The road to romance for the Los Angeles Rams quarterback and his wife was as rocky as it was passionate, involving off-and-on relationships, brain tumors and vindictive dating strategies.
- Jun 21, 2024
AceShowbiz - Kelly Stafford almost didn't make it to the end zone with Matthew Stafford. The wife of the Los Angeles Rams quarterback detailed the couple's rocky path to romance after meeting at the University of Georgia. Their love story "started out horrible," Kelly explained on the "Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast. According to the 35-year-old, their initial relationship was far from a fairy tale.
The couple met before school started, as he was the quarterback, and she was a cheerleader. Kelly was eager to jump into a relationship, but Matthew preferred casual dating. As Kelly joked, "I didn't know what that was." Their relationship was very much off and on, with Kelly saying, "I hated him. I loved him. I dated the backup to piss him off."
During an appearance on "Touchdowns and Tumors", Kelly revealed a salacious detail about their early relationship. Kelly, who had a brain tumor removed in 2019, confessed to two-timing Matt with the backup quarterback to make him jealous. "At first, I hated him," Kelly said during the interview, via Sportskeeda. "I loved him. I dated the backup to piss him off, which worked. He was the bad boy, too."
The toxicity in such relationships is apparent, but it seemed to work out for the Staffords. "Matthew's so sweet and Southern gentleman, and the backup was the complete opposite. It upset him which it worked thankfully," Kelly added. Despite these early challenges, Matt went on to have a highly successful NFL career. He was traded to the Rams in 2021, leading them to a Super Bowl win less than a year later.
Kelly, whom Matt married in 2015 and with whom he has four daughters, celebrated his Super Bowl victory alongside him. Their tumultuous start eventually paved the way for a strong partnership, surviving personal and professional hurdles.
