallas Morning News. “I’ve loved them forever for it.” He said it was something he carried on to his children with his wife, Karen. “I coached every one of [my children],” he said. “When the girls did soccer and basketball, I was the head coach for each one of them.”

The Joneses’ daughter Charlotte agreed with her older brother’s assessment, explaining to the publication, “My mom and dad stressed the importance of family. It was family first. At dance recitals and school events, my parents were always there. They gave us the gift of their presence.”

Brandin Cooks is married to Briannon Lepman Cooks, an Oregon State University graduate and blogger. The Dallas Cowboys star and his wife tied the knot in Portland on July 7, 2018, after getting engaged the year prior at a romantic proposal in Hawaii. The couple are parents to two children, a son named Maverick Archer Cooks and another boy named Dash 7 Cooks.

Here’s what you need to know about Briannon Lepman Cooks, Brandin Cooks’ wife:

1. Briannon Lepman Cooks Attended Oregon State University & Worked in Fitness

Lepman Cooks attended Oregon State University from 2011 to 2015, her LinkedIn shows, and she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science. Her profile adds that she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and was also a cheerleader.

Her love of fitness, which saw her coach gymnastics for three years in her hometown of Albany, Oregon, continued after college when she began working for Snap Fitness as a personal trainer and fitness director, her LinkedIn profile shows. Afterward, she worked as a personal training director at LA Fitness and then CycleBar.

“I am motivated, task-oriented, and efficient,” she described herself on the platform. “My knowledge and background in customer service, fitness sales, exercise science, clerical expertise, personal training experience and bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science makes me an excellent candidate for employment at various organizations.” In 2017, she launched her blog, A Briutiful Life.

2. Briannon Lepman Cooks Is a Blogger Who Has Posted About Health, Fitness & Lifestyle on Her Personal Blog A Briutiful Life

Lepman Cooks is a blogger who has shared many posts on her blog A Briutiful Life since launching it several years ago. Her blog, which focuses a lot on her photography, includes sections on Lifestyle, such as Style and Travel, and Health, including Food and Fitness.

“I created A Briutiful Life to give readers a glimpse at life through my camera lens,” Lepman Cooks wrote in her blog’s About Me section. “I am a follower of Christ, a wife, friend , sister , daughter , aunt , and mother to three amazing dogs! My intentions are to share with viewers how I navigate my day to day life. I hope to create a platform to share my life with you on a detailed level.”

In her blog, Lepman Cooks opened up about being vegan and shared several recipes for vegan meals.

She also revealed that she’d taken up boxing as a way to relieve stress during the football season. “With this Sundays football game ( AFC Championships) getting closer, and the stress of playoffs getting more and more intense,” she wrote, “I have taken up boxing as part of my workout, its an excellent way to relieve stress and its been toning up muscles I didn’t know I needed to tone.”

3. Briannon Lepman Cooks & Brandin Cooks Met in College, Got Engaged in 2017 in Hawaii & Tied the Knot at Their Home in 2018

Lepman and Cooks met when they were both attending Oregon State University, where he played on the school’s football team and his future wife was a cheerleader, according to Inside Weddings.  The couple continued dating after college and got engaged after a romantic proposal on a vacation in Maui, Hawaii. The engagement photographer described the engagement, sharing that it began with a helicopter tour in Maui.

She said the entire thing was a surprise for Lepman Cooks, who thought the photographer in the helicopter with them was just another person who was on the tour. “Our destination for this proposal was Kaupo where there are lots of wide open spaces and great views of Haleakala,” she wrote on Engaged On Maui. “After hopping off the helicopter, the happy couple walked around Kaupo a bit and took some selfies.”

She wrote that she was photographing them the whole while discretely until Cooks eventually got down on one knee and popped the question, at which point they did an engagement photoshoot. “Haleakala was so clear that day, and we got a lot of gorgeous sweetheart shots of the two of them basking in their just-engaged glow,” she concluded.

The couple decided to get married at their home, and Lepman Cooks told Inside Weddings, “[We loved] having all of our family and friends in one place to have dinner and celebrate together. And our dog jumped in the pool!” The publication shared that the couple married in front of 100 guests outdoors.

“The bride and groom tied the knot in front of a wooden structure of a cross adorned with greenery as well as white and lavender blooms,” the publication described. Their dogs were also at the ceremony.

4. Briannon Lepman Cooks & Brandin Cooks Are Very Active People & the NFL Star Has Shared Photos of Their Hikes

The Cookses are incredibly adventurous and love to spend time in the outdoors. Cooks spends his free time hiking with his wife and playing with their dogs, Bleacher Report shared. They have three dogs, Scout, Archer and Arrow.

Many of Cooks’ photos on Instagram of his free time show him traveling and hiking with Lepman Cooks. In fact, she wrote in her blog post about their engagement trip to Hawaii that it was filled with activities. “We did everything under the Hawaiian sun, zip lined through cattle country, parasailed above the Lahaina shores, scuba dived off the beach of Wailea, ATV’d the mountain side, struggled through a paddle board yoga class (wasn’t pretty), and ate the most delicious food ever!” she recapped.

She shared that it was during that trip that she decided to launch her blog, writing, “My fiancé and I are so blessed, and live a lifestyle I could have only dreamed of, and it wasn’t until I met a women in the pool at our hotel that I really realized that I could share my life with the world.” She said that she felt that blogging and social media, in general, showed a “false sense of reality” but that meeting another blogger “genuinely inspired me to share my life experiences with people.”

5. Briannon Lepman Cooks & Brandin Cooks Welcomed Their Son in 2020 & Had a Second Son in 2023

In addition to being husband and wife, the Cookses became parents on September 28, 2020, when Lepman Cooks gave birth to Maverik Archer Cooks. Cooks posted a tribute to his wife on Instagram on May 10, 2020, writing that his wife had gone through in vitro fertilization treatments.

“To my amazing wife, Here’s a little project I’ve been working on I hope you like it,” he captioned the video on Instagram, which showed all of the IVF shots his wife took.

“I watched you take 200+ shots over a 5 month span!” he wrote. “You are warrior in so many ways. I cannot thank you enough for what you did to get us to this point as a family!While it may not be the way we envisioned conceiving you always kept a positive attitude about it and I thank you for that. God helped us find a way when there seemed to be no way. Your testimony is powerful and will inspire others. Since you didn’t trust me to administer the shots I figured I would save them all to show you my appreciation.”

He told his wife, “You carry this family in ways you will never understand. We are beyond blessed and fortunate to have the means to use some of the best doctors in the country for our IVF process.EVERY [shot] WAS WORTH IT.”

On September 28, 2022, Cooks announced that his wife was pregnant with another child and said, “Let’s see how this goes with Mav being a big brother.” He shared a photo of the family of four on February 14, 2023, writing, “Welcome Ser Dash 7 Cooks.”

Tony Pollard was born on April 30, 1997, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, along with his two siblings, Tenesia and Terrion. The NFL star’s parents, Torria and Tarrance Pollard, were supportive parents when their kids were growing up and now host watch parties at their popular Memphis BBQ restaurant for every Dallas Cowboys game.

Here’s what you need to know about Tony Pollard’s family:

1. Tony Pollard Was Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, & His Parents Worked Hard to Support His Passion for Football

Pollard grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and he shared that the city he grew up in taught him to have perseverance and strength. Growing up in Memphis “taught me tough life lessons and just to keep going,” he shared with Commercial Appeal. “That’s all you can do in life is keep going. Things may not always go your way, but you can just keep going, look up and see where you’re at once you keep going to where it gets you.”

While his parents are supportive of the NFL star, his mother did confess that she was skeptical about his childhood dream of playing in the league. “Sometimes I sit at home and say, ‘I can’t believe this,’ Torria Pollard told ABC24. “My son is on TV playing for the Cowboys? Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves and say, ‘Is this real?'”

Pollard began playing football when he was very young and when he first stepped on a field at four years old, Torria Pollard said people thought he was a mascot due to his small size. “When he was six years old, he said ‘Mom, I’m going to the NFL,'” she continued. “I said ‘No you’re not, sit down.’ He proved me wrong.” She told the outlet that she learned her lesson and wouldn’t be telling any child to sit down. “When they tell you something that they want to do, listen,” she shared.

Both Pollard and his older brother Terrion played football and their parents made sacrifices to ensure they’d be able to attend training camps and tournaments. “At certain times, we were struggling ourselves as parents, just trying to do for the kids and the family,” the Cowboys star’s mother shared.

Pollard’s father praised one of his son’s coaches, Tim Thompson, saying, “Times got hard, he let me skip a payment here, skip a payment there and train them anyway.” Torria Pollard agreed, “Sometimes they would just pick him up, take him to camp and wouldn’t ask for a dime. So that played a big part too.”

While Pollard’s mother had been skeptical about her son making it to the NFL, his father never doubted it. “I knew all along Tony was going to the NFL,” he told the Tri-State Defender. “There was never a doubt in my mind. Tony is motivated, always has been. I would offer him a treat for every touchdown, anything he wanted. Of course, that wasn’t McDonald’s. He always wanted a steak from Houston’s. After a while, I had to figure out something else. He was running so many touchdowns.”

2. Tony Pollard’s Parents, Tarrance & Torria Pollard, Run a Famous BBQ Restaurant in Memphis Called Pollard’s Bar-B-Q

Pollard’s parents run Pollard’s Bar-B-Q, a famous Memphis restaurant on Elvis Presley Boulevard that’s been open since 1995. “My parents own a restaurant. I’m a professional cook and a professional football player,” he joked with the Tri-State Defender. Pollard started helping out in the restaurant when he was 14 years old, flipping burgers, he told the Athletic.

His parents decided to open the restaurant as it was Tarrance Pollard’s dream to start a family business, Torria Pollard shared. “My husband always wanted to open a family business where everyone worked together, you know, all the children, and so this is it,” she told the publication. “My granddaddy barbequed at home,” Tarrance Pollard shared with ABC24. “He’s the one that taught everybody how to barbeque.”

The restaurant had a “humble beginning” in 1995 as a mobile catering business, its website states. “As the demand for our unique southern style of Memphis BBQ grew, Pollard’s reopened on October 7th, 1996 as a small carry-out catering business,” it added. The restaurant moved to its current location in 2011 when it also became a dine-in restaurant due to “overwhelming demands.”

Pollard’s Bar-B-Q is listed in several Memphis-area blogs in lists of the top restaurants in the city. When the Cowboys are playing, the family hosts viewing parties and Torria Pollard joked that “the only way you can come in” is wearing Cowboys gear, she told ABC24.

“We invite everyone to come out during football season and enjoy the games, especially if Dallas is playing,” she told the Tri-State Defender. “And if you can’t stay and cheer for your favorite team, get your game day spread from us. We have so much more than barbeque — wings, pork, beef – and the best homemade sides you’ve ever tasted.”

3. Tony Pollard Shared That He Learned Discipline & His Work Ethic From His Father

Pollard has spoken about his parents’ influence on him and said he learned his work ethic and discipline from his father when he was growing up.

“I got my discipline from my dad,” he said in a piece for Q30 about the Q-Collar. “I was blessed to have two parents in the household. Him having a barbecue restaurant and seeing him work. Once you work for yourself, you have to work harder than everybody because if you don’t do it, they’re not going to do it. Just seeing him get up early for work every day. I just picked it up from him and carried it on.”

Tarrance Pollard still works hard in the restaurant, whether the place is open or closed, working on the inventory, accounting, and also cooking. Torria Pollard also helps out as often as she can but also works for FedEx scheduling pilots, the Athletic reported.

His parents have also given their son advice with his career over the years, including in 2017 when they suggested that he wait for graduation before entering the NFL draft. “Both his dad and I discouraged the idea [of entering the draft in 2017],” his mother told the Tri-State Defender.

She said her husband told their son he wasn’t ready yet and should stay in school. “I told Tony, ‘Please just do one thing for me. Stay in school and graduate. Get your degree. Please just do that for your mother,'” she shared. “And he did just that. Tony is really a good boy. He’s always been a sweet child.”

4. Tony Pollard Has 2 Siblings, a Brother Named Terrion & a Sister Named Tenesia

Pollard has two siblings, an older brother named Terrion and a sister named Tenesia. His older brother played football growing up but now works at Pollard’s with his father, continuing the barbecuing family tradition. “I kind of love it,” Terrion Pollard told ABC24 of working at the BBQ joint. “It’s kind of weird to say, but I love it. I don’t need to get hit every Sunday. I’d rather watch him do it.”

His LinkedIn shows that he’s been working at Pollard’s since January 2009, and graduated from Lane College in 2017 with a bachelor of science in business administration, management and operations.

Not much is known about Pollard’s sister, however, who has stayed out of the limelight. Her LinkedIn states that she also works at the family restaurant as a manager and graduated from Southwest Tennessee Community College in 2015 with a business management degree.

5. Tony Pollard & His Girlfriend Have a Daughter Together & the Couple Is Expecting a Second Child in 2023

Pollard is the proud father of a daughter, Taraji Ray Pollard, who was born to the Cowboys star and his girlfriend Kerra Mackey in September 2021. The couple is also expecting a second child, due in August 2023, the Athletic reported.

The NFL star opened up about fatherhood in an interview with Q30, sharing that, “I’ve always had a mindset towards longevity but being a dad definitely boosted it because now I have to provide for somebody else and be there for them. Being able to be out there with your kids, go to their games, being out there to play catch with them, the little things in life.”

Steven Sheangshang is accused of fatally shooting Deputy Caleb Coney in Scott County, Kentucky, during a May 22, 2023, traffic stop.

One day before his death, Conley posted on social media, “DON’T FEAR DYING, FEAR NOT LIVING,” according to a GoFundMe page set up to help the deputy’s family.

Fayette County Detention Center records say that Sheangshang was booked into the jail on charges of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of second-degree burglary. He was booked on May 23, 2023.

Sheangshang was arrested by Lexington Metro Police, according to jail records. According to WKYT, he’s also accused of murder of a police officer.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Steven Sheangshang Is Accused of Shooting Deputy Caleb Conley as He Walked Up to His Car

In a press conference, Sheriff Tony Hampton, of Scott County, said that Conley was “shot in a traffic stop” on I-75.

He said that Conley left behind a wife, small children and his parents.

WKYT reported that, according to an arrest citation, Sheangshang “fired a gun while Deputy Conley was approaching his car.”

Conley had been with the department for four years. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army for eight years. “He was an excellent asset to our staff,” Hampton said. Hampton said the deputy was shot by a “suspect who fled.” Someone called in and said a deputy had been shot, Hampton said. He added that the suspect was in custody. Hampton said he did not know why Sheangshang was stopped.

“We are deeply saddened to announce we lost a beloved member of our office today, Deputy Caleb Conley,” the Scott County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement on Facebook.

The Kentucky State Police is investigating the “officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 22, 2023, at approximately 4:50 p.m. EST in Scott County,” the state police said in a news release. “Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley was shot on scene and transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.”

2. Steven Sheangshang, a Parolee With a Lengthy Criminal History, Was Named the ‘Wanted Person of the Week’ on May 18 After Garage Thefts

On May 18, 2023, Bluegrass Crimestoppers named Sheangshang the wanted person of the week. He was “wanted on two warrants for second degree burglary” at the time of the deputy’s shooting, WDRB reported.

According to Kristen Pflum of FOX 56 News, Sheangshang, 45, was a suspect “in a crime spree targeting open garage doors.”

Detectives released a video they said showed Sheangshang “from a theft last week in the Summerfield neighborhood on Winchester Road,” Pflum wrote on Facebook. Detectives believed Sheangshang stole lawn equipment from a family’s open garage, she wrote, and he was wanted “on a second degree burglary charge, which is a felony. Lexington Police identified him using the license plate on the car he was driving.”

Sheangshang’s Facebook page says he is from Batavia, Ohio. He went to Clermont Northeastern High School, the page says.

Sheangshang also had a second Facebook page.

In 2014, he was listed on a parole eligibility list on a charge of “Receiving Stolen Property O/$300 (PFO In lieu of (1st Degree),” according to the State of Kentucky.
According to WKYT, Sheangshang had a lengthy criminal history dating back 25 years, with cases in Kentucky and Ohio that included marijuana possession, receiving stolen property, and was deemed a “persistent felony offender.” The station says he was eligible for parole in 2021 and again in 2022.

Lex18 reported that Sheangshang served nearly 14 years in prison “on theft charges out of Harrison and Campbell counties in Kentucky, and cases out of Ohio. During his sentence, he was released on parole but absconded, was jailed again, and then released in February of this year.” He also had Ohio cases for aggravated robbery and felonious assault, the television station reported.

3. A Person Who Knew Steven Sheangshang Wrote on Facebook, ‘I’m So Disgusted in You. Who Are You?’

A woman wrote on Facebook, “Steven Sheangshang. I just can’t wrap my mind around this. Shame on you. I’m so disgusted in you. Who are you? I’ve known you since I was a teenager. You just called me the other day. D***. Why didn’t you tell me how bad off you were? The family of the police officer you killed, as I’m writing this shaking my head and a tear rolling down my face. I don’t need to say anymore. Your day is coming.”

The Lexington Police Department wrote on Facebook, “We want to send our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the family of Deputy Caleb Conley, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scott County community. Days like today are difficult to put into words, and we are deeply saddened to learn of his passing.”

