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Kelly Stafford is acknowledging a fumble in the retelling of her love story with Matthew Stafford.
The wife of the Los Angeles Rams player issued an apology to Joe Cox—who was Matthew’s backup quarterback during their time at University of Georgia—for publicly sharing that she dated him during college to make her now-husband jealous.
Sharing a photo of Joe with his now-wife Erica and their three kids, Kelly wrote on Instagram Stories June 25, “I am so sorry for the media storm that happened last week that made its way into your lives.”
“You have ZERO involvement in what I spoke about,” the podcaster continued, adding that she actually “looked up” to Joe and Erica while studying at University of Georgia, where she and Matthew fell in love. “You were the couple that everyone thinks Matthew and I was.. y’all were the UGA QB and cheerleader that met and never let go.”
Though Kelly is sorry for throwing a spotlight on Joe and his family, she does not regret how dating him led her to marrying Matthew. In fact, she noted in a separate post, “It was 16 years ago and if you asked Matthew and I if we would change anything back then…. nope.”
Writing that it’s “comical the way things were twisted” about their love story, Kelly continued, “But we appreciate the laughs.”
Instagram/Kelly Stafford
Kelly was a UGA cheerleader when she started dating Matthew, who made his debut with the Georgia Bulldogs during his freshman year. The two tied the knot in 2015, going on to welcome twin girls Chandler and Sawyer, 6, as well as daughters Hunter, 5, and Tyler, 3.
However, according to Kelly, their romance almost didn’t make it to the end zone as Matthew was initially interested in “casual dating” and she was not.
“Long story short, wasn’t that cute of a relationship at first,” she explained on the June 11 episode of the Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe podcast. “I hated him. I loved him.”
Instagram/Kelly Stafford
However, Kelly noted that Matthew’s tune started to change after she “dated the backup to piss him off.”
“It was a lot of back and forth,” she added. “I think if you ask anyone who knew us at Georgia if they thought we would have ended up together, four kids, they would have laughed their asses off.”
For a closer look at the Stafford family, keep reading.
Welcome Home
On the field, Matthew Stafford is one of the best quarterbacks of the NFL. But when the football player comes home, he’s simply dad.
Falling in Love
During bye-week, Matthew and his wife Kelly Stafford treated their kids to a festive fall day near their home in Los Angeles.
B-Day Bash
“33 and grateful for the people that fill this home,” Kelly wrote when celebrating her birthday. “Thankful for these girls’ contagious smiles and for a husband who never fails to make me laugh.”
Summer Days
“A pier breakfast, turned beach day, turned watching pro female surfing competition…” Kelly wrote on Instagram. “Pretty epic summer day with great ‘aloha vibes.'”
No. 1 Fans
After playing at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Matthew was able to reunite with three of his daughters in a suite.
Rest & Recharge
After cheering for Dad all day long, it’s no surprise that Matthew’s kids just want to snuggle after game day.
Go Blue
Whether they are at the stadium or going to school, Matthew’s daughters love to wear the Rams’ team colors.
Playtime
When Matthew worked from home during COVID-19 shutdowns, his daughters quickly wore him out.
Family Matters
“My whole heart in one photo,” Kelly wrote on Instagram when capturing her daughters snuggling by Matthew.
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