ESPN's Robert Griffin III Finds Out His Wife Is In Labor While Live On-Air
ESPN football analyst Robert Griffin III will never forget the 2022 Fiesta Bowl — even though he didn’t see the whole game.
That’s because the former NFL quarterback left near the end of the third quarter.
Griffin had a good reason for leaving: He had just found out his wife, Estonian heptathlete Grete Griffin, had gone into labor with their third child. He has a fourth child from a previous relationship.
Oh, and he learned this while he was live on-air doing the sport network’s “Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show” coverage.
Viewers at home saw Griffin talking on the phone while another analyst was discussing the game. Although the co-hosts were confused by his actions, they understood when he hung up and told them, “Sorry guys, uh, I gotta go. My wife’s going into labor.”
After giving his co-hosts hugs, he ran off the field in Tempe, Arizona, and attempted to get home to his wife.
Griffin made sure to tweet the exchange.
WIFE IS IN LABOR!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Kep0Ek51vU
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 1, 2023
He also posted updates, such as when he confirmed he had a flight home.
UPDATE!!!
Made a SOUTHWEST FLIGHT to get home. HOLD ON BABY, DADDYs COMING! https://t.co/wSBKrUMf44— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 1, 2023
He did manage to arrive home before his wife gave birth ...
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 1, 2023
... But the baby has apparently decided to take its own sweet time.
UPDATE!!!
Southwest got me Home in time!!!
Because our baby decided it WASN’T TIME TO COME OUT YET. We are at Home and enjoying the other kind of 2023 fireworks. Baby Girl must have known that Mommy and Daddy had never spent a New Years apart. GOD KNEW where I needed to be. https://t.co/wSBKrULHew— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 1, 2023
In fact, the baby still hadn’t arrived as of Sunday morning, according to the New York Post.
But Grete Griffin did make an Instagram post where she expressed gratitude at her husband’s willingness to leave work to be at her side.
“All I had to say was the word ‘labor’ and this man STOPPED CALLING A BOWL GAME and took off sprinting to the car to get to the airport and get on a 4 hour flight to make it home,” she wrote.
As for the game, Texas Christian University managed to upset Michigan 51-45 and will play the University of Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 9.