A man wrote on Facebook, speaking of Deputy Conley, “Never have I lost such a friend, family, brother. The pain that comes is unbearable as I think of you and how much of a family man you are, an absolute amazing dad and husband. A creator of some of the best late night snap chats even if it was at the expense of your wife. A damn good Deputy and all around great man. You’ll be forever remembered as a Hero. As for me I’ll remember you as as a friend, family, brother and one of the best dads or husband I’ve know. We have them for you man and will do what ever they need. Love you Caleb Conley and you’ll be with me until we hang out again.”

4. Deputy Caleb Conley Was Described as a ‘Devoted Family Man’ & Strong Man of Faith

“Deputy Caleb Conley was killed in the line of duty on Monday May 22, 2023 while working for the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Conley is survived by his wife and two children,” a GoFundMe page says.

“Caleb was known throughout Central Kentucky for his professionalism in law enforcement and also for being a devoted family man. Caleb was a strong man of faith and loved his creator, his country and his friends and family,” the GoFundMe page says.

The GoFundMe page continues: “He truly lived life to the fullest and the Deputy Caleb Conley Memorial Fund GoFundMe will benefit his wife and children and allow them to LIVE and THRIVE in the community that he laid down his life to protect. May go bless you Caleb and rest in peace, we have it from here.”

His wife, Rachel Conley, wrote on Facebook, “So very proud of my husband today and always. Tonight he was awarded deputy of the year! He works extremely hard and puts in A LOT of hours and all his hard work is paying off. I’m proud of you and all that you continue to achieve. ❤️”

5. Steven Sheangshang Was Also Accused of Forcing His Way Into a Home & Stealing a Car & Then Shooting Another Person

WKYT reported that Sheangshang is accused of forcing his way into a home, pointing a gun at the homeowner, stealing that homeowner’s van, and driving to Lexington, the television station reported.

“Around 5:50 at Rose and Jim’s, a bar on Georgetown Road, the citation says Sheangshang shot another person and took their car,” the station reported.

Police arrested him and discovered the gun in a trash can, according to WKYT.

READ NEXT: The Allen, Texas, Mall Shooting Victims

Ezekiel Elliott was born on July 22, 1995, in Alton, Illinois. The running back was raised by his parents, Stacy Elliott and Dawn Huff Elliott, along with his two younger sisters, Lailah and Aaliyah. Elliott’s whole family are athletes, with his father playing college football while his mother was a track and field star.

Here’s what you need to know about Ezekiel Elliott’s family:

1. Ezekiel Elliott Was Born in Illinois & Attended Private School in St. Louis as His Parents Wanted Him to Get a Great Education

Elliott was born in Alton, Illinois, where he attended a few years of elementary school before moving to St. Louis and attending John Burroughs Prep, a private high school in St. Louis, the Telegraph reported.

While at John Burroughs, Elliott was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and running track. His parents, Stacy and Dawn Elliott, put their children’s education first and shared that they made some sacrifices in order to give their children better opportunities.

“Dawn and I sacrificed to provide a high-quality education for Ezekiel and his sisters,” Stacy Elliott told 5 Points Blue, according to Cleveland.com. “We’re a middle-class family trying to provide an upper-class education and lifestyle for our children.”

He shared that Elliott attended private school throughout high school, and most of the family’s money went toward the children’s education. “We didn’t drive the best cars,” he added. “We didn’t go on fine trips or live in big houses. Most of our money went to the children. Our family vacations were AAU national track championships held in places across the country.”

2. Ezekiel Elliott’s Father Stacy Elliott Played College Football & Worked With Ohio State to Help Parents With Recruitment

Elliott followed in his father’s footsteps when he decided to focus on football, as Stacy Elliott was a football player at the University of Missouri, the Telegraph wrote. While in college, he studied history, sociology, and community development, according to his LinkedIn.

Stacy Elliott has been entrenched in the football world throughout his career and worked with Ohio State to help the college speak to recruits and their parents about the process. “I didn’t know that when I came to Columbus that coach Urban Meyer would ask me and my family to help,” Stacy Elliott told Cleveland.com. “It was not something I brought to him, but Coach Meyer and I have a developing relationship and that relationship is based on that I saw how much he cares about his student athletes.”

“He puts in a lot of time to better the situation of the athletes who come in,” Elliott’s father added. “When he asked me to talk to families about the process, that’s how I got involved.”

Stacy Elliott now runs a sports management agency named The Fifth Down, his LinkedIn profile shows, which he launched in 2015. “Football and leadership have always been important to me, leading to my current business venture Fifth Down Management,” he indicated in his bio. “Fifth Down Management is ‘The Management Company that has your brand in mind!'”

He is very supportive of his son’s NFL career and knew from the moment Elliott was very young that he had something special. “The first time I noticed potential greatness in Ezekiel, I remember he was 7 years old playing little league football,” Stacy Elliott told BOSSIP. “From the beginning, he played running back, and it seemed like every time he touched the rock, he would take it to the house.”

Stacy Elliott added that the main advice he’s given his son throughout the years is to “demand greatness [of] himself and greatness in everything he does. Work hard, be a grinder,” he told the outlet. Despite knowing that Elliott is a “great football player,” his father said he’s a “nervous wreck” before watching any of his son’s games.

“I have my own ritual,” he told BOSSIP. “I don’t really like to talk to a lot of people… It is strenuous, too, because you start experiencing this in college, but in the NFL definitely, all your family, they want tickets, ‘where y’all gonna be at?’ Being a parent with sons like we have, we have media people trying to get at us. We just want to enjoy the game.”

3. Ezekiel Elliott’s Mother Is Dawn Huff Elliott, a 3-Sport Athlete & University of Missouri Track & Field Star

Elliott’s mother, like his father, was also a talented high school and collegiate athlete. Dawn Elliott, née Huff, attended Mount Ayr High School, where she was a track and field star as well as an all-state basketball and softball player, according to Creston News Advertiser.

She graduated from Mount Ayr in 1990 and was later inducted into the Mount Ayr Community Schools Hall of Fame for outstanding achievement in athletics. According to her bio on the Hall of Fame website, one of the school’s coaches called Elliott’s mother the “best all-around female athlete to graduate from Mount Ayr.” In 1990, she was named the Des Moines Register’s 1990 female high school athlete of the year.

After high school, she attended the University of Missouri and was on the track and field team, where she excelled in the 100m hurdles, shuttle hurdle relay, long jump, triple jump, javelin throw, and heptathlon, her Hall of Fame profile adds. Elliott’s parents met when they were both at Mizzou.

The athleticism on his mother’s side of the family stretched back to Elliott’s maternal grandfather, Leon Huff, who was a basketball star at Alton High in the late 1960s. He played at Drake University and was named to the school’s all-decade team of the 1970s, the Des Moines Register reported.

Dawn Elliott described her son in 2015 as “a bit goofy” and told the Register, “He’s a big kid at heart.” She said she wasn’t worried about how he’d handle the pressure of the NFL and added, “I still see the little boy who used to ball up a pair of socks to make a ball. If he didn’t have a ball to play with, he’d make one.”

4. Ezekiel Elliott Has 2 Younger Sisters Who Are Also Talented Athletes

Elliott has two younger sisters, Lailah and Aaliyah Elliott, both of whom were also standout athletes. Lailah Elliott, who attended John Burroughs School like her brother, graduated in 2017 and then attended Ohio State University.

She studied strategic communications and was a member of the college’s track and field team before graduating in 2020, her LinkedIn shows. She’s now a law student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Elliott’s youngest sister Aaliyah Elliott is a track and field athlete set to graduate from John Burroughs in 2024, her Twitter profile shows. She’s also an Instagram influencer with over 20,000 followers.

5. Ezekiel Elliott Bought a House in St. Louis for His Parents & Praised His Mother for Her Support

Elliott’s parents sacrificed a lot for him and the NFL star repaid them as best he could as soon as he signed his first NFL contract with the Dallas Cowboys. He bought his parents a home in St. Louis, where he grew up and where his family still lives. “It just feels really good to reward my mom,” Elliott told SportsDay, according to WBNS. “The hard work [my mother] put in raising me and all she sacrificed, finally being able to do something for her for the first time feels really good.”

Elliott often posts photos with his mother on Instagram, showing his love for her and sharing how important she is in his life. “25 years ago you birth me onto this earth,” he captioned one photo. “… And [ever] since that day you have been giving me the world. So today I wanna thank you for your unconditional love and all the work you put into making me into the man I am today.”

Dak Prescott was born Rayne Dakota Prescott on July 29, 1993, in Sulphur, Louisiana, to Nathaniel Prescott and Peggy Prescott. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s parents divorced when he was young and he grew up mostly with his mother and two older brothers, Thaddeus “Tad” and Jace Prescott, although he remained close with his father.

Here’s what you need to know about Dak Prescott’s family:

1. Dak Prescott Grew Up in a Three-Bedroom Trailer With His Mother & His Older Brothers

Prescott’s parents, Peggy and Nathaniel “Nat” Prescott, began dating when they were seniors in 1979. Peggy Prescott was the daughter of a high school principal, Bleacher Report wrote. Nat Prescott, a native of Vinton, Louisiana, was a defensive end and linebacker at Grambling State University, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback was raised in rural Louisiana in a trailer park along with his two older brothers in a close-knit family. He lived mainly with his mother and brothers after his parents divorced, though his father was still present in his life.

Prescott learned to play football in the field behind the trailer park thanks to his older brothers, and his mother was also a huge football fan. “We were best friends and still are,” Prescott said of his relationship with his mother on his foundation’s website. “She was everything, my coach, my mom, my teacher and anything you could think of, it was deeper than just mom and son.”

Their trailer was a three-bedroom in Haughton, a town of around 4,500 just outside Shreveport. Peggy Prescott worked as a manager at a truck stop and diner called Huddle House and although the family sometimes struggled to make ends meet, the mother of three often took in some of her son’s friends who needed a place to stay.

“She never turned her back on anyone,” her brother Phillip Ebarb told Bleacher Report, “and that’s probably because she knew what it felt like, because so many people turned their backs on her.”

2. Dak Prescott’s Parents Were Divorced & He Lived With His Mother But He Was Close With Both of Them

Prescott was close with both of his parents growing up but has often talked about his close relationship with his mother. The Cowboys star’s oldest brother Tad revealed that Prescott slept in the same bedroom as his mother until he left for college. The trailer they lived in had three bedrooms and Prescott’s older brothers Tad and Jace each got one while the youngest slept in his mother’s room.

“He’ll kill me when I tell you this, but … they were that close,” Tad Prescott shared with ESPN. “Even when he was in college, they spoke every day.” Peggy Prescott died in 2013 and her youngest son shared with the publication afterward, “I’m going to live the rest of my life dedicating it to my mom. She’s the reason I am the way I am in every aspect of my life. Everything I do is for her.”

Prescott was also close with his father growing up, although their relationship hasn’t been in the limelight as much as that with his mother. Nat Prescott often worked as a driver, spending some time as a commercial driver in the Louisiana oil fields and also as a bus driver in Austin, Texas, the Dallas Morning News reported.

After Prescott’s parents divorced, they remained close and Nat Prescott said they had a standing date every Wednesday night. “Peggy and I divorced but that didn’t separate my relationship with my kids,” he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Also, Peggy and I still had a standing date every Wednesday after our divorce. We were the best of friends. We just wasn’t the couple anymore.”

Nat Prescott now lives in Frisco and often helps out his son when needed, including looking after the quarterback’s dogs when needed. “He wanted to be in Dallas. I wanted him to be in Dallas,” Prescott told the publication. “It’s more convenient. He’s there for me. If I need something, he helps me out and gets it done. He is watching my two dogs right now, so it’s a whole lot more convenient.”

In the same interview, Prescott shared that he and his dad have always had a “tight relationship” and that his father “has always been there for me.”

3. Dak Prescott’s Mother Died in 2013 After a Battle With Colon Cancer & He Has Often Paid Tribute to Her Strength

Prescott’s mother died on November 3, 2013, after battling colon cancer. She was 52 years old, her obituary states. Prescott’s mother told him in the summer of 2012 that she was fighting stage four colon cancer, just before he started at Mississippi State University, according to his foundation’s website.

Throughout the next year and a half, Peggy Prescott continued to attend her youngest son’s football games, even when she couldn’t walk and had to use a wheelchair. Prescott and his brothers all shaved their heads to support their mother after she lost her hair from chemotherapy treatments.

“I learned so many lessons from watching my mom fight colon cancer,” Prescott said, according to his website. “And I think just toughness, mental toughness was one of the main things I’ve taken and I try to use every day and to never show weakness. And just her courage and fight through that whole battle just showed me how mentally tough one person can be.”

After his mother died during his sophomore year at Mississippi State, Prescott continued to practice and play with the team, as it was what his mother would have wanted. He was named the MVP of the Liberty Bowl at the end of the 2013 season and made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

Prescott still honors his mother every game, pointing to the sky after touchdowns for her. He chose his jersey number for his mother as well, number 4 to represent her birthday on September 4.

“I remember her telling me let me be your story,” Prescott shared on his foundation’s website. “Losing my mom and watching her fight motivated me. As much as I can raise awareness and educate people on how to get ahead of cancer, showing how to make your adversity your inspiration is probably the most significant goal.”

4. Dak Prescott Grew Up With 2 Older Brothers, Tad & Jace, Who Both Played Football

Prescott was the youngest of three boys, Tad and Jace. Jace Prescott, the middle child, was born on May 10, 1988, and attended Northwestern State University, where he majored in psychology with a minor in general studies. He played collegiate football for NSU as an offensive linesman, but his football career ended early due to a major wrist injury and other injuries, Sports Illustrated reported.

Jace Prescott’s former English teacher at Haughton, Jamie Gressett, described him to the Shreveport Times as “a sweet, quiet guy who was like a big teddy bear. The first day of class, he said: ‘My name is Jace Prescott, and my favorite color is pink.’ I liked having Jace in class and thought the world of him.”

Tad Prescott also played football growing up and he shared in an interview with Graham Bensinger that the three boys were very competitive. He hosts the podcast “U Don’t Know Me Yet,” although there have been no new episodes since May 2022.

Tad Prescott is married to Holly Prescott, having tied the knot in March 2023. They welcomed their son, Jace McKenzie Prescott II, in February 2021, and the boy’s nickname is Mak. Tad Prescott is also the father of a daughter named Kennedy, who’s very close with her uncle Dak Prescott, according to Saturday Down South. “I’m proud of what he’s done,” she shared, “but not just because of what he’s done in the NFL. To me, he’s my uncle.”

5. Dak Prescott’s Brother Jace Died of Suicide in April 2020 & the Quarterback Has Opened Up About It

Prescott’s brother Jace died at his home in Orange, Texas on April 23, 2020, and the quarterback later revealed that his older brother had committed suicide.

Prescott opened up about his brother’s suicide in an interview with Bensinger for “In Depth With Graham Bensinger” and shared that his brother had been their mother’s primary caregiver and it had had a deep impact on him.

“He saw the times where she would have to spend probably 10-plus hours throwing up this and that and saw the medicine she had to take,” Prescott shared. “And, um, almost you can’t even put into words the burden. I mean, it’s something only Jace knew. And he didn’t necessarily share that.”

Prescott said his brother had been his “best friend” and added, “I’ll never get another hug in my life like the ones he gave.” He revealed that he wrote a letter to his brother shortly after finding out he’d died, which said in part, “A Life Taken to Save Millions, You’ll never be forgotten for one second,” Sports Illustrated shared.

Josh Allen was born on May 21, 1996, to Joel and LaVonne Allen. He grew up one of four children on the family farm in small-town Firebaugh, California. The Buffalo Bills quarterback’s father is a farmer while his mother ran a restaurant in town for several years.

Here’s what you need to know about Josh Allen’s parents:

1. Josh Allen’s Father Is Joel Allen, Who Is a Third-Generation Farmer in Firebaugh, California

Josh Allen was born and raised in Firebaugh, California, a small town 45 minutes from Fresno. His parents, Joel and LaVonne Allen, raised the future NFL star and his three siblings on their family’s farm. Allen’s paternal great-grandfather emigrated from Sweden to the U.S. in 1924, when he was 16, at which point he changed the family name from Erlandson to Allen, the Chicago Tribune reported.

He met Allen’s great-grandmother in a strawberry patch in Arkansas, the publication wrote, and the couple made their way to Firebaugh, California, where two of their sons started Allen Brothers Farming. One of them, Alfred, known as “Buzz,” is the Bills quarterback’s grandfather. He was a pillar of the community and along with his brother donated land to build the town’s school, which named its gym the Buzz Allen Gym, SF Gate wrote.

Now, Joel Allen and his twin brother Todd both farm on their family’s land, and Allen also worked on the farm when he was growing up. The Denver Post reported that Allen’s father started his work day at 6 a.m. and was often not back home until around 8 p.m.

“It instilled a work ethic,” Allen told ESPN. “Seeing my dad wake up super early when the sun wasn’t even out and then coming home when the sun was set, he worked his tail off to provide for our family and did a great job. He’s the most selfless man I know, and I think if I’m half the man he is, I’ll be all right in this world.”

The family farm consists mostly of row crops of cotton, cantaloupes and small grains, Joel Allen told the Denver Post. He said his son was always really helpful around the farm, driving the tractor, helping install irrigation or sprinklers, and was “not afraid of hard work.” He’s a third-generation farmer and said Allen would be the fourth generation, but told ESPN, “I don’t think he’s coming back to the farm.”

