Los Angeles Chargers star quarterback Philip Rivers and his wife Tiffany welcomed their ninth child together last week, the team announced Tuesday.
The football team made the exciting baby announcement on Twitter, sharing a clip of Lion King where baby Simba is raised into the air, writing: ‘SHE’S HERE. Welcome to the world, Anna Rivers.’
Rivers, who has played for the team since 2004, is a devout Catholic and has seven daughters and two sons with his high school sweetheart wife Tiffany – Halle, 16; Caroline, 13; Grace, 12; Gunner, 10; Sarah, 8; Peter, 7; Rebecca, 5; and Clare, 3, and newborn Anna according to Heavy.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, 37, and his wife Tiffany welcomed their ninth child together last week, the team announced Tuesday
The team announced the birth on Twitter on Tuesday sharing a clip from the Lion King writing: ‘SHE’S HERE. Welcome to the world, Anna Rivers’
Rivers and his wife Tiffany were high school sweethearts and married in 2001 and share nine children together, eight of them pictured above in an old vacation photograph
The family is based in San Diego and Rivers travels about 90 miles or so in a customized SUV to work in Los Angeles, according to ESPN.
The two tied the knot in 2001 follow his freshman year in college and welcomed their first daughter Halle the following year.
Despite being a star NFL player and one of California’s most prized athletes – when he’s not on the football pitch he’s a dedicated dad.
‘He always wants to be with us. Whenever he’s home, he plays with us and he’s with us all the time,’ 10-year-old Gunner said to Chargers.com.
‘Wherever we go out – we go all kinds of places – random people just come up and ask for his autograph and for pictures. It’s cool. But he’s always there for us. But when he’s home, we like to throw the football in the yard. We like to putt on the putting green, watch football and do things like that.’
Family man: The couple have always wanted a big family and now have seven girls and two sons together
The Rivers have nine children: Halle, 16; Caroline, 13; Grace, 12; Gunner, 10; Sarah, 8; Peter, 7; Rebecca, 5; and Clare, 3 (pictured above from youngest to oldest) as well as newborn Anna
Halle echoed: ‘He’s so selfless. He’s an NFL quarterback; he’s doing a million different things every day, but every day he comes home, and he wants to be with us. If he has one extra minute that he could do something else, he’ll be with us.’
For Tiffany and Philip, 37, having a big family has always been a dream of theirs, but it’s also a challenge.
‘I think it’s a challenge, and I’m by no means perfect at it, nor is anybody, but I think what I would always tell other dads is to try to be present. Just try to be there. Sometimes you have long work days. Sometimes you have to be on the road a lot. But when you’re home, be home,’ Rivers said to the outlet.
‘When you’re present, be present the best you can. Like I said, we all fail. But I think from a dad standpoint, children want our time. Sometimes it might just be five minutes, and sometimes it can be a lot more, but I think they want our time and to be engaged with them and present,’ he added.