MARRIAGE IS GOOD...EVEN IN THE NFL! (Wedding Photos)

My first post is dedicated to marriage and football (hence, the title of this blog). Contrary to popular belief, MARRIAGE IS GOOD! Marriage inside the NFL is also good. It's funny how even when I was dating my husband, as soon as I mentioned him playing professional football, the conversation changed. After those words "he plays in the NFL" are uttered, judgment soon follows. The judgment my husband and men like him often receive is that they are cheaters, liars, abusers, incapable of loving one woman, and not fit for marriage. READ MORE on my thoughts below...

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"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." -Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

NFL WAG Stats

Name: LeShonda Martin

Husband: Sherrod Martin 

Husband is Rookie or Veteran: Vet! Sixth year (Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears)

Children: None yet

NFLWAG: almost 2 years (and counting)

Cities You've Lived in with NFL: Jacksonville

Off Season Home: Atlanta

Favorite Food: Oreo blizzard, Reese's, any dessert

Hobbies: Playing and coaching basketball, blogging, fitness, entertaining my dogs, reading

Interesting Facts: I was recruited to play Division I basketball; I played PG (point guard) in college; I lived in Bulgaria for three months 

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I also am automatically looked at in a different light after those three letters "N.F.L." are spoken. A woman who dates a professional athlete is surely only in it for the come up. A gold digger. I quickly learned why my then boyfriend did not like to reveal how he makes his living. Perception is reality and their reality is that what we had was fake. In reality, the only fake thing about our relationship was the fake people wanting to be friends. Harsh but true. People wanting to get close to us in order to attend a game or get a glimpse of the "lifestyle". Or my favorite, the women who wanted me to hook them up with the teammates. SIDEBAR: Can I just say that it never works that way? I am sure the wives of the NFL who have been married for years and have a successful relationship will tell you that they either did not know what their husband did (for a living) in the initial meeting, or they knew and rejected him for it. It was the wives who were chased, pursued, and ultimately caught by their husbands. Proverbs 18:22. Read it. He who finds a wife...not the other way around. Anyway, back to marriage...

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I love marriage and enjoy being a wife. My husband is the best man I have ever met. Notice there were no disclaimers. I didn't say he is a good man for an athlete. He is a great man period. When we started dating, he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. To this day, that has not changed. There are no skeletons in the closet or secrets between us. When we attended our premarital counseling, we were able to have some tough discussions about our past. My husband does not judge me or make me feel like less of a woman for mistakes and vice versa.

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We laugh and have fun like high schoolers. We talk about the future and hang out like best friends. We brainstorm and exchange business ideas like partners. We have one another's back 100 percent like family. I pray that our relationship is testimony to the fact that God does exist. HE puts people in our lives for a reason. I whole-heartedly believe that HE sent me my husband. I prayed for it.

I am sure the wives of the NFL who have been married for years and have a successful relationship will tell you that they either did  not know what their husband did (for a living) in the initial meeting, or they knew and rejected him for it." -LeShonda Martin

 

God first. Then my husband and me. That is the recipe to the success and joy of our family. There is freedom in a happy marriage. I am excited to share with you all a glimpse of my life and the lives of others in the NFL. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING NEGATIVE COMMENTS. Words have power and can either be used to build up or destroy.

I decided to share some of our wedding day photos in this post. Enjoy but please do not share without permission or giving credit. Thank you!

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-LM