“I would love for my sons to get into this business,” Joel Allen told the Buffalo News, “but the stress is agonizing. I frowned on my boys getting into this because I don’t want them enduring sleepless nights and constant worry.”

In 2017, Joel Allen shared that his schedule became a bit more challenging with his son’s career. “We made it work last year,” he told the Casper Star-Tribune. “I didn’t miss one game. It was a (challenge), but totally worth it. I think there would be a lot of dads that would kill to be in my position.”

2. Josh Allen’s Mother, LaVonne Allen, Ran a Restaurant for Several Years Once Her Children Were a Bit Older

While Joel Allen worked on the family farm, his wife LaVonne Allen became the owner of a restaurant in town, The Farmer’s Daughter. LaVonne Allen, whose parents were also farmers, shared that she had been sure when she left the family home for college that she was done with agriculture.

“One of the last things I said to my father when I went off to college,” she told the Buffalo News, “was I won’t be living in Dos Palos or Firebaugh, and I wouldn’t be marrying a farmer… That kind of bit me on the butt.” She met Joel Allen at Cal Poly, where she studied fashion design and merchandising and was a member of the dance team.

Once the couple’s four children had reached high school age, LaVonne Allen took over a restaurant in town that she named The Farmer’s Daughter. “My kids were in high school right around the corner,” she explained to the Casper Star-Tribune. “My baby girl was right behind me at her school. My older daughter was doing her thing in Long Beach. So it was a great time for me to have the restaurant. It kept me busy. My boys always knew where I was.”

Allen and his brother Jason would go to the restaurant for their lunch breaks in high school and often helped their mother with the dishes. “They always knew where I was, so it was just a perfect time to have it,” she shared. However, it eventually got to be too much as Allen’s football career and associated travel was quite time-consuming and she sold it after six years, the Chicago Tribune wrote.

“I was constantly on my phone because there’s ordering of the supplies and a lot of stuff that has to go on, that has to be taken care of, whether you’re there or not,” she said. “And for 13 weeks we traveled. Come Christmas time, I was an exhausted mess.” Allen praised his mother’s influence and support of the family, telling ESPN, “She’s the rock of our family.”

3. Josh Allen Grew Up With 3 Siblings & They Often Played Sports at Their House, Which Had a Basketball Court & Batting Cage

The Allen family grew up surrounded by sports and Joel and LaVonne Allen prioritized athletics for their children so they’d always be kept busy.

“We kind of created our house out here in the country, kind of the kids’ paradise,” LaVonne Allen told the Casper Star-Tribune. “We have a lot of different things for them to do. We have a basketball court. We have … a sand beach volleyball (court). They have a batting cage. We have a little putting green for the kids. So it was kind of a destination where we wanted all these kids to be at our house.”

She said if their children and their friends were playing at their house, it would be easier to keep an eye on them and what they were up to. “But pretty much everyone around here, they’re great kids, great families, and it was just really fun for the kids to grow up,” she added. “They had each other. They had each other’s backs.”

Beyond the emphasis on sports, Allen said he really looked up to his father and his work ethic and described him as “the greatest role model in the world” in a Democrat and Chronicle interview. “The things he did for our family to keep food on the table, he’s a smart businessman and a hard worker. It’s something that I look up to, how hard he works to support our family.”

He said that seeing his father work in farming, which meant no days off and having to work long days from before sunrise to after sunset regardless of the soaring temperatures, was inspirational and a big reason he became successful in his own career.

4. Josh Allen’s Parents Are Very Supportive of the Bills Star & Will Often Travel to See All of His Games

Allen’s parents have been supportive of his football career from the early days, which was represented by a toast his father made in front of friends and family just before he declared for the NFL. “To Josh’s future,” Joel Allen said, according to Bleacher Report. “No matter what he does and where he goes, we’re going to support him 100 percent.”

Allen recalled his father giving him mock interviews in the car on the way to school, explaining that his father would take his cell phone and ask his son questions about his games. “Being here was not a mistake. It was not by chance,” the Bills star shared with WHAM. “It was manufactured.”

He told the publication in 2020 that he bought his father a truck since his old one had 140,000 miles on it. The quarterback said he told his father that he’d made it to the NFL thanks to both his parents. “I just wanna show you how much I appreciate you and what you’ve done for me over the course of my life,” he said he told them. “I know it can’t be repaid but I just wanted to show him that I loved him.”

Despite the distance between the family’s home in California and Buffalo, Allen’s parents usually fly all over the country and rarely miss their son’s games, the Los Angeles Times reported.

5. Josh Allen Is 1 of 4 Children Born to Joel & LaVonne Allen & He Is Very Close With His Siblings

Allen is one of four children born to Joel and LaVonne Allen. He has an older sister named Nicala, a younger brother named Jason and a younger sister, Makenna. The Bills quarterback is very close with all of his siblings.

Makenna Allen is a three-sport athlete, Allen revealed to the Casper Star-Tribune, when he shared that he wanted to watch some of her games. “Basketball is her main sport,” he shared. “She plays volleyball, basketball and softball, so she’s a three-sport athlete as well. She definitely has some good genes.”

His younger brother Jason Allen played college baseball but the two competed in all sorts of sports together growing up. “They pushed each other on the basketball court, they pushed each other on the baseball field,” LaVonne Allen told the publication. There was only a 13-month age difference between them and she said they were like twins growing up. “When I say push each other, they were competitive, but they were very supportive,” she added. “To this day, Jason is the first one to call me, ‘Mom, did you read this about Josh? Mom, did you see this?’”

Allen agreed that growing up with his athletic siblings created a competitive environment that pushed him to improve. “(Jason) is my best friend,” he shared. “I talk to him all the time. I’m excited for what his future holds in baseball, but growing up with someone so close in age, and such a good athlete as he was, it was definitely a blessing.”

Allen’s older sister Nicala is now Nicala Madden, having married Brayden Madden in July 2021. The couple welcomed their first child, a son on March 24, 2023. She is a realtor working with Realty Concepts in Fresno. Makenna Allen obtained her bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and management at the University of Arizona, graduating in 2022. Jason Allen is married to Delani Allen.

Josh Allen was the second of four children born to Joel and LaVonne Allen. The Buffalo Bills quarterback has an older sister, Nicala, a younger brother named Jason, and a younger sister named Makenna. The four siblings, who grew up in Firebaugh, California, are very close.

Here’s what you need to know about Josh Allen’s siblings:

1. Josh Allen Grew Up With 3 Siblings in a Farming Household, With His Father Working Long Days as His Mother Ran a Restaurant

Joel and LaVonne Allen have four children, two sons and two daughters, and the close-knit family grew up in Firebaugh, California, a small town around 45 minutes out of Fresno. Joel Allen worked on their family farm, with help from Josh and his brother Jason, working from morning to night.

Allen said that seeing his father work tirelessly on the farm “instilled a work ethic” in him that was instrumental in his football training. “Seeing my dad wake up super early when the sun wasn’t even out and then coming home when the sun was set, he worked his tail off to provide for our family and did a great job,” Allen told the Denver Post.

As for LaVonne Allen, she ran a restaurant for several years, where her sons would often go during their school lunch breaks to eat and help her clean up, she told the Casper Star-Tribune. She sold it after six years when it got to be too much with Allen’s football schedule, the Chicago Tribune reported.

At home, the Allen children had access to all the sports they wanted to play as their parents set up a batting cage, putting green, basketball court, sand beach volleyball court and more, where their four kids and their friends could play.

2. Josh Allen Has a Younger Brother, Jason Allen, & the 2 Are Best Friends

Allen has a younger brother, Jason Allen, and the two were very close growing up, almost like twins. “They pushed each other on the basketball court,” LaVonne Allen told the Casper Star-Tribune. “They pushed each other on the baseball field. When I say push each other, they were competitive, but they were very supportive. To this day, Jason is the first one to call me, ‘Mom, did you read this about Josh? Mom, did you see this?’”

She said the two brothers are like best friends and people have asked her, “‘What have you guys done with your family that they’re so close?’ I go, ‘I don’t know. We just support each other, and I wanted my kids to do that, too.’” Their close bond didn’t stop them from being very competitive with each other, however, as Allen said he and his younger brother made almost everything a competition.

“We’d jump out the car and race to see who was the first one to get the Xbox controller and race outside to be the first one to start shooting hoops,” he recalled. The two of them played several sports growing up, including baseball, football, basketball and swimming. Although Jason was younger by 13 months, he was usually bigger than Allen, ESPN reported.

Allen recalled that his love of football began when he was really young, running around the living room table with his brother while they watched Monday Night Football and their father threw them the ball, he told Democrat and Chronicle. “There were a few dents in the walls, some broken cases, stuff like that,” he added.

The brothers often poured their excess energy into helping their parents on the farm, clearing weeds, digging ditches, setting up irrigation and helping to pick the cotton, the Los Angeles Times wrote.

Jason Allen played baseball at Saddleback College but was unable to take the sport further due to back issues, Buffalo News wrote. He studied agriculture at Fresno State to carry on the family trade. He’s married to Delani Allen.

3. Josh Allen’s Older Sister Is Named Nicala Madden, & She Works for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society & Is a Realtor

Allen’s older sister is Nicala Madden, a realtor and mother who lives in California. Madden attended California State University in Long Beach, where she obtained a bachelor of arts in communication studies with a minor in sociology in 2015, her LinkedIn indicates.

She’s been working for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for over 7 years, and now holds the position of Campaign Development Director, her profile shows. According to her LinkedIn bio, Madden is an “Experienced relationship builder with a demonstrated history of working in the healthcare industry/nonprofit sector.” She wrote that she is “Skilled in relationship management, project management, leading product sales teams, strategic planning, and event management.”

Madden’s Instagram bio also shows that she’s a licensed realtor in California and working with Realty Concepts. “Nicala is a Central Valley native and has been an active member of her community for several years now. She is so excited to be turning that community focus toward real estate,” her realtor bio states.

It adds that she spends her free time traveling and being outdoors with her husband, Brayden Madden and their dog Dallas. The couple welcomed their first child together, a son, on March 24, 2023.

4. Josh Allen’s Younger Sister Is Makenna Allen, a 3-Sport Athlete Who Graduated From the University of Arizona in 2022

Allen has a younger sister, Makenna Allen, who’s also a talented athlete. He shared that she’s a three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball, he told the Casper Star-Tribune.

“I’m anxious to get home in January and February and get to see her play some basketball,” he told the publication in September 2017. “Basketball is her main sport.” In January 2018, Allen wished his younger sister a happy birthday and wrote in the caption on Instagram that she was “The Allen’s best athlete.”

Makenna Allen attended the University of Arizona from 2019 to 2022, when she graduated with a degree in agricultural business and management, her LinkedIn shows. She has a dog named Zona, a silver Lab, with its own Instagram page.

5. Josh Allen Credits His Charitable Efforts With the Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo to Having Seen His Brother Hospitalized When They Were Children

Some of Allen’s charitable initiatives since joining the Buffalo Bills have been rooted in a personal connection the quarterback has. He’s worked with the Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and visited the children. In October 2020, he participated in several virtual visits and spoke with the Bills organization about his brother Jason getting diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when they were younger.

Kawasaki disease is an inflammation of the blood vessels in children, with symptoms of high fever, swollen hands and feet, and red eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is usually treatable and “most children recover without serious problems if they receive treatment within 10 days of onset,” it adds.

According to Allen, his younger brother spent a week or two in hospital with the disease when they were young. “I remember it was very tough on him, tough on my family,” he told Buffalo News. In fact, he said he and his family couldn’t be there all day, every day, which is why he knows the importance of visiting children in the hospital, he shared with the Bills.

“To go there and be at Children’s Hospital, it’s heart-wrenching,” he added to the Buffalo News. “But at the same time, to go into these rooms and see these kids’ faces light up, and see how impactful just a simple visit can (be) for somebody, especially the families that are staying in there with their kids — it’s a tough one because of some of the kids you do see. But it’s the most meaningful one to me.”

Viktor Hovland is a PGA Tour golfer from Norway. He is the son of Harald Hovland and Galina Hovland. The 25-year-old Norwegian was born September 18, 1997, in Oslo, Norway, and attended Oklahoma State University, according to his biography on the PGA Tour website.

Hovland, who has three career wins on the PGA Tour, entered the final round of the PGA Championship in 2023 in contention for his first major championship. Hovland, who turned pro in 2019, has made $16.7 million in career earnings during his time on the PGA Tour website, according to his bio. He lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, according to the PGA website.

Here’s what you need to know about Viktor Hovland’s family:

1. Viktor Hovland’s Mother, Galina Hovland, Called in a Rules Infraction on Her Son During the 2021 Players Championship

In 2021, Hovland’s mom, Galina Havland, called in a rules infraction on her own son, according to Golf.com. Hovland was docked two strokes after his mom called him and notified him of his error.

According to PGATour.com, “Hovland’s score went from 70 to 72 after he was docked for inadvertently playing his ball from the wrong spot on the green at the par-4 15th hole,” during the first round at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

2. Viktor Hovland’s Father, Harald Hovland, Is a Retired Engineer

Viktor Hovland’s dad, Harald Hovland, was an engineer and would travel to the U.S. for work, according to Golf Digest. He helped introduce his son to the game.

According to the 2021 Golf Digest article, “That Hovland was even swinging a golf club as a high schooler was an act of providence. His father, Harald, had spent a year as a visiting engineer on a project in St. Louis and had bought some clubs during that stretch to kill time at a practice range that was on his way to work. When the year was up, he brought a junior set of clubs back to Norway for his son to try, and by age 11, Viktor was committed.”

Hovland told Dormy.com, “I grew up on Grønmo Golf Club which is 10 minutes from where I lived as a child. It was a great environment with lots of juniors of my age who liked playing golf and when I could see that I was improving every year, I found it enjoyable to continue. I’ve always just really loved playing golf.”

3. Viktor Hovland Says His Parents Are ‘Happy People’

Warren Little/Getty Viktor Hovland at the 2023 PGA Championship.

In 2022, Hovland, when asked about his signature smile, told Masters.com, “My mom and dad are pretty happy people. … Norway, is a pretty happy country.” He added, “I would say I am,” very happy, “I enjoy a lot of things in life. I try to look forward to the things I want to do.”

Hovland added when asked about what he thinks is more important to his success, his skills on the course or his mental toughness, he said, “Hard to answer. I feel like they kind of go hand in hand. If you’re playing well, it’s easy to be mentally strong. But if you don’t have a certain skill set, you can’t wish yourself to suddenly be good at it.”

He told Dormy.com, “Living here in the US it’s very easy to… well I wouldn’t say forget where you’re from… but of course the US is very different to Norway and Sweden. I’m enjoying working with J.Lindeberg apparel from Sweden and Ping clubs which you could say are from Norway. Having things that keep me connected to where I come from makes it a little more unique.”

4. Viktor Hovland Has Had His Family’s Support During His Rise From Amateur Champion to One of the Top Pro Golfers in the World

Viktor Hovland has had the support of his family during his rise on the PGA Tour after turning pro in 2019. The former Oklahoma State Cowboys star posted a photo on Instagram with his parents and other relatives, including Mats Eriksen Hovland, in 2019 while he was playing at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Hovland wrote in the caption, “Nice to see the family again in Augusta!”

Hovland made the difficult decision to leave his family in Norway to play college golf in Oklahoma, telling The Oklahoman in 2018, ““You see all those players, (like) Rickie Fowler, pretty much everyone out there on tour. They went to college. That kind of opened doors. That’s kind of how I thought about it. Go there and get better. If I do well in college, that means I’m getting ready for the PGA Tour.”

5. Viktor Hovland Is Not Married & Has Not Talked Publicly About His Dating Life

Viktor Hovland is not married and he has not talked on social media or elsewhere about his dating life. Various rumors about a possible girlfriend have not been confirmed.

Hovland lives in Oklahoma near where he attended college, according to public records. Hovland owns a $370,000 home in Stilwater that he bought in 2019, according to records viewed by Heavy.

When asked about his style and the J.Lindeberg clothes he wears, he told Hype Beast in 2023, “It’s kind of interesting because obviously I’m from Norway and I would say Scandinavia is usually on the fashion side, very kind of moving forward and trendy and that’s why I think JL has been so popular back home. I live now in Oklahoma, which is completely opposite, very traditional … So I’ve kind of experienced both sides. But it’s been really cool to see even my friends and people in Oklahoma and just generally in the United States seeing that JL has got some really cool stuff.”

Diamond Bradley is a missing Chicago, Illinois, girl who disappeared in 2001 with her sister, Tionda, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A woman from Texas has come forward in a TikTok video to claim she is Diamond Bradley. The girl was 3 when she disappeared and would be 25 in 2023.

“No matter what we hope, think, doubt, wish, or pray; only the DNA will confirm or deny if she’s my missing niece Diamond Bradley,” the girls’ great-aunt, Sheliah Bradley-Smith wrote on Facebook. “Either way the search continues.” The DNA test is pending, according to the family.

“Attention immediate BLOOD FAMILY MEMBERS ONLY. When these DNA results come in, no matter the results, I will set up a ZOOM MEETING with ALL IMMEDIATE BLOOD RELATED FAMILY MEMBERS ONLY,” Bradley-Smith wrote.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Diamond Bradley & Her Sister, Tionda Bradley, Disappeared After Tionda Left a Note Saying the Girls Were Going to the Store & a Playground, the FBI Says

FBIDiamond Bradley.

