Seattle Seahawks’ linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence got his hands on the Vince Lombardi trophy for the first time in his long career, but winning wasn’t the only thing he had on his mind today. His wife, Sasha, is 37 weeks pregnant, and all he was concerned about in his post-game presser was whether she was in labor or not.

“Where’s my wife? She’s not in labor, right?” he asked.

Fortunately, she wasn’t in labor and was right there supporting Lawrence as she witnessed her husband win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. But if things were to go otherwise, Lawrence had made arrangements.

“She also brought her doctor along,” broadcaster Kaylee Hartung said. “DeMarcus and his teammates had some deep conversations about what they’ll do if his wife goes into labor during this game. His teammates said, ‘It’s not guaranteed you’ll make another Super Bowl, but you can have another baby.'”

Lawrence really wanted to get a ring by the night ended, and was forced to make a rather difficult decision. Together, he and Sasha agreed that he would not be notified if labor began during the game.

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“If she goes into labor, DeMarcus told me he will not be alerted,” the broadcaster added. “That was Sasha’s choice, so he told her, ‘Whatever you got to do, this can’t happen today.’

Lawrence has been clear about wanting to be present when their child is born and also wanted Sasha to be there for him when he finally lifted the trophy, which is why he was quietly hoping the timing would hold. Now he has a ring with a long offseason ahead and no reason to worry about missing anything when the moment finally arrives.

It is something the couple should share together, since the two have been through everything alongside each other. They got married in Dallas, their home at the time, and together they’ve built a family that includes son Damari and two daughters, along with Sasha’s children Mariah and Kal-El from a previous relationship.

They’ve been there for each other ever since, and Sasha has been his biggest supporter.

“Only God could write this story,” she wrote on Instagram after Lawrence’s conference win. “I am extremely happy for my husband… WHAT A DREAM!! through every high and low, God was faithful. Thank you to everyone who stayed in our corner. LAW FAMILIA IS SUPER BOWL BOUND!!!”

She knows what this means for her husband, who overcame a negative bank balance to become a Super Bowl champion.

How DeMarcus Lawrence overcame financial struggles

DeMarcus Lawrence’s career reads like a success story now, but there was a time when everything came crashing down for the linebacker. By his third season in the league, he was nearly out of football and completely out of money, staring at a bank balance below zero.

Lawrence talked about that stretch during a 2024 appearance on the Level Up Lifestyle podcast, explaining how quickly things unraveled and what finally forced him to reset.

“The end of my third year, I go completely broke. I get that phone call from my accountant, and he’s like ‘Hey man, you don’t have no more money in your account,’” Lawrence recalled. “I’m like ‘What do you mean no more, like zero dollars? What are you saying?’ He’s like ‘I mean like negative $100.’”

He got a call from his father during that period of struggle, who was going through his own hardships, and wanted his son’s financial help.

“My dad calls me, he’s like, ‘Son, I need you to help me out, I need something,’ and I’m like, ‘Dad, man,’ I ain’t even let him finish, I’m like ‘Dad, I’m completely broke.’ He’s like ‘what do you mean? You’re in the NFL, what are you talking about?’ and I’m like ‘Dad, man, my accountant just told me I have zero dollars.’ He was like, ‘Huh? What’s going on? … Are you stupid?’”

He was with the Dallas Cowboys at the time, making decent money for a rookie, and was on a $5.5 million contract. The problem was his overspending, lack of financial awareness, and tax burdens. The cash outflow was bigger than the inflow, and it left him with a negative bank balance as he prepared for a 2017 offseason with one season left on his contract.

But that phone call with his father changed his mindset, as he produced a 14.5 sack season, earning a $17 million franchise tag, and eventually a $105 million contract with the Cowboys. After more than a decade with Dallas, the Seahawks signed him on an average annual salary of over $10.8 million.

Now, he has earned more than $140 million over his career, according to Sportrac, and enriched his legacy by winning the Vince Lombardi trophy, essentially completing his arc.