Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers during a game against the Arizona Cardinals in October 2023 in Santa Clara, California. ; Lisa and Ed McCaffrey pose for a selfie together.Photo:Michael Owens/Getty ; Lisa McCaffrey Instagram
Michael Owens/Getty ; Lisa McCaffrey Instagram
Christian McCaffrey’s parents, Ed and Lisa McCaffrey, attribute his record-breaking NFL career to his drive.
Though he followed in Ed’s footsteps, Christian, a San Francisco 49ers running back who left Stanford early and was the 8th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, has said living in the shadow of his esteemed dad wasn’t always easy.
“Growing up I was Ed’s kid, we were always Ed’s sons and so in a way, that was an advantage for us because we got to experience a little bit of that already,” he toldNBC Sportsin 2023. “I think myself and three of my brothers, we all kind of wanted to branch off and create our own name.”
His mom and dad supported this goal, believing he could do it. “We knew that he would do whatever it took to win. He put everything he had in whatever he was doing,” Lisa toldBleacher Reportin 2015.
In February 2024, Christian’s parents watched their son make his Super Bowl debut. Christian scored a touchdown for the 49ers during the game, though the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
So, who are Christian McCaffrey’s parents? From their athletic careers at Stanford to their close bond with their four sons, here’s everything to know about Ed and Lisa McCaffrey.
It was love at first sight for Ed
Ed and Lisa McCaffery on their wedding day.Lisa McCaffery Instagram
Lisa McCaffery Instagram
Ed and Lisa got married on April 4, 1992. According to theChicago Tribune, the couple dated for a few months before walking down the aisle — but they have different memories about their first encounter.
At the time, Ed and Lisa were student-athletes at Stanford University playing different sports and crossed paths on campus. In a 1999 conversation withThe Denver Post, Ed said he met Lisa at a birthday party of a mutual friend. “For me, it was love at first sight,” he recalled.
Lisa remembers it differently, though. According to her, they were in a trainer’s room where she was getting taped. “If he doesn’t remember, it’s because he was this big-time football player, and I was just this little soccer player,” she quipped.
Despite the “little discrepancy,” Ed and Lisa have celebrated their union over the decades. In honor of their 25th wedding anniversary in 2017, she posted a tribute to her husband on Instagram.
“25 years ain’t no joke. I love you more than ever, @87ed. Happy Anniversary ❤️❤️,” Lisacaptioned a photo of themsmiling at the camera.
They were both multi-sport athletes
Ed McCaffrey playing against the San Diego Chargers in 1994.Rick Doyle / Getty
Rick Doyle / Getty
While at Central Catholic High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Ed played basketball, leading the team to two state titles in 1984 and 1986. When he transitioned to football, he also excelled in it and was a Parade All-American, perThe Denver Post.
On the other hand, Lisa followed in her dad’s footsteps and set track records. Her father, Dr. Dave Sime, was considered the fastest man in the world in the mid-1950s, according toThe Washington Post. The Olympian track sprinter also made a name for himself in basketball and football.
Apart from running, Lisa lettered four times in tennis and received Vanderbilt’s first-ever women’s soccer scholarship, but she turned it down to go to Stanford. Although the university had no official soccer team, Lisa played for the Cardinal for three years.
“Sports taught me a lot,” she toldThe Denver Post. “It makes you realize that you can handle just about anything.”
Ed played in the NFL for 13 seasons
Ed McCaffrey greets his sons Max McCaffrey and Christian McCaffrey on the field in December 2002.Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post/Getty
Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post/Getty
Injuries, including a compound leg fracture playing a Monday Night Football game, led to his 2004 retirement.
“I think he’s an unbelievable mentor, he’s a great friend,” Christian toldNFL 360of his dad. “He’s a human being that I like to copy because he’s done it so well, he’s done it the right way.”
They have four sons
Christian McCaffrey with his parents, Ed and Lisa, and his brothers Luke, Max and Dylan.Christian McCaffrey Instagram
Christian McCaffrey Instagram
After finding out the sex of their oldest child, Max, Lisa believed she was destined to be a boy mom.