On July 6, 2001, Diamond Yvette Bradley, then 3, and her sister Tionda Bradley, then 10, “were reported missing to the Chicago Police Department, Chicago, Illinois, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI added, “According to their mother, a note written by Tionda was found, stating that the two girls were going to the store and to the school playground. An extensive search of the area and surrounding neighborhood met with negative results.”

The FBI missing person’s page for Diamond Bradley says: “At the time of her disappearance, Diamond Bradley had a medium complexion and wore her hair in braided ponytails. She was last seen wearing purple ponytail holders in her hair. She has a scar on the left side of her scalp, has deep-set eyes, and is described as timid but loves to talk.”

There is a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Bradley’s whereabouts, the FBI says. The FBI’s page for Tionda Bradley says, “At the time of her disappearance, Tionda Bradley had a light complexion, a slim build, and wore her hair in long ponytails. She had a burn scar on her left forearm about the size of a quarter. Tionda was last seen wearing green ponytail holders in her hair, and had a scrape on her left calf. She is described as being shy with strangers, and loved to run track and dance.”

2. The TikTok Video Has Been Viewed More Than 600,000 Times

Bradley-Smith shared a TikTok video on Facebook and wrote, “Thank you to everyone that have sent messages, called, and texted regarding the TIKTOK video being circulated and know that we are fully aware of the video. I am in contact with her and DNA was collected yesterday by the FBI. Due to the sensitivity of this matter, please allow time for the DNA results to be completed. Continue praying and hoping for the best.❤❤”

The video shows a woman looking at a news story about Diamond Bradley with a police car in the background. “This is Diamond Bradley, can I see your scar?” a woman says in the video, which then appears to zoom in to show a scar.

“Here with Diamond Bradley,” a person says in the video, which was posted on the TikTok page @imherbigtootieee. That video has been viewed more than 688,000 times.

3. The Harris County, Texas, Woman in the Video Wrote Bradley’s Great-Aunt on Facebook & Said She Believes She is Diamond Bradley, Reports Say

The Bradleys’ great-aunt, Sheliah Bradley-Smith, told ABC 7 that the woman from Texas reached out to her on Facebook and told her that “she believes she is Diamond Bradley, my missing niece.”

Bradley-Smith told ABC 7 that the woman, who lives in Harris County, Texas, had given her DNA and fingerprints to the FBI.

“She pretty much said that she remembered being in a car and being around Tionda for a while, but then she said she was taken away and never saw her again,” Bradley-Smith said to ABC 7, saying she had spoken to the woman by phone.

4. The Bradley Family Was the Victim of a Hoax in 2019, Reports Say

In 2019, a different Texas woman claimed to be one of the sisters, but the family determined that she had lied, according to ABC 7.

ABC 7 posted a now-deleted Facebook post from the family that read,

With agonizing regret, the search for MISSING DIAMOND AND TIONDA BRADLEY CONTINUES. Unfortunately the information provided on social media from this group of scammer are NOT MISSING DIAMOND AND OR TIONDA BRADLEY. We hope that all will continue to provide any tips as to the whereabouts of Diamond and Tionda Bradley. We thank you the Community, the Law Enforcement Community, the News that covered this heartbreaking HOAX. We further thank the Private Investigator and all tips that were provided to expose those responsible for this CRUEL AND EVIL ACT.

5. The FBI Has Not Commented on the Claims

According to ABC 7, the FBI told the television station that “Department of Justice policy prohibits them from commenting on any investigation that may or may not be occurring.”

CBS News reported that the Texas “woman told the aunt she recently escaped from whoever was holding her against her will. Diamond had a scar on her forehead from injury – and the woman has a scar in a similar area.”

Daily Mail reported that the recent TikTok video was filmed in Houston, Texas.

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James Dalvin Cook was born on September 25, 1999, in Miami, Florida, and is one of six children born to James Cook and Varondria Burnett. The Buffalo Bills running back has two older brothers, including NFL star Dalvin Cook, and three sisters.

Here’s what you need to know about James Cook’s family:

1. James Cook Grew Up in Miami, Florida, With 5 Siblings & Was Close With His Family

Cook grew up in Miami, Florida, the third son of James Cook Sr. and Varondria White, née Burnett. Cook Sr. and Burnett have six children together. The oldest, Deandre Burnett, took his mother’s maiden name, while the other five are Dalvin, Daneshia, James, Jameisha and Jamiya, ESPN reported. Cook also has a son named Demarcus, the publication wrote.

Cook’s older brother Dalvin Cook, who plays for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, spoke about his close bond with his father, sharing with ESPN, “Everywhere my daddy went, I wanted to go. I was always up under him, and it was like that when I got older, too. I just always wanted to stay with my dad.”

Dalvin Cook went to live with his father and grandmother, known as Miss Betty, when he was 13 years old. Cook’s grandmother was well-known in the community for always bringing food to her grandson’s team. She was incredibly supportive of her grandchildren and was in attendance at all of Dalvin Cook’s home games in college, ESPN wrote.

Cook’s father ran a mobile car wash business and loved to cook. Dalvin Cook and his father often went fishing in their free time, and his grandmother shared that “Fishing was their life. Even if they weren’t catching anything, they were out there.”

After James Cook Sr.’s death in 2020, Dalvin Cook moved his grandmother into a new home in Miami Gardens. “He was not going to take ‘no’ as an answer from me,” she told ESPN. “He never has refused to listen to something that I say, but at that point, he was so determined that I had to get out of that house. I said, ‘I don’t know, Dalvin,’ and he said, ‘Ma, I don’t want to hear it. You’re going.’ Like he was the dad. ‘You’re going.'”

2. James Cook’s Father, James Cook Sr., Died at 46 Years Old on December 29, 2020, From Complications From Diabetes

James Cook Sr. died on December 29, 2020, from complications from diabetes, ESPN reported. He was 46 years old.

When Cook was drafted by the Bills in 2022, his entire family had a “big party,” his grandmother shared. “Lots of family and friends, definitely,” she told the Star Tribune. “I told Dalvin the other day, ‘You know your dad is in heaven smiling down on us right now, don’t you? He’ll be with us.’ Two of my grandsons in the NFL. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

She also shared that the number 4, which Dalvin Cook wears, was a special number for Cook Sr. “Dalvin’s dad fell in love with that number. When Dalvin got drafted and showed up with No. 33, the first thing his dad asked him was, ‘What are you doing with that number?'” Now, after wearing the #28 for his first season, James Cook is also sporting the #4 that was so important to his father.

Dalvin Cook revealed that he feels additional responsibility since his father’s death to be there for his family. “Just looking out for my brothers and sisters and my grandma, too,” he told ESPN. “I just feel like that’s my role now in his absence.” However, his siblings have also been there for him.

Dalvin Cook shared that it was hard to get back into fishing, which he’d shared for so long with his father. But his siblings convinced him to get back to it and they would join him, he told the Athletic. So the Vikings running back taught his siblings to fish and he said, “They actually enjoy it now.”

3. James Cook’s Brother Dalvin Cook Is Also an NFL Player & the Two Talk ‘Every Day’

Cook is very close with his older brother Dalvin Cook, who was born on August 10, 1995, four years before the Bills star. Both grew up in Miami and played against each other in their backyard for fun, but because of the age difference, they never played against each other competitively until they were both in the NFL.

Dalvin Cook attended Florida State, where he was a star running back and won several honors. He was then drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2017. The NFL star is a four-time Pro Bowler. Having an older brother in the NFL has been extremely helpful for Cook as he’s navigated the process and he shared that they’re very present in each other’s lives.

Cook said the two talk “every day,” he told the Bills, about not just football but their lives and everything in between. Cook revealed that his older brother was a mentor when he was younger and that’s continued through their careers.

“He just keeps telling me to stay ready,” Cook revealed of the advice his older brother has given him. “I just look at him, and he’s set the example,” he added in an interview with the Buffalo News. “That’s all the motivation I need right there. When I talk to him, he just tells me to stay locked in, stay ready and just be yourself.”

In the offseason, the two will train together in Florida and they push each other constantly. Dalvin Cook shared, “That’s probably the best thing, having your little brother in your workouts. He’s not going to beat me. That’s the mind-set I have,” he told the Star Tribune.

4. Dalvin Cook & James Cook First Faced Off on the Field in 2022 & They Spoke About the Special Moment

The Cook brothers had their first real football head-to-head in Week 10 of the 2022 NFL season when the Bills faced the Vikings. The matchup was a close one that saw the Vikings defeat the Bills in overtime.

“It’s just funny how things work out,” Dalvin Cook told the Buffalo News of the game. “We made it to the stages of our career that we aimed for when we [were] younger. So we just got to take advantage of it. It’s a fun time for my family. But it’s something that I will remember forever. Just taking it all in and a lot of emotions Sunday.”

As for Cook, he shared in the lead-up to the game that it was a “dream come true.” He told the Bills, “We both dreamed of being in the NFL. We both just gotta keep grinding, get better and better and keep leaning on each other.”

Their mother Varondria Burnett White, who has been a supportive figure in their lives, said dozens of family members were going to the game and would be wearing split hoodies. The publication wrote that Cook’s mother was in Buffalo for all of her younger son’s home games.

“I’m very nervous,” she told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press of her sons’ matchup. “I’m excited, but I’m actually nervous. I’ll just be there to cheer for them. Regardless of who wins, I just want the boys to have fun and do well.”

5. James Cook’s Oldest Brother Deandre Burnett Was a Basketball Star in College But Got His Younger Brothers Into Basketball

Cook’s oldest brother Deandre Burnett was also a college athlete and one of the main reasons the two NFL players got into football. “He would drag their shoulder pads, take it to practice to them. He would do everything they would do,” Cook’s mother told Fox of his desire to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps.

Burnett played football and basketball and stopped playing the former when he was 16 years old to focus on basketball. “[Deandre] wore No. 4 and was like a hero in my eyes when I seen him play football,” Dalvin Cook told the Star Tribune. “He switched sports, so I carried the legacy of No. 4 on, passed it to my little brother and on to my little cousins. It’s like a tradition in my family.”

Dalvin Cook and Burnett faced each other once on the football field before he switched to basketball. He was 16 and Dalvin Cook was 14. “We played each other that year,” Burnett recalled. “Dalvin ran a sweep near the goal line. I could hit pretty hard. I crushed him. He scored on the play, but he always said that might have been the toughest he ever been hit.” The family still discusses that hit and Cook’s grandmother said if Burnett had stuck with football, he’d also have made the NFL.

As it is, Burnett played basketball for the University of Miami and the University of Mississippi then played overseas, the publication wrote. He’s very proud of the success his younger brothers have found, sharing, “Dalvin and James are two very special, special players. I always knew they both were going to be better than me. I always wanted them to be better than me in football.”

Damar Hamlin was born on March 24, 1998. The Buffalo Bills star is the eldest of two sons born to Mario and Nina Hamlin.

The entire football world rallied around Hamlin when he collapsed on the field early into the Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football on January 2, 2023. Video of the game showed that Hamlin suddenly collapsed after suffering a hit to his chest.

During a press conference in April 2023, Hamlin confirmed that he’d suffered a cardiac arrest caused by commotio cordis, a “rare cardiac arrest immediately following a blow to the chest,” according to the American Heart Association.

Hamlin revealed that he was medically cleared to return to football and said his intention was to return to the NFL. “I got a long journey to go, but I’m committed to it each day,” he said in his press conference. “So I thank everybody for being on this journey with me.” Three of the people who have been in his corner from the start are his parents and younger brother.

Here’s what you need to know about Damar Hamlin’s family:

1. Damar Hamlin Was Born & Raised in McKees Rocks, Just Outside Pittsburgh, & Helped His Mother With Work on Evenings & Weekends

Hamlin was born and raised in McKees Rocks, also known as “The Rocks,” a small town in the metropolitan area of Pittsburgh on the banks of the Ohio River. The town has one of the highest crime rates in the country at 63 per one thousand residents, according to Neighborhood Scout.

Hamlin lived with his parents, Mario and Nina Hamlin, in a neighborhood that was rife with drugs and gangs. In fact, his own father began selling drugs to try to support his family but ended up getting arrested and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for intent to sell drugs in 2010, according to GoLongTD.

Hamlin was 12 years old and he recalled, “You start to sense something,” he told the outlet. “And they said they were going to keep him. It broke my Mom. My Mom was crushed.” Mario Hamlin ended up serving 3-and-a-half years of his sentence, and it was a time period that saw Hamlin grow up quickly to help his mother make ends meet.

Before Mario Hamlin had been sentenced, he and his wife had started an office cleaning business, and Nina Hamlin was also running a daycare. After his father’s arrest, Hamlin began going with his mother to clean offices after school. “Wednesdays were always the longest day,” he recalled to the Democrat & Chronicle.

“My mom would be working at the daycare from six in the morning till six at night and then we would go clean our accounts until like 10 or 12 depending on the day,” he said. “Just stepping up to the plate, just being there for my mom, just trying to make it easy for her. I had that work ethic in me, that we’re like, nothing can ever be too much.”

However, he said it was hard to skip normal activities with his friends. “I wanted to be a kid — go to school, go home, play the game — but I really didn’t have that type of time,” he shared. “But it built up that hard work ethic, putting in that extra work, that mentality. My mom knew what she was doing the whole time, just building that in me.”

Hamlin also stayed in touch with his father through phone calls when he was in prison and credited not just his mother but his father too with helping to keep him “on track” despite the difficult area he was growing up in.

Mario Hamlin now has his own trucking company, GoLongTD reported, while Nina Hamlin is the co-owner of Kelly & Nina’s Daycare Center.

2. Damar Hamlin’s Parents Wanted to Keep Him on a Good Path & He Shared That Many of His Friends Were Killed When He Was Growing Up

It was really important for Hamlin’s parents to keep him on the straight and narrow and he pointed out how many of his friends and people he knew from the neighborhood had died. “I’d say I probably lost ten-plus friends on this journey,” he admitted to WIVB.

He said it’s in part why he’s pushed so hard to find success on the field as they “all had the same dream,” he explained. Hamlin said it was sometimes “tough,” especially when he was at the University of Pittsburgh and lost one of his close friends. “I was a leader for my team and I got through it,” he said. “You gotta keep rolling with the punches and I know what they wanted for me and it’s to be right here.”

In fact, the safety said that he feels like his friends are “all looking down smiling” at how far he’s come. He revealed that growing up in an environment like that taught him to “cherish everybody in your life because you never know who you’ll lose,” he told GoLongTD. “You could lose anybody. Everybody I talk to, I say ‘I love you.’ And that’s neighborhood tradition.”

3. Damar Hamlin’s Parents Were Both Very Supportive & He Said He’s ‘Very Close’ With Them & Values Their Opinions

Hamlin’s parents were both very supportive of Hamlin and he shared that he’s “extremely close” with his family in a WIVB interview. Mario Hamlin was 17 years old and Nina Hamlin was 16 when he was born, and he shared that he couldn’t imagine having to take care of a son when he was 16 years old.

“It was probably so stressful but both of my parents had me young, at sixteen and pretty much since that point they put everything they had into me to get me to where we are right now today,” he shared with the outlet. Hamlin credited having two parents who were supportive and who dedicated their lives to his upbringing as the difference maker in keeping him on track.

“There were times where I could have steered left or steered right but my parents were always there to straighten me out and get me back on the track,” he told the Democrat & Chronicle. “I’ve got to give out a credit to them, it really had nothing to do with me. The only thing I had to do was just listen and that’s the type of kid I was.”

In fact, Hamlin shared that even when his father was behind bars, he was still in his life. Moreover, he already had a strong moral compass and goals that had been established from a young age. “But just me being who I was and what was already instilled in me, I stayed focused,” he said.

Hamlin said his father “sacrificed a lot” for him and set him up to be successful, while his mother instilled in him “hard work and dedication,” he told The Globe. Even today, Hamlin shared that he’ll usually get his parents’ opinion before any undertaking and told Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna, “My life revolves around them.”

4. Damar Hamlin Has a Younger Brother, Damir Hamlin, & His Goal Is to Be a Mentor & Role Model for Him

Nina and Mario Hamlin welcomed their second child, a boy, in February 2015. Hamlin’s little brother, Damir Hamlin, is much younger than the Bills star but that hasn’t stopped them from having a tight bond. In fact, Hamlin said it was important for him to stay close to home in college because of his little brother and that’s why he chose Pitt.

“Just staying close to my family and then having my little brother around so I could be a role model for him and just show him examples of life that I’ve never really had,” he told WIVB. “I never had no one here to be that force of like this is what you should be doing [when it comes to a sibling role model], this is going to make you successful. I kind of had to figure it out as I was going up until this point, up until I found myself in a routine. So it’s just a blessing to be able to be that for him.”

Hamlin shared that his little brother was crying before the NFL draft because his big brother would likely be leaving home, but that he was happy to learn that Buffalo was only three hours away. Hamlin described his little brother, who has his own Instagram account, as a “natural-born leader.”

On February 23, 2023, Hamlin posted a message to his little brother on Instagram, writing, “Ever since my baby bro was born my mission was to have him grow up with a personal role model in his life that he could come to for anything & everything. Even staying home & going to Pitt was for you!! I’m so glad I was able to make it back home in time for your birthday there’s no place in the world I’d rather be.. 🫶🏾 love you for life baby boy @mir_mirsworld3.”

5. Damar Hamlin’s Family & Community Rallied Around Him After He Suffered a Cardiac Arrest During Monday Night Football

Hamlin’s family and community rallied around the Bills safety after his scary on-field cardiac arrest on January 2, 2023. As the Gazette 2.0 reported, Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field with CPR and the NFL star was placed in a medically-induced coma until January 5.

