Just one year after being traded to the Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford is playoff-bound.
Stafford, who spent most of his NFL career in Detroit, headed west in early 2021 following a blockbuster trade between the Lions and Rams, which sent Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff to the NFC North.
The Rams finished the 2021 regular season at 12-5 and earned a spot in the NFC postseason race, beginning with a Wild Card game against the Cardinals. Although the season has been filled with ups and downs for the quarterback, he has always been supported by his biggest fans: wife Kelly Stafford, and the couple’s four daughters.
Here’s what you need to know about Stafford’s biggest cheerleader.
Georgia sweethearts
Before Stafford was drafted first overall by the Lions in 2009, he was the quarterback at the University of Georgia. Kelly, the sister of former NFL receiver Chad Hall, was on the cheerleading squad.
Leading up to the 2022 national championship game between Georgia and Alabama, Kelly posted a sweet throwback photo of her and Stafford repping their Bulldog best.
“Beat Bama, LFG!! #godawgs,” she captioned the post on Instagram.
The couple tied the knot in 2015.
Health challenges
In the spring of 2019, Kelly revealed that she would undergo surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. At the time, she detailed in an Instagram post where her health troubles began.
“Within the last year, I began to notice things that I thought was just me getting older.. I would show my girls how to do a front roll or twirl in ballet class and immediately feel dizzy & off balance… Things that I had been doing my entire life were now, all of a sudden, difficult,” Kelly explained.
After enduring several bouts of vertigo, Kelly was advised by Stafford’s team doctor to get an MRI of her brain.
“A few days later we were hit with the results. I had a tumor sitting on some of my cranial nerves,” she continued. “All I heard was brain tumor & that they had to do surgery to take it out.. so that is what we are going to do & we believe we found the best doctor to do it.”
Following the procedure, Kelly penned a touching message to Dr. B. Gregory Thompson, who performed the operation.
“This is him, the man God chose to remove my brain tumor. After my diagnosis, Matthew and I visited doctors all over the US. He made it a super easy decision after we met Dr. Thompson @ the U of M hospital,” she wrote on Instagram in May 2019. “When I spoke w/ him, he reminded me of my dad. He truly cared & was empathetic, which meant so much to me.”
In October 2019, Kelly chronicled her experience in an essay for ESPN, praising Stafford for everything he had done for her throughout the harrowing ordeal.
“Matthew was incredible during the whole process. He was literally by my side at every step. I had exercises I needed to do — some of them were seemingly simple, like shaking my head left and right ‚ and Matthew helped me through all of it,” she recalled.
Kelly later celebrated a clean two-year scan in April 2021.
New beginnings
The early days of 2021 brought about new changes for the Staffords, whose NFL home became Los Angeles after 12 seasons in Detroit. Following the news of Stafford’s trade to the Rams, Kelly thanked the Lions fanbase, as well as the city of Detroit, in a heartfelt Instagram message.
“This place, our home, the people… it’s hard to find the words to explain what this place means to me. Random tears come very often when I think about not being here. This place supported me during the toughest time of my life and during the happiest times and I want to thank y’all in the right way,” she shared.
Much like Stafford settled into his new role as the Rams starting quarterback, Kelly also tried her hand at something new in 2021, starting her own podcast, “The Morning After with Kelly Stafford.” On the show, Kelly has not only opened up about the “pretzelgate” incident of November 2021 but she’s also shared anecdotes about her relationship with Stafford, including a past vacation encounter with Leonardo DiCaprio.
