There's something about becoming a father that changes everything. As paternal instincts kick in, your mind starts rushing with all the future possibilities for your child and your family. No matter what you do for a living, or how you got there, that's the moment boys become men, as Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love can now attest to.
Love and his wife, Ronika Stone Love, celebrated their first month of parenthood in a late May Instagram post, officially announcing the birth of their daughter. Both sides of the young couple are first-time parents and have basked in the glory and tireless nights of becoming a Mom and Dad.
When the Packers opened up shop for OTAs, Love was asked repeatedly about what this has been like for him and how his life has changed. He echoed the sentiments of his teammates and, frankly, what most people say after they have their first child.
"Just coming home every day and knowing I have a daughter now... some of the guys in the locker room were always like, 'When you have a kid, it's different.' All the stress and things you worry about — it's new worries and new stress about having a kid at home that you need to come home to and have that quality time with."
You might be asking a fair question: 'What does this have to do with football?' Honestly, it has nothing to do with football directly. But it has a lot to do with the man himself, what having a child does for someone's outlook on their career, and how that will translate to the gridiron this season.
Packers star Jordan Love is on grown man time now that he's a father.
When you're a young, childless athlete, so much of your time and energy is focused on what happens on the field. After you have a child, they become your No. 1 priority, which helps you keep focus that it's just a game, and in turn, often gives players the confidence they need to perform at the best of their ability.
Your motivation is no longer solely to become the best possible athlete, but to provide a brighter future for your child, and there's no better motivation than giving your child the life you feel they deserve. It's no longer about me; it's about us, which is a harsh lesson for many pro athletes to learn.
That's not something we have to be concerned with for Jordan Love, who is already devoted to his team and clearly understands the culture he's upholding in Green Bay. Nonetheless, there's a certain level of mental and emotional maturity that kicks in when you become a parent that can translate to all parts of life.
From attention to detail to performance under pressure, timing, decision-making, and everything in between, the life skills that come with parenting aren't only applicable to parenting. At the quarterback position, you need every single one of those traits, which will help keep Love sharp as a leader in the locker room and in his home.
You can take it with a grain of salt for now, but when Jordan Love has the best season of his young career, remember that this was also the year he became a father, and that's no coincidence.
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