“They said it was a boy and for some reason, I just knew in my head that I was going to have all boys from then on. I just had an inkling, an intuition,” Lisa toldNBC Sports Bay Areain 2023.
She continued, “I wouldn’t have it any other way — I love every single one of them, they’re amazing and they all round out the family perfectly and I love them.”
Lisa wanted their kids to pursue their own passions
Christian McCaffrey with his parents, Ed and Lisa, and his brothers Max and Dylan.Christian McCaffrey Instagram
Despite being two athletic stars, Ed and Lisa did not push their children into playing sports.
“Who knows if they are going to be talented or not,” Lisa toldThe Denver Postin 2015 of her sons and football. “But I want them to be involved in what they love. If that’s books or music, that’s a good thing, too.”
As it turns out, they were instantly drawn to football, including Christian, who wanted to start playing at age 7 but had to wait until he was older. When he eventually got on the field, he dedicated himself to doing well.
“You saw him work, and it made you want to work just as hard,” Lisa told Bleacher Report in 2015. “You get him on a team, and he’s very serious about it; it’s very important to him that he does well for the team. During the offseason, he trains like it’s the [regular] season.”
Christian is the second oldest of four football-playing sons. Max played for three years in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, Jackson Jaguars and the San Francisco 49ers. In 2023, hejoined the Miami Dolphinsas an offensive assistant after coaching at the University of North Colorado. (Ed was the head coach at North Colorado for three years.)
As for Dylan, he was a collegiate quarterback at North Colorado and the University of Michigan before graduating in 2022. Currently, Luke is part of the Rice University football team.
The family of athletes has Olympic roots
David Sime, Armin Hary and Peter Radford during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated/Getty
John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated/Getty
“I didn’t know about the Olympics and all of that until my fifth-grade gym teacher told me,” she toldThe Denver Postin 2015. “My dad’s like a thoroughbred. He’s so hyper and so intense. He has to work out. If he doesn’t, he’s like a race horse that can’t run. He’s got all this pent-up energy.”
“Dave just has so many stories,” Christian told the outlet. “I call him ‘the Most Interesting Man in the World.’ ”
After retiring from sports, he became a well-known ophthalmologist in Miami. Sime died on Jan. 12, 2016, at 79, perThe New York Times.
Lisa co-hosts a weekly podcast
Christian McCaffrey and his mom Lisa McCaffrey take a photo together.Christian McCaffrey Instagram
The mom of four is the co-host ofYour Mom, a weekly podcast about what it’s like to have a son in the NFL — and she doesn’t hold back.
From cheering Christian on post-game to honest conversations with co-host Ashley Adamson about motherhood, Lisa has opened up about both the highs and lows of being a parent.
“It has made me miss and reminisce about those times when my kids were little — the good, and bad, too,” Lisa toldThe Athleticin 2023.
Their 2024 Super Bowl preparations made headlines
Lisa McCaffrey and Christian McAffrey.Lisa McCaffrey Instagram
Lisa McCaffrey Instagram
While Christian is gearing up to play in the Super Bowl, his parents and family members are preparing to go to Las Vegas to watch the game. However, Lisa made headlines ahead of the Super Bowl when she said she couldn’t “afford” asuiteto see Christian play.
“We looked into a suite and none of us can afford it, not even Christian — moneybags over there — nor moneybags Olivia,” she said on her podcast, referring to Christian’s fiancée,Olivia Culpo. “So we are not in a suite, I’ll tell you that right now.”
“Part of the problem is I wanted eight tickets together,” Lisa continued. “I felt strongly about everyone being together. … So anyway, long story short, they’re outrageously expensive, they’re stupid expensive, I don’t know if it’s the Taylor Swift factor, if it’s the first time in Vegas factor, there’s so much going on.”
After hearing Lisa’s remarks,Olivia surprised her future mother-in-law with a suite for the game. “Happy birthday Lisa I bought you a suite,” she wrote on Instagram.
source: people.com
