Ex-NFL MVP Shaun Alexander reveals he's expecting 14th child

Shaun Alexander, the 2005 NFL MVP who starred for the Seattle Seahawks, announced on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams that his wife Valerie is pregnant with their 14th child.

"We’re just now starting to tell people, but number 14 is in the belly," Alexander said, smiling. "You’re the first one I’ve told on TV. So, we’re just now starting to tell everybody." The couple already has 13 children—10 daughters and three sons—and Alexander did not reveal which birth order the latest child will occupy.

Alexander, a Seattle native who rose to prominence as the Seahawks’ workhorse back, reminded viewers that he hopes his growing family life runs alongside his football legacy. The former MVP joined a conversation that compared family size across the league, noting that running backs have had varying family milestones and that some players in the Hall of Fame context have large families as well.

Alexander captured the NFL’s top honor in 2005 after leading the league in rushing yards (1,880) and rushing touchdowns (27) on 370 carries over 16 games. That season, he helped the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl, where they fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10. His performance that year cemented his status as one of the league’s premier runners of the early 2000s and earned him three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003 through 2005.

Over the course of nine NFL seasons, Alexander spent the bulk of his career in Seattle, appearing in 123 games (96 starts) and accumulating 9,453 rushing yards and 100 rushing touchdowns. He played one additional season with the then-Washington Redskins in 2008, appearing in four games. His career, which blended power and breakaway speed, left an enduring mark on the Seahawks and on the league at large.

In recent years, Alexander has spoken openly about his post-playing ambitions and legacy. He has expressed a desire for his children to witness the Hall of Fame experience, asking, in effect, whether that remains a reasonable aspiration. "I want my kids to see the Hall of Fame. Am I asking too much?" he said during the conversation about his career and the path forward.

The football world also features other notable family milestones. Philip Rivers, the longtime Chargers quarterback who is among the era’s most prolific passers and a first-time Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee, has publicly shared that he and his wife have a large brood of children. Alexander has said he hopes to join Rivers in Canton someday, though he has not publicly announced Hall of Fame induction status. The conversation underscored how players balance personal life milestones with professional legacies across NFL history.

As Alexander navigates this moment with his family, he remains a widely cited figure in Seahawks lore and in discussions of the league’s most enduring running backs. The 2005 season remains the high-water mark for his on-field achievements, and his openness about family life has kept him in the public conversation beyond the gridiron. Whether the 14th child adds a new chapter to his story or simply marks another milestone in a large family, Alexander has positioned himself as a figure whose professional achievements and personal narrative continue to resonate with fans, teammates, and observers of the game.