After retiring, professional athletes typically focus on their other business endeavors or remain within the sport’s orbit, by coaching or through commentary. But Shaun Alexander would rather expand his family.
The former NFL player isn’t just talking about a few kids and hoping a few inherit the football gene; he and his wife, Valerie, have basically created their own team.
In a recent interview with Kay Adams’ Up & Adams Show, Alexander broke the news around the 29-minute mark that his wife is pregnant with their 14th child.
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“So, we’re just now starting to tell people, but No. 14 is in the belly,” a smiling Alexander told Adams. “You’re the first one I’ve told on TV.”Alexander then dug deeper into his kids, so we’re just going to break it down for you along with his career.After playing football at Alabama, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the 19th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. One of the most underrated running backs of all time, during his seven years with the team, he was named MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, selected to three Pro Bowls, and led the league in scoring. He’d also have a short stint with Washington, but during his Seattle run he married his wife Valerie in 2002 after dating for two years.The baby-making commenced, and the married couple birthed 10 girls and three boys: Heaven, Trinity, Eden, Joseph, Justus, Temple, Honor, Jedidiah, Eternity, Hosanna, Hope, Judea, and Torah, who died as a newborn in 2017.In the interview with Kay, he also mentions that his eldest son, Joseph, is a sophomore in high school. His son followed in his footsteps, at least intramurally, and he had to find a place for him to play, which aligned with the family’s faith while remaining homeschooled.
“There was no way for him to play in the public schools, at least not in Virginia or the DMV. So we created a homeschool co-op, and we invited all the homeschooled kids in the area to play football,” he said. “We started Harvest Covenant, so we got great thriving families, individual academics, dynamic sports and dynamic faith.”Alexander didn’t give any other details on his large family, but he does document some of his life as a family man on his Instagram page. Alexander’s faith also led him to write his 2010 book The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life.
Social media is shocked that he has so many kids, likening him to other football players, such as Antonio Cromartie and Philip Rivers.
See the reactions below.
