LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson won a Super Bowl ring. Then he and his family welcomed a new member.
Before the Rams' last-minute victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56, Jefferson's expecting wife Samaria was carried out of the stadium to the hospital, multiple reports say.
According to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue, Samaria was rushed to the hospital mid-game after going into labor. After the game, her husband and 5-year-old daughter rushed to follow her.
Not long after, Jefferson had reportedly posted a photo of himself holding the couple's newborn son. ESPN tweeted out the photo.
"It was a great day, bro," Jefferson said on Instagram Live, according to ESPN. "I got three prizes today -- my wife, my son and the Super Bowl."
The Athletic had previously reported that Samaria's due date was Feb. 17. She told the online sports outlet that she didn't want Jefferson told if she went into labor during the big game, and that she would be there: She "would not miss this moment for anything."
“He is going to play. He is going to keep playing,” Samaria told The Athletic. “I said, ‘You play, I’ll see you at the hospital afterwards.’ That’s what it is. I will never take that moment away from him."
Samaria told The Athletic that she didn't want Jefferson to worry and leave the game if he found out she was in labor.
Jefferson had four catches for 23 yards in the Super Bowl.
Van Jefferson, 25, was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up near Nashville, Tennessee. He played for Ole Miss and Florida before being drafted by the Rams in 2020.