NFL star’s wife goes into labor at Super Bowl
The wife of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson had to leave her husband's Super Bowl LVI win on a stretcher as she went into labor and gave birth to their second child.
The Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at their SoFi Stadium in LA on Sunday. But during the fourth quarter, as the Rams trailed 20-16, Samaria Jefferson's waters reportedly broke meaning she had to be rushed to hospital to deliver the baby boy.
Jefferson therefore skipped the postgame celebrations with his teammates and rushed off to meet his second child.
Now a world champion, Jefferson later shared a photo of himself and his newborn son via an Instagram story and also spoke of a "great day" in an Instagram live session.
A Super Bowl ring and a new baby for Van Jefferson. February 13, 2022 - what a day for the Rams receiver! (Van_j12/IG) pic.twitter.com/X0cHrSfpIq
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) February 14, 2022
"It was a great day, bro," Jefferson beamed. "I got three prizes today – my wife, my son, and the Super Bowl."
Jefferson caught four out of eight passes and gained 23 yards in the Rams' victory where his teammate Cooper Kupp scooped the MVP award.
Pre-match, Samaria vowed that "just like any other game", she was going to "stay calm" and "pray to God my water doesn't break" while in attendance at the SoFi Stadium.
"I am 100% going to be there. I would not miss this moment for anything," she added to The Athletic. "I will be 40 weeks pregnant at the Super Bowl, supporting my husband 100%."
The Athletic also revealed how the Rams were under strict instructions from Samaria not to inform Jefferson if she went into labor mid-game.
"I'll see you at the hospital afterwards,'" Samaria said she told her husband. "Hey, you go play. We'll see you after."
The incident seems to have unfolded in this exact manner, with NFL Network reporter Bridget Condon sharing on Twitter: "I'm pretty sure I just saw Van Jefferson's wife leaving the stadium on a stretcher about to have their baby.
I'm pretty sure I just saw Van Jefferson's wife leaving the stadium on a stretcher about to have their baby. Talk about dedication.
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) February 14, 2022
"Talk about dedication," Condon added.
The Jeffersons' son joins five-year-old daughter Bella to complete their family. And as the newborn is still yet to be named, Condon suggested he should be called Aaron in honor of the Rams' defender Aaron Donald who delivered a string of important tackles on the Bengals' star quarterback Joe Burrow while the clock ran down.
