Sunday was a huge night for all the NFL players who got the chance to compete in Super Bowl LVI. But one player just had the most memorable night of his life in more ways than one. Just moments after his team won the game, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson sprinted out of the stadium to go meet his new baby.
Van can be seen heading out in a hurry, before any of the post-game traditions. He didn't even get to hold the Vince Lombardi trophy, but he got to hold something even better.
“It was a great day, bro. I got three prizes today. My wife, my son and the Super Bowl,” he shared in a video on Instagram Live.
Van's wife, Samaria, was due on February 17. She went into labor during the game and reportedly left the stadium "on a stretcher," according to NFL Network's Bridget Condon.
"Talk about dedication," she wrote on Twitter.
Van and his wife also have a 5-year-old daughter, Bella. But their love story goes way back. The two are actually high school sweethearts.
Samaria was definitely hoping to make it through the game, though she told The Athletic she was “definitely feeling 40 weeks” pregnant. Still, she wanted to be there cheering her husband on. "Just like any other game, I’m going to be there this Sunday and I’m going to stay calm… and pray to God my water doesn’t break."
Luckily, her husband wasn't aware that she went into labor until after his team had won the game. Samaria said that's how she wanted it so that he wouldn't be distracted on the biggest night of his career.
“He is going to play. He is going to keep playing,” Samaria said.
“I will never take that moment away from him. I want to see him glorify God on the field that day," she said. "If I did tell him or someone told him during the game, he would come off that field.”