On January 9, Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the same day that his community in McKees Rocks was gathered for a prayer vigil.

“On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” Hamlin’s family shared on January 3.

On January 28, Hamlin shared a video message on his Instagram, speaking publicly for the first time since his cardiac arrest. He thanked the doctors and first responders who saved his life, from the medical personnel at the field to those at the hospital. He said it was “a lot to process.” He thanked his family for their support and then expressed his gratitude for the well-wishes.

“While I’m so thankful to everybody, I know that it isn’t enough just to be thankful,” he concluded. “This is just the beginning of the impact that I wanted to have on the world and with God’s guidance I will continue to do wonderful ad great things. I couldn’t do this without any of the support and the love and I can’t wait to continue to take you all on this journey with me.”

Josh Allen and Brittany Williams are rumored to have split after more than five years of dating after they both unfollowed each other on Instagram and Williams deleted all of her content with the Buffalo Bills quarterback from her page.

While neither Allen nor Williams have publicly addressed their relationship status or confirmed a split, Williams’ friend hinted that the relationship was over when she posted a photo with Williams at the Kentucky Derby in May 2023 and wrote, “Now accepting husband applications @brittwilll,” according to a screengrab published by the New York Post.

Here’s what you need to know about Brittany Williams:

1. Brittany Williams Unfollowed Josh Allen & Deleted Their Photos From Her Instagram in April 2023, a Month After the 2 Vacationed Together

Williams was often seen by Allen’s side throughout the quarterback’s NFL career and most recently celebrated the Bills making the playoffs after winning their AFC Wild Card match against the Miami Dolphins. The California native posted several photos of the game, which she captioned, “playoffs baby,” according to People. One of the photos showed her and Allen kissing on the field.

After the Bills lost in the playoffs, she wrote that she was “proud” of Allen for his season. “You are the most amazing & selfless person I know,” she wrote in January 2023, People reported. “Riding with you till the end 17!”

The two were then seen on vacation together in February 2023. Williams shared several photos and videos of the pair in a tropical location on her Instagram Story during the offseason, as captured by the New York Post, and it seemed that all was going smoothly.

Rumors began circulating that there might be trouble for the longtime couple in April 2023 when fans noticed that Williams had unfollowed Allen on Instagram. She later removed all her photos with the NFL star as well as all of her posts at his games. Sometime later, Allen also unfollowed Williams, though he still has a handful of photos with her on his Instagram page.

The most recent photo of the two of them together on Allen’s page is dated April 2020, and is a post for Williams’ birthday that he captioned, “I hope your day was amazing as you, here’s to 24 and more! ❤️”

Williams and Allen have a dog together, Sky, a silver lab with its own Instagram page boasting over 13,000 followers.

2. Brittany Williams Is a Pilates Instructor & Was a Dancer & Cheerleader at School

Williams grew up in Fresno, California with a brother, Jordan Williams, along with her parents, Chris and Megan Williams. Her father was a football player in college, playing as a linebacker at Fresno State, his LinkedIn shows. It also adds that his team became Freedom Bowl champions and two-time conference champions during his time playing.

In a now-deleted Instagram post dated October 15, 2017, Williams, a cheerleader at Fresno State, wrote that her father was named the honorary captain of her senior homecoming game, People reported.

Williams attended Fresno State University from 2014 to 2018, where she studied agribusiness and agricultural business operations, her LinkedIn states. She was also a member of the cheerleading squad and the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Williams is a dancer as well and trained at the Dolce Dance Studio.

Since graduating, Williams has become a Pilates instructor and launched her own virtual Pilates workout platform, Pilates by Britt. She is also a social media influencer and will post sponsored content on her Instagram to her 174,000 followers.

3. Brittany Williams & Josh Allen First Met at a Birthday Party When They Were 8 Years Old

Allen and Williams began dating when they were in college but the two California natives have known each other since they were 8 years old and Williams once referred to Allen as her “crush” when she was a young girl. “My 8 year old crush became my boyfriend a few years later,” she wrote on Instagram, according to People.

The former cheerleader has given a lot of detail about her relationship with the Bills star in a podcast appearance on Kelly Stafford’s “The Morning After.”

She revealed that they first met when they were 8 years old at Allen’s brother’s birthday party and that both of their mothers knew each other. “There’s this baseball team, the Fresno Grizzlies and so, we specifically remember as 8-year-olds, it was (Allen’s) brother’s birthday,” she recalled, according to a transcription by the New York Post.

“They rented out the pool area, there’s like a pool in the outfield, and we vividly remember it happening, a ball came over into the pool area,” she added. “Josh likes to say it’s a home run. I think it was a foul ball or something.” Williams explained that Allen went to get the ball and gave it to her. And I just remember being so embarrassed like ‘oh my gosh, cooties,'” she joked. “That was like our big, first moment we remember about each other.”

4. Brittany Williams Invited Josh Allen to a School Dance When They Were Both Teenagers But Allen ‘Ghosted’ Her Afterward

After meeting at the birthday party as 8-year-olds, Williams and Allen didn’t see each other again until they were 16 or 17, she confessed on Stafford’s “The Morning After” podcast. Their mothers remained in contact, though, and were involved in the two youngsters reconnecting.

Williams told her mother that the quarterback was “cute” when she saw a photo of him, and her mother ended up reaching out to Allen’s mother. Williams recalled that she then met with Allen at his family restaurant and decided to “go for it,” kissing the quarterback in the parking lot. The two teens then stayed in touch and Williams eventually invited Allen to a dance at her school.

Unfortunately, the dance didn’t work out for the couple, Williams spilled, and Allen ended up ghosting her for a year afterward. “He was nervous and my friends were crazy,” she said on the podcast, transcribed by the New York Post. “We were taking a party bus. He had never been on a party bus and was just so overwhelmed with everything… And the boys at my school were mean to him.” Williams revealed that she was an outgoing teenager while Allen was “so shy.”

“He ghosted me for a year, but at the same time, I was like ‘OK I get it, things are just not in our timing right now,’ I knew it wasn’t meant to be,” she shared. That wasn’t the end of the road for the two youngsters, however, as they ended up reconnecting in college despite going to different schools.

5. Brittany Williams & Josh Allen Reconnected as Freshmen in College & Began Dating Afterward

Williams attended Fresno State, where she was a cheerleader, while Allen was a student at Reedley College, around 30 miles away. When they were freshmen, she said she got a message from Allen out of nowhere telling her, “I messed up.”

“So, fast forward a year, we’re now freshmen in college,” she recounted on “The Morning After” podcast. “At this point, I had no contact with him. I was at Fresno State, so I stayed home for college. And I was dating another guy at the time. I specifically remember [Allen] reaching out to me a whole year later and just randomly texting me, saying, ‘I messed up.’ And I’m like, ‘Dude, you haven’t talked to me in a year.’ But at the same time, I liked it.”

Williams said that the night after he texted her, her parents were hosting a graduation party for her brother and the Allen family was invited. “He showed up to the party, and when he showed up he’s like, ‘I had been texting you for a month and you’ve not responded,'” she recalled. “And I think I was blocked on his phone or something. He shows up at the party and my poor boyfriend at the time is there, he didn’t stand a chance. The second Josh walked in, I was like, ‘yeah, it’s over for this guy.’”

Allen and Williams began dating after that and the Fresno State graduate was by his side when he was drafted into the NFL. She addressed their timeline for marriage and parenthood in the same podcast appearance, explaining that they always received questions about that. “We have a great thing going,” she shared at the time.

“I am so happy that we’ve been able to grow, like from moving in together four years ago, we’ve just grown so much,” she added. “I can only imagine how much more we will continue to grow.”

Vonnie B’VSean “Von” Miller was born on March 26, 1989, in DeSoto, Texas, to Gloria Miller and Von Miller Sr. The Buffalo Bills star grew up in the Texas city, a suburb of Dallas, with his brother Vinsynzie “Vins” Miller in a close-knit family along with several good friends who were always welcome in his home.

Here’s what you need to know about Von Miller’s family:

1. Von Miller Begged His Parents to Let Him Play Football When He Was Younger & His Mother Gloria Miller Finally Relented

Miller grew up in a close-knit household but he shared that his parents didn’t want him to play football at first even though he loved the sport from a young age. In a piece for the Players’ Tribune, Miller revealed that his mother was instrumental in getting him involved in football through a “spy operation” they ran together.

“When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to play peewee football so bad,” he wrote. “So I went up to my dad after school and told him he had to go sign me up. He just laughed. ‘Boy, you not ready. You’re way too skinny to be playing football.'” Miller wrote that he continued to beg his father, trying to convince him that he was ready to play. He said he’d spend his recesses at school throwing the ball around.

Miller wrote that he continued trying to convince his father, before attempting to get his mother on board. “I started wearing her down,” he wrote. “You know how it’s done: ‘Mom. Mom. Mom, come on. I’ll make my bed every day. I’ll mow the lawn. Mom, just let me play football. I’m ready!’… Thank God for my mom. She finally broke down one day.”

His mother agreed to let him play but told him it had to remain a secret between the two of them. “My mom and dad have been together for 27 years,” he added. “They tell each other everything. So this had to be a CIA operation.” Miller described getting changed in the back of her car after practices and hiding his pads in the back seat under a blanket.

Miller said his team was undefeated and he really wanted to share the news with his father after every game but didn’t. It wasn’t until he made it to the championship that he told Miller Sr. “‘Hey dad, remember when you said I wasn’t ready? Well, guess what?'” he wrote. “You should have seen his face.”

2. Von Miller’s Mother Gloria Miller Has Been Very Supportive of His Career & Was Always at His Games

Miller’s mother was very supportive of his dreams ever since she allowed him to play and she “never missed one game,” the Bills star wrote for the Players’ Tribune. Gloria Miller was in the audience when her son was on “Dancing With the Stars” as well, joking, “You know, he thinks he’s a dancer. He does have rhythm, I have to give it to him,” she told the Denver Post.

It’s perhaps no surprise that Gloria Miller was so supportive of her son as she revealed that her own mother once told her, “When you have kids, that’s 18-plus years of your life on hold because you have to cater more or less to that child,” she shared. “Their life just became my life and that’s how we do it today.”

When Miller was just starting out, his mother always made sure to park right next to the field because she had her son’s nebulizer in the truck and he needed it for his asthma.

“It had a D/C adapter so I could run it off the battery of my truck,” she told the Denver Post. “It had a long extension cord and we just ran it out of the back of the truck.” When Miller felt symptoms of his asthma flare up during a game, he’d run to the sidelines to get treatment before returning to the field.

3. Von Miller’s Father, Von Miller Sr., Often Gives His Son Advice

Despite his concerns about his son getting into football at a young age, Von Miller Sr. is also very supportive of his son’s career and has given him some advice on several occasions. When Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams from the Denver Broncos, his father was often in contact with him.

“He was kind of distraught from being separated from the Broncos and traded to the Rams,” Miller Sr told the Athletic. “He was happy to go to the Rams, but at the same time, emotions were tough for that period that he was in L.A. It was a transition.”

Miller also shared that he was speaking with his father when he was with the Rams and his dad asked him if he was happy there. “I told him I still feel like I got a lot of football left,” Miller told the Washington Post.

Miller Sr. said it’s been “exciting” to see his son go from a boy to a man during his time with the Broncos. “It was so exciting to see my son evolve to that person he is today,” he said. He knows his son very well, including his strengths and weaknesses, and admitted that Miller’s heart can be both. “I tell him all the time that his biggest asset and his worst enemy is his heart,” he told the Buffalo News.

4. Von Miller Was Very Close With His Brother & His Parents Often Helped Out Others in the Community

Miller grew up with his younger brother, Vinsynzie “Vins” Miller, in suburban DeSoto and his parents, who own a power supply business, still live there. In fact, the Bills star now owns a farm next to his parents’ home, the Athletic reported.

Miller’s father, described by ESPN as “soft-spoken and reserved” often ended up being a father figure to some of Miller’s boyhood friends. “Sometimes you need someone to tell you it’s OK to make mistakes,” he told the publication.

In fact, he said their family extended beyond the four Millers who lived together. “Sometimes, you’ve got to reach out,” Miller Sr. explained to Buffalo News. “It’s always been to reach back and try to help somebody. If you’ve got a plus, you reach back and try to help somebody and share that plus with somebody else.”

When the Bills linebacker was growing up, he often spent time outdoors, fishing and hunting with his parents and with the Boy Scouts. “I honestly learned how to shoot before I learned how to read and write,” he admitted to ESPN. He described himself as a little spoiled, telling the publication that his parents were really involved in his life and education, to the extent that his mother made his science fair projects.

Miller was also really close with his brother Vins and slept in the same room as him until the eighth grade despite having his own bedroom in the house. “They normally slept (in the same room),” Miller Sr. told the Buffalo News. “They’d kind of go back and forth, but they spent more time in the [Vins’] bunk-bed room, because they just had a little bit more space in there.”

5. Von Miller Is a Father to 2 Boys, Valor & Victory

Miller has two sons, Valor and Victory, whom he shares with his ex Megan Denise. His son Valor was born on August 16, 2021, and his second son Victory was born on February 7, 2023. In 2022, the Athletic reported that Denise and Valor were moving to the Dallas area, where the rest of Miller’s family lives.

“For me, man, there’s nothing like it,” Miller shared about fatherhood. “When he falls asleep, you just stare at him, look at him breathing.” On Valor’s first birthday, he wrote on Instagram, “Happy 1st Birthday Valor! I love you more than anything else in this world! Right or Wrong, daddy’s ALWAYS got your back! ❤️”

Stefon Diggs was born on November 29, 1993, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to Aron and Stephanie Diggs. The Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver was one of five children in the family and he became a father figure to his younger brothers after his father’s death in 2008.

Here’s what you need to know about Stefon Diggs’ parents:

1. Stefon Diggs’ Mother Stephanie Diggs Worked for Amtrak for 3 Decades & Worked Hard to Support Her Children

Diggs, whose first name Stefon comes from a combination of his parents’ first names, the Duluth News Tribune reported, was born to Stephanie and Aron Diggs.

His mother worked for Amtrak until her retirement as an attendant, and her hard work and support of her sons prompted Diggs to refer to her as “our Superwoman” in a piece for The Players’ Tribune. At the time of her retirement, Stephanie Diggs had worked for three decades at Amtrak and also worked other jobs on the side at Target and Toys R Us, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Diggs’ mother was also helpful in helping her son with the recruitment process, as he wrote she “had a straightforward way of thinking through things.” Education was important to her as well as athletics, and she said she wanted to make sure he’d be at a school where someone would be making sure he’d be attending class and doing his homework. “She genuinely wanted what was best for me, and she wasn’t trying to steer me to one school or the other,” he shared.

“She weighed the good and the bad for each college, and then helped me make the decision I wanted to make,” he added, explaining that she didn’t push him in any particular direction. “She loves me and wanted me to make the decision that I’d be happiest with.”

The NFL star’s mother made a lot of sacrifices and worked hard when he was growing up, especially after Aron Diggs’ death in 2008. “It was kind of rooted in me to give back when I can give back, just as she did everything she could,” he told Andscape of his own charity efforts. “So, to help other people is huge.”

Now, Stephanie Diggs spends a lot of time traveling to see both of her sons play in the NFL as Diggs’ younger brother Trevon is a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys. “My mom worked for a very long time,” Diggs told Sports Illustrated. “So this is the fun stuff that she likes – bouncing around city to city, to see new places and travel. So I think this is a nice life.”

It appears that Stephanie Diggs agrees with that assessment, as she told the Dallas Morning News in 2020, “I’m in a good space. I’m happy. My kids are happy. They’re all doing well. I think I did something right.”

2. Stefon Diggs’ Father Aron Diggs Was the One Who Got His Sons Into Football & Trained Them When They Were Kids

Diggs’ father, Aron Diggs, was instrumental in getting his sons into the NFL. He got them both in football at the age of 5 and made sure Diggs always did his homework, prayers and 200 pushups and situps each evening. He’d also bring his sons to the park after school and got them to run bleachers and suicides.”My husband really pushed them to have a good work ethic,” Stephanie Diggs told Sports Illustrated.

Aron Diggs was a big Dallas Cowboys fan and passed that on to both Stefon and Trevon Diggs. “My dad was a Cowboys fan before he passed,” Trevon Diggs told reporters after he was drafted by the Cowboys, the Dallas Morning News reported.

“He always been a Cowboys fan, ever since we was little,” he continued. “Every time the Cowboys come on, sometimes we cheer, sometimes he was angry but that was our team regardless. I’ve always been a Cowboys fan and I’m thankful, just happy this happened. With my father passing and him being a Cowboys fan, I’m kinda like living out his dream so I’m thankful.”

Diggs’s father never saw him play in high school and didn’t see his career take off, but the Bills star said his father always believed in him. “When I was in the third grade, he bet me, he said, ‘I guarantee you’ll have 10 shoeboxes full of college letters,'” he recalled to USA Today. “I had even more than he said. I guess he lost the bet — it was funny to me.”

Basketball was Aron Diggs’ sport growing up, not football, and he played Amateur Athletic Union basketball, according to The Baltimore Sun. He tried to start a few businesses for work but mostly stayed at home as his health deteriorated in the years before he died of congestive heart failure.

