Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson might have caught four passes for 23 yards in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory last night, but his biggest play was off the field—immediately after the game—when he rushed to be with his wife during the delivery of their second child.

After going into labor mid-game, wife Samaria at 40 weeks pregnant was carried out of the stadium on a stretcher. But if we know anything about the will of a woman going into labor, it’s that you don’t mess around with her wishes. And the universe—somehow—kept the news from reaching Jefferson on the field.

“He is going to play. He is going to keep playing,” said Samaria prior to the game, via 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. I want to see him glorify God on the field that day. … Knowing Van and how he is so caring, he just worries so much about me and the kids. … If I did tell him or someone told him during the game, he would come off that field. We’re saying, ‘Hey, you go play. We’ll see you after.'”

When. the game ended and the celebration on the field began, Jefferson passed on the confetti and headed straight to the hospital with his 5-year-old daughter Bella, and his dad. He may be a receiver, but he definitely logged some rushing yardage last night, too. “It was a great day, bro,” he said on Instagram Live. “I got three prizes today – my wife, my son and the Super Bowl.”

And while this is certainly a Super Bowl story, it’s also the best Valentines Day one we’ve heard today, as well. Samaria and Van were high school sweethearts. He recently shared photos from high school on his Instagram account, along with a picture together with his wife. “Thankful I’ve been able to share these moments with you since high school! ❤️” It’s fair to say they’ve added another memorable one to their scrapbook.
Van Jefferson/Instagram
—Shelley Massey
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