He also coached his son in youth football, eventually having to watch the games from a chair on the sidelines due to his heart condition. Even when he was in the hospital, he’d ask his wife to fill him in on his sons’ games, the Baltimore Sun wrote. As for Diggs, he cut and styled his father’s hair and put on his watch for him, wanting his father to be able to maintain his orderly appearance and sense of dignity until the end.

3. Aron Diggs Died in 2008 of Congestive Heart Failure & Stefon Diggs Became a Father Figure to His Younger Brothers

Aron Diggs died of congestive heart failure on January 16, 2008, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia, his obituary states. He was 39 years old and had been on the waiting list for a heart transplant.

Diggs, who was 14 years old, said, “That s*** was f***** up,” in a Sports Illustrated interview. “We was hurt. We was sad. Because he was not only like a dad, he was like a cool friend, the type to teach you a lot.”

After his father’s funeral, Diggs was told by his mother that he needed to become the man of the house and look after his younger brother Trevon, who was 9 years old then. The future NFL star started “being more of a father figure and setting good examples,” his mother shared with the publication.

Not only that, but Diggs said his father’s death motivated him to push himself harder. “To this day, he’s on my mind every snap I take,” he wrote for The Players’ Tribune. “Hopefully, he’s looking down and he’s happy,” Diggs added in an interview with Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “My dad was a tough guy. But hopefully he can really smile.”

Aron Diggs’ death was hard on his widow Stephanie, however, and she recalled one occasion six months afterward when she broke down on her commute to Union Station in Washington, D.C. “I just started crying,” she recalled to the Dallas Morning News. “It was like, ‘Wow, who would have ever thought I would be a widow at my age?’ I was 39.”

“It hit me: ‘Oh my God. Who are these kids? I haven’t even been home with them,'” she continued. “It was overwhelming. They were dependent on me and only me. I’ve got to keep it together.” She said after her husband died, the burden of making sure Diggs’ career was on the right track fell to her, but she didn’t know much about it. “I just basically showed up for games,” she shared with the Washington Post. “I had to really get involved in the process and read up.”

4. Stefon Diggs Has Thanked His Mother for Her Support & Called Her ‘Superwoman’

It’s clear that Diggs’ mother is a very important person in his life, and he said when he signed a five-year contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, his mother was the first person he wanted to share the news with. “I called her (Monday),” he told Pioneer Press. “I was like, ‘I need you to go get on a plane right now. I need you to come out here. I need you to be a part of this.’ She’s been with me every step of the way, so it was going to be a key part for her to be here.”

The Bills star has said that he’s always happy when his mother is able to make it to his games and that he’s “always happy” to see her, he told the Duluth News Tribune. “I’m very close to my mother,” he shared. “That’s Superwoman. She did a great job in raising me. My mom taught me so much. She taught me so much along the way as far as how to handle my business.”

Diggs showed his mother his appreciation on December 25, 2018, when he bought her an SUV for Christmas. He posted a video of the moment he surprised her with the car on Twitter, writing in the caption, “You get 1 mom… here’s something for the lady that put up with all my craziness. Merry Christmas everyone.”

5. Stefon Diggs Credited His Father for His Accomplishments as Well

While his love for his mother is clear, Diggs and his mother have both shared that Aron Diggs deserves all the credit as well for his son’s career. “He would be so proud,” Stephanie Diggs said of her sons making the NFL. “I know he’s watching and looking down on them, being like, ‘wow, I put all this together.’ Just to see it coming to full fruition is just truly a blessing,” she told DC News Now.

As for Diggs, he credited his father for making him the man he is today, writing for the Players’ Tribune that his competitiveness and his love of football both came from his father. “He was our first coach,” he wrote. “His health started declining, though, and it was hard to watch. He was always on that sideline coaching, no matter what.”

Stephanie Diggs said her husband is the one that put their careers together and made sure they had a good work ethic and were always on the right path, she told the Baltimore Sun. She added that he was always with Stefon and Trevon Diggs when they were young and that’s why it was important for both of them to “make sure their father gets credit.”

Stefon Diggs was born to Aron and Stephanie Diggs on November 29, 1993. The Buffalo Bills star grew up with four siblings, three brothers and a sister, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. After his father’s death in 2008, Diggs became a sort of father figure to his two younger brothers.

Here’s what you need to know about Stefon Diggs’ siblings:

1. Stefon Diggs Has 4 Siblings, an Older Sister & a Brother & Two Younger Brothers

Diggs is one of five siblings and one of two born to Stephanie and Aron Diggs. He said he was “excited as f***” when his younger brother Trevon Diggs was born, over four years after him, he told Sports Illustrated.

Diggs has two half-brothers, an older brother named Aron Jr. and a younger brother named Darez Mar’Sean Diggs, on his father’s side, and an older half-sister named Porsche Green on his mother’s side.

Porsche Green shared some memories of growing up with only brothers, including the very competitive Stefon and Trevon Diggs. She said they were once at a “really chill” family reunion when Trevon intercepted a pass to Diggs. “Everyone goes crazy, and Stefon is like, ‘Run it back! That’ll never happen again!’ After that, the cookout was just over,” she shared with Sports Illustrated.

Diggs’ younger brother Trevon is an NFL star himself, with the Dallas Cowboys, while his other younger brother, Mar’Sean, played football as a cornerback at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Diggs was competitive not just with his younger brothers but with his older brother Aron Jr. as well.

“When my dad was around, me and my brother Aron Jr. used to do push-up and sit-up competitions every night, because that’s something our dad encouraged us to do,” the Bills star wrote for The Players’ Tribune. “We used to have challenges to see who could do 100, who could do 1,000. (No one can do 1,000, but we’d try.) I was the younger brother, so I would try my hardest but still come up short of Aron, who was older and stronger.”

As for his younger half-brother Mar’Sean, Diggs said he didn’t see him that often before his father’s death, as he lived in a neighboring town and went to a different school, the Athletic reported. After their father’s death, Diggs had Mar’Sean over every week. “It went from not really seeing Stefon much to seeing him all the time,” Mar’Sean Diggs told the publication.

“He just took us under his wing, knowing we didn’t have a father figure,” Mar’Sean Diggs shared with Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “Just took on that role, basically. Guiding us, providing for us, being there when we needed him. Everything. Being a brother and a father. That’s tough. That’s a lot to ask of somebody that young.” In fact, Diggs became the father figure for not just his younger half-brother but Trevon Diggs as well.

2. Stefon Diggs Became Like a Father to Both His Younger Brothers After His Father’s Death

Diggs became a father figure for not just his two younger brothers but started taking care of his whole family after his father’s death in 2008.

Once Diggs signed a five-year contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, he got emotional as he told the Pioneer Press, “It means a lot to me because my dad sat me down a couple months before he passed away. He just told me, ‘Look after your (three) brothers. Look after your mom. Look after your family.’ That meant a lot to me. With this day coming forward, it just came full circle. I have a lot of emotions.”

Diggs was able to do that not just financially when he made it to the NFL, but as someone that his younger brother Trevon Diggs could look up to. “[Stefon] is like my dad, honestly,” the Dallas Cowboys star told ESPN. “He was there for me when my father passed, so he has always taken care of me. I always ask him everything, no matter what. Two o’clock in the morning, I’m asking him questions. I called him last night, every day, about this process and how he managed it.”

Trevon Diggs said that seeing his brother going through the recruitment process and the start of his NFL career made him learn a lot. “I feel like that probably kept me out of trouble, being right there with him. He’s looking after me, he’s got his teammates making sure I’m straight,” he told Sports Illustrated. “And I never made no bad decisions, no bad choices. I just watched him. Just watching and learning.”

Diggs said he wished he’d had someone like himself to guide him as he’d been doing for his younger brother but was happy to be able to help him on his path. “Not having a father is big,” he told USA Today. “You need guidance. I know, personally, when my father died, I needed guidance, I needed somebody to show me how to be a man, how to grow up, basically how to do the right thing.”

He said his brothers Mar’Sean and Trevon “look up” to him and he would never want to change that because of a bad decision he made. “They call me when they need something or have a question about something,” he added. “My little brothers can ask me any question in the world, and if I’ve got the answer I’m going to give it to them.”

When it came to choosing a college, Diggs picked the University of Maryland as he wanted to stay close to home for his younger brothers. “I wanted to be close to them so I could go home and chew them out if they were doing anything they weren’t supposed to,” he wrote for the Players’ Tribune. “Even though Aron Jr. was around too, I wanted to be that father figure that they didn’t have. I wanted them to be able to come to the Maryland games, come to my dorm room, and see everything that college was all about.”

Trevon Diggs feels the same way about his older brother, calling him his “father figure” in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. “It’s just amazing that I have him in my life,” he shared. “I’m going to share this moment with him and my family and just enjoy it because those were the ones who were there for me when I was little. I’ve been the baby of the family so I didn’t want them to take care of me. I’m just going to cherish this moment with my family.”

3. Stefon Diggs & Trevon Diggs Were Very Competitive With Each Other Growing Up & Still Spend the NFL Offseason Together

The competition between Stefon and Trevon Diggs when they grew up was a key part in shaping the two into the star wide receiver and cornerback that they are today. “I think he’s the best receiver; he thinks I’m the best DB,” Trevon Diggs told Sports Illustrated. “So when we compete, we’re going against the best, and that happens to be my brother.”

The Bills star said the two competed in everything, but while they’re both competitive people by nature, it was never a nasty rivalry or “coming from a bad place,” he explained.

During the offseason, the two will often work out together followed by a game of basketball to keep up the competition. “A spitting contest, they’re still gonna battle to win,” Diggs’ agent Adisa Bakari told the publication in 2022. “[Not long ago] they were both talking about picking up golf clubs and debating who would be better.”

The NFL stars’ mother Stephanie Diggs shared that Diggs is a lot more talkative than his younger brother and that’s carried over to trash-talking. “Stefon will be doing a lot of trash-talking, because he wants to prove that Tre could never beat him,” she shared. “But I think he’ll also get emotional. Like, ‘After all the hard work, after everything I put into him, my little brother is here in the league, too.’”

4. Stefon & Trevon Diggs Faced Each Other for the 1st Time in Their Football Careers at the NFL Pro Bowl in 2022

The two brothers faced off for the first time in their professional football careers at the Pro Bowl in 2022. Diggs was selected for the AFC, making it his second appearance at the event, while his younger brother made his Pro Bowl debut, with the NFC.

“[Both of us making the Pro Bowl is] probably one of my favorite moments of this year, for real, because that’s my brother. I love him to death and just being able to go up there with him, that’s fire,” Trevon Diggs shared with ESPN.

Diggs said he was “more proud than anything” when he heard that his brother had made the Pro Bowl, adding, “I saw his picture and I saw his face, I saw him in the Cowboys [jersey], I’m like, yeah, that’s my little brother.”

As for their mother Stephanie Diggs, she joked with the publication that she’d likely cheer for Trevon Diggs over his older brother. “Since Stefon talks so much trash, I want the little brother to take the big brother,” she said.

5. Stefon & Trevon Diggs Are Both Fathers & Their Children Were Born Just Over 2 Weeks Apart

In addition to their NFL careers bringing Trevon and Stefon Diggs closer together, the two are also fathers and their children are very close in age. Diggs’ daughter Nova was born on October 14, 2016, while Trevon Diggs’ son Aaiden was born on November 1, 2016. Aaiden Diggs has already become a fan favorite with Cowboys supporters for his comments in interviews and videos.

Stephanie Diggs said that the Bills star and his nephew Aaiden have the two biggest personalities on “Hard Knocks.” As for Diggs, he said his daughter Nova is very similar to his younger brother Trevon and both are soft-spoken. “When I look at her, I’m like, ‘Whoa, you act just like Tre,’” he shared with Sports Illustrated.

Josh Harris is married to Marjorie Rubin Harris, a New York native. Rubin Harris is a University of Michigan graduate who now does a lot of philanthropic work alongside her husband, the managing partner and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. The couple mostly lives in Miami with their five children.

Here’s what you need to know about Josh Harris’ wife, Marjorie Rubin Harris:

1. Marjorie Rubin Harris Was Raised in New York With a Brother & Her Family Were Big Sports Fans

Rubin Harris was born to Lillian and Albert Rubin, who were married for 54 years until Albert Rubin’s death in 2012, his obituary states. It indicates that Rubin Harris has a brother named Philip Rubin, who is married to Mardi Schecter, and they have three children together: Jesse, Lucy and Ella Rubin.

“[Albert Rubin] was well regarded by business associates and respected for the contributions he made during forty-five years in the Packaging Industry,” it also states.

Rubin Harris grew up in New York and her family was all interested in sports, she shared with eJewishPhilanthropy. “I grew up in New York, so basketball and the Knicks was always sort of a thing,” she said.

“You know, in my house, my father and my brother were big Giants fans, they would live and die on a Sunday by whether the Giants won or not,” she added. “And more times than not, they were disappointed. So sports was around me.” As for Rubin Harris, she played tennis when she was growing up.

Her parents were both first-generation Americans and their families had come to the U.S. from Europe. She said they’d often learn about Israel at the dinner table. “We were definitely the type that would have dinner together every night,” she told the publication. “My dad would get home late, and we would either wait for him or sit with him. And I just remember… during the wars, it was a conversation that we had — we would talk about Israeli bonds, we would talk about the country.”

Rubin Harris visited Israel in the summer before her senior year of college and volunteered on a kibbutz, she revealed. “We don’t live here but we support it, and we feel very strongly that we get to live where we live, because there is the state of Israel,” she explained. “So it’s sort of our responsibility to make sure that we do what we can to support the country, and help keep it in the best way that it can be.”

2. Marjorie Rubin Harris Studied Political Science at the University of Michigan & Then Worked in Finance

Rubin Harris attended the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science, her LinkedIn states. She worked for 10 years at Citibank “trading syndicated bank loans, originating high yield bonds and lending to investment grade companies,” her profile at Harris Philanthropies indicates.

Rubin Harris then took time off work to raise her children. She now works as the Chair of the Sixers Youth Foundation, a position she obtained in 2020 after serving on the Board membership. “Passionate about creating opportunities for youth in Philadelphia, Marjorie is thrilled to broaden the organization’s mission and aid to its future success in her capacity as Chair,” her Harris Philanthropies profile adds.

The Sixers Youth Foundation is a non-profit affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers and was founded in 2015 to “Empower youth and strengthen communities to build brighter futures,” as per its website.

Rubin Harris is also on a number of other boards, including the Harvard Business School, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School and After-School All-Stars, according to her LinkedIn.

3. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Founded Harris Philanthropies for Their Charitable Work

In addition to her work with the Sixers Youth Foundation, Rubin Harris also co-founded Harris Philanthropies with her husband, Sixers co-owner Harris. It is a charitable foundation with the goal of making “make a lasting impact on our communities by creating opportunities, uplifting those in need and advocating for youth,” its website shows.

Her bio with the foundation says that they have worked with the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, After-School All-Stars and the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative to help children with academic, athletic and wellness goals.

Rubin Harris and her husband also invested $1 million into the Penn Medicine – Wharton Fund for Health, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal, which “invests in early-stage businesses working to improve the social determinants of health for economically disadvantaged Philadelphians.”

The couple also committed to investing $10 million over 5 years to a social justice initiative in Philadelphia aimed at supporting Black communities, the Athletic reported.

4. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Have Five Children Together, 3 Sons & 2 Daughters

The Harrises have been married for over 25 years and have five children together, three boys and two girls, according to Harris Philanthropies. There isn’t much public information about their kids but their names are listed in Albert Rubin’s obituary as Hannah, Stuart, Thomas, Pierce and Bridget Harris.

Stuart Harris was a varsity swimmer in high school and was on the sprint football roster for the University of Pennsylvania, his athletics profile shows. It says he was enrolled in the Wharton School of Business and is set to graduate in 2023. He also worked as an EMT for Senior Care Emergency Medical Services in New York City during the height of the pandemic, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

Thomas Harris is studying integrated biology at Harvard University and is working as a research assistant at the school’s Holbrook lab, his LinkedIn shows. He’s also a writer for the Harvard Crimson, the school’s student newspaper.

Hannah Harris works as an associate marketing analyst for PepsiCo, her LinkedIn shows. She also attended Harvard University and graduated with a psychology degree in 2020.

5. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Founded a Basketball League in Israel

Rubin Harris is passionate about making sports accessible to everyone, regardless of background, and said her husband’s purchase of the Sixers created a lot of philanthropic possibilities for the couple. “It was a really interesting moment when we bought the team because we realized very quickly that it wasn’t just owning a basketball team,” she told eJewishPhilanthropy.

“It was about making sure that you were giving back to the community, and that people really enjoyed and got behind their team,” she continued. “And so it became, in our minds, a responsibility, because it’s a community asset.”

Rubin Harris explained that both she and her husband have backgrounds in finance and have approached their charitable efforts the same way they would a startup. “How do you measure success?” she explained. “And I think in philanthropy, people tend to get nervous about that. ‘If I don’t prove I’m doing well, they’re going to pull the money,’ which isn’t necessarily the case.” She said it was about exploring how they can improve and make each organization grow and become more self-sufficient.

Rubin Harris and her husband created a youth basketball league for boys in Israel called the 48ers, back in 2015. The name is in reference to the year that Israel was founded, similar to the name of the Philadelphia 76ers. “We decided we wanted to do something to help the Ethiopian community in Jerusalem and the whole country,” Rubin Harris told the publication, “and we thought using the power of basketball would be a great tool and a great avenue.”

The demand was there to add in a girls’ basketball program and they did so as well, with Rubin Harris explaining, “For me, as the mother of two girls, and being involved in sports, there are a lot of sports for girls, but not enough.” She said it was a no-brainer and felt it was a really good way to empower girls in the community.

Anthony Leon “P.J.” Tucker Jr. was born on May 5, 1985, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Anthony Sr. and Aleshia Tucker. The Philadelphia 76ers star was given the nickname P.J., which stands for Pops Junior, by his father, whose own nickname was Pops, according to Bleacher Report. Tucker and his wife Tracy Tucker have three kids together.

Here’s what you need to know about P.J. Tucker’s family:

1. P.J. Tucker’s Parents Are Anthony Tucker Sr. & Aleshia Tucker & the Family Lived in Germany for a While

Tucker’s parents are Anthony Tucker Sr. and Aleshia Tucker. Though the Sixers star hasn’t revealed much about his upbringing and his parents, he opened up about spending a part of his childhood in Germany due to his father’s job with the Army. Tucker has shared that living on the military base in Germany was pretty lonely and that’s when he turned to basketball to pass the time.

“There were other Black kids on the base in Germany, but I just remember feeling alone a lot,” Tucker opened up about that time of his life to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Having my ball — that was it. I was there until, like, first grade. And I was huge. I was a 5-foot first-grader. It might sound cliché, but it was all I had, and I couldn’t speak the language. Then we moved back.”

After living for some time in Germany, the Tucker family moved back to Raleigh and Tucker attended William G. Enloe High School. “Raleigh is always home,” Tucker’s father told the News & Observer. “You can’t change that no matter what city you’re living in. He’s always giving back and helping people here.”

2. P.J. Tucker’s Parents Have Spoken About His Long Road to Success in the NBA

Tucker Sr. played baseball when he was younger in Raleigh, North Carolina, the News & Observer reported, and he encouraged his son to play basketball “aggressively” and challenge every rebound with force, Bleacher Report shared.

As the son of a military man, Tucker said he had to always be very presentable and was once reamed out by his dad for it. “I got whooped one time when my dad came to my game and I had mismatched socks on and I was ashy,” he told FN.

“I had like 30 points, I killed it, [but] I got home and got a beating because I had mismatched socks on and I was ashy,” he continued. “My dad was in the military so he didn’t play that. But I guess in a different way now I’m like that with my kids. Anywhere my kids go they’re going to be put together.”

The Sixers star didn’t have a clear path to the top in basketball and after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors and not finding success in the league, he ended up going to play overseas for several years before returning to the NBA. “He’s always been undersized and had the underdog mentality,” his father told the News & Observer about his son’s approach to the game. “Some players have a straight path to the top. P.J.’s career veered to the left, to the right, up and down. It’s a tough story but he was always convinced he could play at that level.”

As for Tucker’s mother, Aleshia Tucker, she said seeing her son become an NBA champion in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks was “everything.” She said it had been her boy’s dream since he was very young “and the thing he told me he was going to do and he did it,” she told ABC11. “For it to be a full circle because he’s been all around the world and beat the team that brought him back to the NBA for a championship means everything.”

3. P.J. Tucker Has Shared That He’s Proud to Be From Raleigh, North Carolina, & It Was Hard to Be Away From Home for His Career

Raleigh will always be home for Tucker, and the NBA star shared that it’s important to be a figure that young kids in Raleigh can look up to now. “Growing up here, I didn’t have a whole lot of people that I could look up to,” he told ABC11. “For me, to carry that burden for other kids in Raleigh to show them it’s possible, that’s everything. That’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

The Sixers star said the feeling of coming home is unbeatable and he’s proud to say he’s from Raleigh. His mother agreed that his hometown is very important to Tucker and it’s important for him to give back to the community. “If he could have one kid say you made a difference in my life, it means a lot to him. That’s what he strives for,” she told the outlet.

While Raleigh will always be home, Tucker was away from North Carolina for a long time to pursue a basketball career overseas, which wasn’t easy. “It was tough being away from home,” he told Andscape of his several years playing in European leagues. “You have to learn how to play over there. Over there, it ain’t dropping 30 every night and being the man. Most of the guys who think like that don’t last over there. They care about winning over there. If you’re a winner, you can play forever over there.”

Tucker played in Israel, then Ukraine, then Israel once again. He then played in Greece, Italy and Germany, and was having a pretty successful career. He was the Israeli Super League champion and MVP in 2008, as well as the Premier League Finals MVP. In 2009, he was named Ukrainian SuperLeague All-Star and in Germany, in 2012, he became a German League champion, the Finals MVP, and a German League All-Star, to name some of his accomplishments.

He didn’t try to get back to the NBA, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I wasn’t coming back to the NBA. I had no interest in it. I was successful there… I had established myself to the point where I was one of the best players in Europe at the time. These were million-dollar contracts.”

Instead, he focused on just playing the best he could, rather than hitting certain numbers to try to get back to the NBA. The Sixers star said now that he’s back in the NBA, he’s just trying to focus on the present without looking back at his past career.

“I don’t try to look back at it,” he told Andscape. “I remember it. It keeps me ticking. It keeps me going. It keeps me strong. But it makes me super humble to be here with every game, every moment. People ask me why I play so hard. I say, ‘I’m happy to be here.’ For real.”

4. P.J. Tucker Said His Wife Tracy Was Instrumental in Getting Him Back to the NBA

Tucker has kept his personal life very private and doesn’t have many pictures of his family on his Instagram. He’s married to Tracy Tucker and they have three children together.

Tucker mentioned in a handful of interviews that his wife was instrumental in getting him back to the NBA as he’d given up trying to get back into the league once he moved to Europe. In 2012, then-general manager of the Phoenix Suns Lance Blanks gave Tucker a non-guaranteed training camp invite during the summer league. While Tucker was planning on returning to Europe to play in Russia, he was convinced to give the NBA a last try by his agent and his wife.

“My wife just had my son,” he told Andscape. “She said just give it one more shot. I was like, ‘I am going to turn this money down?’ It was for way less money. My [NBA] minimum was so low. I was going to get paid a couple million [in Russia]. I gambled on myself, but I didn’t want to. Trust me.”

He decided to follow their advice and signed with the Suns on August 1, 2012, and the rest is history. “If it wasn’t for my wife and my agent, I wouldn’t have come back. It’s crazy.”

Tracy Tucker studied bioengineering at the University of California San Diego from 2002 to 2007, her LinkedIn states. She’s worked in various positions for Cisco in the last 15 years and is currently a leader in the Strategy and Sales Enablement section. “I love to tackle the challenging, messy problems – where there’s chaos, there’s opportunity,” she wrote in her bio.

5. P.J. Tucker Has Three Kids, 2 Daughters & a Son

Tucker has three children, two daughters and a son, with his wife. His son, King, turned 11 years old on February 7, 2023, the NBA star wrote on Instagram. “It’s my twin bday!!! Dude i love you so much i don’t have words to explain it.. you keep me goin every single day.. i couldn’t ask for a better sidekick. I love you dude!”

He spoke about becoming an NBA champion and his son’s reaction causing him to get emotional. “I didn’t cry from the championship,” he told Andscape. “But I have this picture up when they held the trophy up that means everything to me. My son is bawling, crying. It messed me up. I didn’t know he’s crying and I’m celebrating with him, turn him around and he’s bawling. It was the craziest thing for me because it didn’t make me emotional to cry. As happy as I was, I didn’t cry. But he did because he appreciated it that much.”

Tucker’s oldest daughter Aaliyah isn’t afraid of the spotlight as she was seen interviewing then-Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni in 2019 when she was 11 years old.

The Sixers star’s youngest daughter, Zoe, is starting to get her own collection of shoes like her dad, he told FN. “I finally got her this crazy collection of different toddler baby shoes,” he revealed. “I just got her a pair of OG baby [Nike] Huaraches — crazy. Some [Nike] Air Uptempos — crazy. All these really old shoes, even like retro Jordans and stuff. Her sneaker collection is insane.”

Glenn Anton “Doc” Rivers was born on October 13, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Grady and Bettye Rivers and he grew up with an older brother, Grady Rivers Jr. The Philadelphia 76ers head coach has four children from his marriage to Kristen Rivers: Jeremiah, Callie, Austin and Spencer.

Here’s what you need to know about Doc Rivers’ family:

1. Doc Rivers Was Raised by His Parents, Police Officer Grady Rivers & Bettye Rivers, & He Was Very Close to Them

Rivers grew up in Maywood, Illinois, and attended Proviso East High School, where he played basketball. His parents were Grady Rivers, a police officer, and Bettye Rivers, who worked on the assembly line at Automatic Electric, the Orange County Register reported.

Rivers looked up to his father, who taught him basketball and showed his sons the importance of discipline. He was well-respected in the community, where he coached several youth teams. “My dad lived in the community,” Rivers told NBA.com. “If we’re walking down the street, it was, ‘Hey Sergeant Rivers, hey Mr. Rivers.’ Everywhere. My dad coached the football team, basketball team and Little League baseball team. My house was full of people everyday. He was more than a cop. He was a community leader.”

Grady Rivers, who worked his way up to lieutenant in the police force, was also an excellent baseball player, according to Rivers’ brother Grady Jr. “I have never seen anybody hit a baseball as far as my dad could hit a baseball. He could hit a baseball a country mile,” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. But he wasn’t just a talented baseball player, as he also played basketball at Kentucky State University, and was a star ping-pong player and golfer, the publication reported.

Rivers was also very close to his mother, who was a big fan of the Proviso East High School basketball team, even before her son joined the team. “She loved basketball,” Rivers said of his mother Bettye. “I went to every single Proviso East game from the time I was in the first grade until I played. I missed one game maybe. She was the one who took me. That’s when I learned to love basketball.”

Rivers said his mother was “everything” to the family, as she cooked, cleaned and always put her family first. “She gave it all to us,” he told the Register. “She’d wake us up at 5:30 in the morning to cook breakfast because she would have to leave. We’d go back to sleep for a few hours until my dad pulled up in the cop car and yelled, ‘Rise and shine,’ like we were Army brats.”

Rivers’ father died on November 4, 2007. His mother died on June 19, 2015.

2. Doc Rivers & Kristen Rivers Had 4 Kids Together, 3 Sons & 1 Daughter

Doc and Kristen Rivers met at Marquette University, where Rivers was a basketball star. Kristen Rivers, née Campion, was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Orlando Sentinel reported. They married in 1986 and had four children together.

The eldest, Jeremiah Rivers, was born on July 27, 1987. He was followed by their only daughter, Callie Rivers, on September 17, 1989. Three years later, their son Austin Rivers was born on August 1, 1992. The youngest, Spencer Rivers, was born on June 27, 1995.

All of Rivers’ children grew up playing sports and were very talented. Jeremiah Rivers played basketball throughout college at Georgetown University and Indiana University. That was followed by a stint overseas in Serbia then with the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G-League, NBC Sports reported.

According to his LinkedIn, Jeremiah Rivers graduated with a degree in business administration and management and is now the co-founder of Player Edition, a “tech platform for athletes to launch fan communities, built on NFT technology with web3 values,” its website states.

Callie Rivers was also a talented collegiate athlete, playing volleyball at the University of Florida followed by a short stint in Puerto Rico. Austin Rivers has taken his basketball career the furthest and is currently playing in the NBA for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The youngest, Spencer Rivers, played college ball at the University of California Irvine, where he studied sociology.

Rivers said his son Spencer came to visit him in Boston a lot when he was coaching the Celtics and they joked that the youngest Rivers child was the “coach of the group,” Rivers told the Boston Herald in 2010.

“A 13-year-old kid, since he’s been 10 he’s been jumping on planes by himself,” he added. “He comes up on the weekend, I meet him at the gate and he hangs out… He’s the coach of the group — that’s what [assistants Tom Thibodeau] Thibs and Armond [Hill] always say, because he’s very opinionated.” In fact, Spencer Rivers is still by his father’s side now at the Sixers, where he works as a Skill Development Coach.

In addition to their four children, Rivers and his now-ex-wife Kristen became the legal guardians of Adam Jones, the Inquirer wrote. Jones shared that he was raised the same as the other Rivers children and calls his adoptive parents mom and dad.

“I feel like I was born a Rivers,” he told the NCAA in 2013. “I get the same punishments they do. I get the same privileges they do. Being with the Rivers is just different. We don’t have to go out and do things. We can sit at the kitchen table, and it just feels like I belong. It’s like, it’s my family from day one.” Jones now works as the Basketball Director and Professional Educator at Scholar Athlete Leadership Academy in New Jersey.

3. One of Doc Rivers’ Sons, Austin Rivers, Is an NBA Player With the Minnesota Timberwolves

Rivers has had perhaps the most complicated relationship with his son Austin Rivers, who now plays for the Timberwolves. The former Los Angeles Clippers head coach traded for his son in 2015 and Austin Rivers played for his father for just over three seasons. Rivers said it was a difficult decision to sign his son and said, “You didn’t want to risk that relationship or the relationship with your family,” he told Grantland.

He shared that he was also worried about how the trade would be perceived by his other players. Rivers’ daughter Callie shared his doubts. “To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to be the best idea in the world,” she told the publication. “I was really nervous for how it was going to look and how people were going to portray it, but then [Doc] kind of explained to me that he had the support of the team and his staff was actually pushing him to do it.”

Rivers didn’t give his son any special treatment and was just as hard on Austin Rivers as on any other player. His son agreed, sharing, “He doesn’t care if I’m his son. If I do bad stuff: ‘Get on the bench.’ He says s*** to me that he says to other players. I think that surprised other players.” That said, Austin Rivers said he didn’t take it personally and wanted to show that he’d earned his place on the roster.

He shared that even on teams that his father wasn’t coaching, he always felt pressure from the Rivers family name. “Everybody was like, ‘You’re only in the league because of your dad.’ That comment I’ve heard too many times,” he told The Ringer’s “The Ryen Russilo Podcast.” “I played for my dad for two and a half years. I’ve been in the league for 10. There’s a reason why and that’s because I’m one of the best basketball players in the world. But when you play for your dad, that s*** just gets discredited.”

Austin Rivers has two kids, a son named Kayden James Rivers from a past relationship and a boy named Reign that he shares with his fiancée Audreyana Michelle.

4. Doc Rivers’ Daughter, Callie Rivers, Was a Star Volleyball Player & Is Now Married to NBA Star Seth Curry

Rivers’ only daughter, Callie Rivers Curry, was into sports just as much as her brothers but pursued volleyball instead. She was a star player at the University of Florida from 2007 to 2010, where she studied telecommunications. After college, she played briefly for the Leonas de Ponce in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenina de Puerto Rico.

Rivers Curry spoke about her father’s support when she was playing collegiate volleyball and said he’d always text her before and after her games. “He always tries to pump me up before each match,” she told the Gainesville Sun. “After the game he says good job, then he gives me a critique. I’m not sure how much he knows about volleyball, but he knows about sports. Attitude is what he likes. He loves aggressiveness, that’s the main thing he preaches.”

Now, Rivers Curry often appears as a guest co-host of the “Bachelor Party” podcast alongside The Ringer’s Juliet Litman. The two women discuss and recap the latest in reality TV news, especially “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” She also worked as an executive at the sports division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), she shared with Beyond the W.

Rivers Curry is now married to NBA star Seth Curry of the Brooklyn Nets, who also played for Coach Rivers in Philadelphia before his trade to the Nets. Rivers said he couldn’t be happier for his daughter to be with Curry, sharing, “As my mom and dad would say, ‘They’ve just been raised right.’ They [the Currys] are just terrific kids, and that is a credit to [their parents] Sonya and Dell,” he told Andscape.

The couple has two children, a daughter named Carter Curry who was born in May 2018 and a son named Cash Curry, who was born in November 2021. In April 2023, Rivers Curry announced that she was pregnant with their third child.

5. Doc Rivers Has 2 Other Family Members Who Made It to the NBA

Rivers wasn’t the only one in his family who made it to the NBA as his uncle, Jim Brewer, was selected second overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1973 NBA Draft. He played at the same high school as Rivers, Proviso East High School, and was the first basketball player to have his jersey number retired by the school, the Inquirer reported.

He became an NBA champion in 1982 when he was playing with the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Sixers in the Final. Rivers also has a cousin, Byron Irvin, who was drafted 22nd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1989 NBA Draft.

The Sixers coach is very close to his brother, Grady Rivers Jr., who he said, “takes care of me just as much as I take care of him,” he told the Inquirer. “I think people think taking care of each other is financial. No, it doesn’t. It [means] emotional. It means everything.” He said he’s won and lost a lot throughout his career as a player and then as a coach. “And the one person I notice is there every time is my brother,” he shared. “So that’s why family means a lot.”

Callie Rivers Curry was born to Kristen and Doc Rivers on September 17, 1989. The Philadelphia 76ers coach was at the time playing for the Atlanta Hawks. Rivers Curry grew up with three brothers, Jeremiah, Austin and Spencer. She and her husband, Brooklyn Nets star Seth Curry, have two children together and are expecting a third.

Here’s what you need to know about Callie Rivers Curry, Doc Rivers’ daughter:

1. Callie Rivers Curry Played Volleyball in High School & College & Now Co-Hosts a Reality TV Podcast

Rivers Curry grew up in Winter Park, Florida, and attended Winter Park High School in 2007, where she was a star of the volleyball team, her bio on the Florida Gators website states. The sport wasn’t really on her radar at first, as she admitted, “I thought volleyball was too girly for me. I hated volleyball because there was cheerleading in it. Then I started playing it and I liked it,” she told the Gainesville Sun.

She had a successful high school volleyball career, and her bio indicated that she was picked as the 2006 Gatorade Florida high school Player of the Year and was a three-time PrepVolleyball.com All-America selection in 2004, 2005 and 2006. It adds that Rivers Curry “set the Winter Park High School career records for kills (1,394), attempts (2,356) and blocks (184.5) and ranked second in digs and aces and third in hitting percentage all-time.”

She then attended the University of Florida from 2007 to 2010, studying telecommunications, and had four excellent seasons with the volleyball team. In her first year, she was named to the 2007 SEC all-freshman team, and in her senior year, she was an AVCA honorable mention All-America selection. Curry Rivers pursued a professional career after college and played for the Leonas de Ponce in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenina de Puerto Rico.

During her time playing college volleyball, her father described her as “the brains of the operation,” he told the Boston Herald, adding that “She loves school, and that’s good.”

Rivers Curry is a frequent guest co-host of the “Bachelor Party” podcast next to The Ringer’s Juliet Litman. The two women discuss the latest in reality TV, especially “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” She worked as an executive at the sports division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and said she initially tried her hand at sports broadcasting but did not like it, she told Beyond the W.

2. Callie Rivers Curry Has 3 Brothers & She Said It Made Her Grow Up a ‘Tomboy’

Rivers Curry has three brothers, one older and two younger, and they had a big impact on her. “If you grow up with all boys, you act like a tomboy,” she told the Gainesville Sun.

“I was really aggressive,” she continued. “You have to be in a family of all boys. If you’re not, you’re not going to get what you want. I think it helps with sports, especially because boys roughhouse a lot more. They play tag. I don’t think I ever had Barbie dolls. We’d just play basketball or go swimming or play tag.”

Her older brother is Jeremiah Rivers, who played basketball at Georgetown University and Indiana University. He then played a year in Serbia before joining the NBA G-League’s Maine Red Claws, according to NBC Sports. He’s the founder of Player Edition, an athlete NFT launch community platform, according to his LinkedIn.

She has two younger brothers, Austin Rivers, who is an NBA star, and Spencer Rivers, who works with Doc Rivers in the Sixers organization. Austin Rivers now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but previously played for his father at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rivers Curry shared that she’s happy her brother is now being coached by someone else as she said, “I think everyone kind of needs their own thing. You have to create your own lane, like I wouldn’t say that my brother playing for my dad was the easiest thing ever… I’m glad he went somewhere else and figured it out. I think he’s a much better player today because of it,” she shared on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.”

Her youngest brother, Spencer Rivers, works for the Sixers as a Skill Development Coach. He graduated with a sociology degree from the University of California Irvine, where he played college ball.

3. Callie Rivers Curry Began Dating NBA Star Seth Curry, Joining 2 Major Basketball Families

Doc Rivers’ daughter began dating Seth Curry, who is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the younger brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. Doc Rivers and Dell Curry played against each other in the 1980s and 1990s and have known each other for a long time, and the relationship between their children brought the two families closer together.

“I’ve known Dell and [his wife] Sonya for 100 years,” Doc Rivers told Andscape. “It’s very natural. Two good families, so it’s pretty cool. Dell and I don’t really talk about it. We played in a golf tournament together. We’ve always kind of been tight. It’s been a really natural union.”

As for Warriors star Steph Curry, he said there was a lot of common ground between Rivers Curry and his brother, both having come from large families. “There are a lot of shared experiences in terms of Doc and my dad being in the game for so long and still a part of the game in certain capacities,” he added, in reference to his father working as a color commentator for the Charlotte Hornets.

The connections don’t stop there, however, as Austin Rivers and Seth Curry played together at Duke in 2011-12, and the two families got to know each other better watching the two boys play. Austin Rivers said he was a bit worried when he first found out that his older sister was dating an NBA player. “When you hear your sister is dating an NBA player, you’re like, ‘Oh s***,'” he recalled to Andscape.

“NBA players travel a lot,” he continued. “There is a reputation. You don’t want your sister to get hurt. But when I heard it was Seth, I was relieved because he is one of the guys that act the right way.” Doc Rivers said yes without hesitation when Seth Curry asked his future father-in-law for his blessing before he proposed, the Sixers coach shared. “I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

“He’s such a gentleman,” he continued. “As a father, that is all you want. He just called me and asked like normal people. I always tell people, ‘We’re all normal people at the end of the day.’ I told him, ‘Great, and absolutely.’ But I think he knew I’d say that.”

Doc Rivers then went on to praise Dell and Sonya Curry for raising their kids “right.” Seth Curry ended up proposing to Rivers Curry on February 14, 2019, at a dinner with friends and family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

4. Callie Rivers Curry & Seth Curry Married in September 2019 & Soon After, Doc Rivers Became Seth Curry’s Coach

Callie Rivers Curry and Seth Curry tied the knot on September 14, 2019, in a lavish ceremony in Malibu, California. Curry’s brother Steph Curry was his best man for the ceremony while the couple’s daughter Carter, who was one at the time, was helped down the aisle by her cousins, Steph and Ayesha Curry’s daughters Riley and Ryan Curry, Inside Weddings reported.

On February 14, 2020, Rivers Curry posted a tribute to her husband for Valentine’s Day, writing, “a year ago today you asked me to spend the rest of our lives together. this past couple of years has been the best of my life. through ups and downs you are always level & most of the times it’s what makes me feel most secure (& other times it makes me lose my mind that you don’t lose your mind like my crazy a**) anyways love you more today than i did yesterday and less than i will tmrw.”

The connection between the Riverses and the Currys got even more complicated when Doc Rivers became his son-in-law’s coach in Philadelphia for a couple of years. Then, in 2022, Seth Curry was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, despite his wife practically begging her father not to trade him.

“Trading Seth, I had to deal with my daughter … who had two young babies,” Doc Rivers shared on “Back On the Record with Bob Costas.” He said the night before the trade, as the rumors were circulating about it, his daughter called him and asked if it was going to happen.

“And I said, ‘You know, Callie, I can’t…’” he recalled. She replied, “‘I’m your daughter!’ That was a tough one,” he shared. “Well, she ended up in Brooklyn and she is the happiest ever. And for me, I can still get in my car and in 90 minutes, I can be in Brooklyn, so it turned out okay.”

5. Callie Rivers Curry & Seth Curry Have 2 Children Together & Are Expecting a Third

The couple has two kids together. Their daughter Carter Lynn Curry was born on May 9, 2018. Seth Curry said Carter called Coach Rivers “Papa Doc,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure he’s going to spoil her a little more the older she gets with more stuff she can play with and have, but he’s been great,” Curry said of his father-in-law. “He’s had a lot of energy around her. You just see how much he loves his grandkids.”

The couple welcomed their son Cash Curry in November 2021. On April 27, 2023, Rivers Curry announced on Instagram that she was pregnant with their third child, writing simply, “tres,” along with several photos of her baby bump.

Rivers Curry described motherhood as an “amazing” experience in an interview with Beyond the W. “It’s an unexplainable feeling, like, seeing something that you created and then watching her grow, it’s just been amazing,” she spilled.

Jeremiah D. Johnson was identified as the 34-year-old convicted rapist accused of shooting and killing St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising, in Wisconsin on May 6, 2023, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Heavy has learned that Johnson, who authorities say died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was a convicted rapist and kidnapper out of Minnesota who once made the news when he abducted and then sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman off the street in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on July 5, 2015, after Fourth of July celebrations. He received 6 years and 5 months in prison in Minnesota in November 2015, on a guilty plea of kidnapping and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to Minnesota court records.

He was also required to register “as a predatory sexual offender for 10 years,” according to court records. According to the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension, Johnson had been under community supervision since October 28, 2019, after he was released from prison. His supervision, which was being handled by Scott County Community Corrections, was set to expire October 28, 2029.

A law enforcement source confirmed that the man who shot and killed Leising is that same man; in addition, Johnson’s family members and friends have posted extensively about his death on Facebook, with his aunt declaring it a “sudden, unsuspected death” in a post.

The DOJ said Leising was 29. The slain officer was praised in tributes.

“Kaitlin was an outstanding law enforcement officer, positively impacting many in our county.” Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller wrote in a news release about Leising, who had worked on that department. “Most importantly, she was an outstanding human being.”

A woman wrote in a comment thread on Facebook, “Katie was the most caring, always smiling, respectful person ever. Left behind a spouse and new little baby. Just starting her life.”

Julie Lee wrote on Facebook: “Gutted… over-whelmed by grief… so much life yet to live… our families’ hearts smashed to pieces…” She wrote that Leising left behind a “precious new son, Syler.” She concluded the post, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9.”

Leising was fatally wounded in the Township of Glenwood, Wisconsin, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

“The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating an officer involved critical incident in the township of Glenwood, Wis. that occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 6, 2023,” the release said.

Two other northern Wisconsin law enforcement officers, from Chetek and Cameron, were shot and killed in April 2023: Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel. Those deaths also occurred during a traffic stop.

Here’s what you need to know about Jeremiah Johnson and the shooting of Deputy Kaitie Leising:

1. Jeremiah Johnson Committed a ‘Stranger’ Abduction in Minnesota, Raping an Intoxicated 18-Year-Old Woman, According to Court Records

Facebook (Jeremiah Johnson)Jeremiah D. Johnson

In a probable cause statement filed before his sentencing, a Stillwater Police officer wrote that the Saint Paul Police Department was dispatched to a report of an intoxicated woman.

The caller told police the woman was lying on a sidewalk and was not able to give her name, so he called 911. He said, “that when he turned around, a green Chevrolet pickup truck pulled up and a white male in his 20s got out and made contact with the female. … the male picked up the female and put her in his truck.” The caller told police the driver, later identified as Johnson, then “drove away fast, almost hitting another vehicle,” court records show.

A witness told police that he saw a man walking from a green truck up to a woman who appeared to be unconscious. The man had a hoodie pulled over his head, according to the court records. The witness said the man picked up the woman “and carried her to his green truck,” adding that the woman was “limp and lifeless,” while she was being picked up. The witness tried to confront the man, but he backed out of a parking space and sped away with the truck’s headlights off, police said. The witness gave police a license plate number and investigators tracked that to a man who said he sold the truck to Jeremiah Johnson, court records show.

Stillwater and Saint Paul Police went to Johnson’s apartment building and saw a vehicle matching the description parked outside, court records show. Police said the victim was found in a common hallway of Johnson’s apartment complex, and she was “frightened and confused” and didn’t know where she was, according to the affidavit. The woman told police the last thing she remembered was watching fireworks, and she then “woke up on an air mattress with her bra and underwear on next to a guy she didn’t know.”

Johnson told police he “wanted to help” the woman becaus she sprained her ankle. “The defendant stated that she walked over to his truck, and he helped her in. The defendant stated that she was ‘drunk’ and began to vomit. The defendant acknowledges other parties who were attempting to assist her. The defendant stated she walked to the truck with his assistance. The defendant stated that the female couldn’t give her address so he took her to his apartment in Stillwater,” police wrote in the affidavit. “The defandant initially denied any sexual contact.”

The defendant eventually admitted he “tried to do a little something, but it didn’t work,” the court records say.

According to the affidavit, Johnson told police he was drinking but “wasn’t that drunk,” and then said, “Say we did have sex, she is 18 and there is nothing illegal about that,” and added that he, “always wanted to do an Asian girl … now that I picked one up, I got arresed.”

Johnson, a then-26-year-old Stillwater, Minnesota, resident, was charged with kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct, court records show. “It’s an extremely serious crime,” Stillwater Police Sergeant Jeff Stender told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2015. “Realistically, stranger abductions are very rare here in Minnesota. St. Paul police took it extremely seriously and were able to come up with a suspect, and we were able to get the victim back safely and arrest the suspect.”

According to Minnesota court records viewed by Heavy, Johnson was released on $400,000 bail after his arrest. He pleaded guilty on November 16, 2015, to kidnapping and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, court records show. He was sentenced to a total of 77 months in prison, with credit for 135 days he had served.

2. Jeremiah Johnson Was Convicted of Domestic Abuse in 2014 & Second-Degree Assault in 2007 & Had Several Other Run-Ins With Police in Minnesota, Including Multiple Traffic Offenses Since His Release From Prison in 2019

Washington County SheriffJeremiah Daniel Johnson.

Minnesota court records viewed by Heavy reveal 22 cases involving Jeremiah Johnson in that state, including the rape case, dating back to 2006. Some of those run-ins with police include traffic stops and minor offenses that occurred in 2020 and 2021, after his release from state prison and while he was on community supervision, records show.

Johnson was first arrested in November 2006 and eventually convicted of careless driving, records show. In December 2007, Johnson was arrested in Stillwater, Minnesota in Washington County and charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony. He pleaded guilty to a gross misdmeanor assault charge in 2008 and was sentenced to serve 23 days in jail. In 2009, he was sent back to jail in that case because of a probation violation, court records show.

In March 2009, Johnson was charged with DWI, refusing to submit to a chemical test, and failing to stop for a traffic accident with damage to property, along with other traffic offenses, records show. He was convicted of the DWI charge, according to court records. In May 2009, he was charged and later convicted of giving a police officer a false name, court records show.

On May 5, 2014, Johnson was arrested and charged with domestic abuse after he was accused of violating a protective order, along with interfering with an officer. Those cases were dismissed, records show. But on May 14, 2014, Johnson was again arrested in Anoka County and charged with domestic abuse (violate a no contact order within 10 years of previous conviction). He was convicted of that gross misdmeanor charge on May 20, 2014, and sentenced to serve a year in jail, court records show.

After Johnson was released from prison in the rape case in October 2019, his run-ins with police in Minnesota continued, court records show. He was cited for speeding in Ramsey County on February 21, 2021, after he was accused of driving 96 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone, court records show. He was also convicted of a seat belt violation in November 2021 and speeding (going 82 in a 55) in May 2022, records show.

3. Kaitie Leising Was Dispatched for a Report of a ‘Potential Drunk Driver in a Ditch,’ Where She Encountered Jeremiah D. Johnson, the DOJ Says

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) wrote in the news release that, at approximately 6:15 p.m. on May 6, 2023, St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising, age 29, “with approximately 3 years of law enforcement service, was dispatched for a report of a potential drunk driver in a ditch.”

Upon arrival at the scene, “Deputy Leising encountered the driver of the vehicle in a ditch along with another vehicle of individuals that stopped to assist the individual. Deputy Leising requested the individual, Jeremiah D. Johnson, age 34, participate in field sobriety tests before returning to his vehicle.”

According to the release, Johnson “was evasive to Deputy Leising’s requests and after approximately 8 minutes of dialogue, Johnson turned toward Deputy Leising, drew a handgun and shot her. After being struck, Deputy Leising discharged her weapon three times, but none of the rounds hit Johnson before he fled to the nearby wooded area. This incident was captured on body camera.”

4. Jeremiah Johnson Ran a Landscaping Business After He Got Out of Prison, According to His Facebook Page

Facebook (Jeremiah Johnson)Jeremiah Johnson

On Facebook, Johnson, who was married, shared a business card showing he had started a junk, leaf, and snow yard service in Minnesota.

His brother, aunt and other family members posted photos of him or comments about him on Facebook after death. Those posts did not mention the officer’s shooting or death.

On July 4, 2015, the same day he was accused of raping an unconscious woman, Johnson posted a meme on Facebook about the Confederate flag. The meme said, “People came together to have this pulled down … can we also come together to have these pulled up,” with a photo of the flag and a photo of sagging jeans. Also in 2015, he posted a meme that asked why white pride is racist, his page shows.

In June 2015, Johnson posted a meme on Facebook from Minnesota Gun Rights, a group he supported, that showed a handgun with the caption, “Because I can’t throw a rock at 1115 feet per second.”

5. Kaitie Leising, Who Died at a Local Hospital, Leaves Behind a Wife & Young Child

Kaitie Leising left behind a young family. “Deputy Leising started with the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 and previously served 2 years with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota,” the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial wrote on Facebook. “Deputy Leising is survived by her wife and young child, her parents, and a sibling. The WLM Board of Directors extends their deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the DOJ, the “occupants of the assisting vehicle immediately began lifesaving measures on Deputy Leising, who was transported to a local hospital where she died.”

“Additional officers responded and began searching the wooded area near the scene. Approximately an hour after Deputy Leising had been shot, a law enforcement officer observed Johnson, heard a gunshot, and witnessed him collapse to the ground. During the search for Johnson no law enforcement discharged their weapons. A handgun was recovered at the scene where Johnson was located deceased,” the news release says.

DOJ added: “There is no threat to the community.”

DCI wrote that it “is leading this investigation and is assisted by numerous neighboring law enforcement agencies, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI Crime Response Specialist. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook tribute that Deputy Kaitlin Leising “was shot and killed during a traffic stop in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Leising was on a call investigating the report of a drunk driver.”

Leising “was a former Pennington County Deputy, leaving in 2022 for Wisconsin. The 29-year-old served with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office from February 2020 until January 2022. In the last five months with the PCSO, Leising was a Contract Deputy in Hill City,” the department wrote.

The release continued: “Mueller points out the dangers that can exist with every traffic stop: “We thank the men and women who serve and put their lives on the line every single day. Our hearts break with the loss of this brave Deputy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kaitlin’s family at this difficult time.”

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