Kelly Stafford's bombshell disclosure that she dated Matthew Stafford's backup quarterback to provoke jealousy has ignited a media frenzy, inadvertently targeting innocent families. The quarterback's wife has since apologized for the unintended consequences of her statement.
Kelly Stafford, the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, inadvertently sparked a media storm last week when she revealed that she once dated her husband's backup quarterback at the University of Georgia in an attempt to make him jealous.
Kelly Stafford's Revelation Unleashes Internet Storm on Joe Cox, Prompts Apology
"I dated the backup to p--- him off, which worked — he was the bad boy too," the Rams quarterback's wife said. "Matthew’s so sweet and a Southern gentleman and all that stuff. And the backup was the complete opposite, and it upset him."
Stafford did not reveal which quarterback she dated, but during Matthew Stafford's time at Georgia, he played in front of Joe Tereshinski, Joe Cox, A.J. Bryant, and Mohamed Massaquoi.
Kelly Stafford's Revelation Unleashes Internet Storm on Joe Cox, Prompts Apology
Cox was the only quarterback to be in Athens during all three of Stafford's seasons, prompting internet sleuths to assume it was him who had "dated" Kelly. That assumption led to a "media storm" against Cox and his family, which Stafford felt the need to apologize for, as they had "zero involvement in what I spoke about."
"To this beautiful fam…I am sorry for the media storm that happened last week that made its way into your lives. You had ZERO involvement in what I spoke about and in fact, it was y’alls relationship in college that I looked up to and wanted for me and Matthew," Stafford wrote, via the New York Post. "You were the couple that everyone thinks Matthew and I was.. y’all were the UGA QB and cheerleader that met and never let go. I love y’all."
Kelly Stafford's Revelation Unleashes Internet Storm on Joe Cox, Prompts Apology
According to Kelly Stafford, the backup quarterback in question was also a roommate of Matthew Stafford's.
"They lived in the same dorm room because athletes lived in the same dorm room. He would see my car there. At one point he waited and followed me into the car. I was like, ‘This is amazing. It’s working.’ I was like, ‘Get out of my car.’ He was like, ‘He’s not right for you.’ I was like, ‘What? You can’t tell me that,'" she said.
The Staffords got married in 2015 and have four daughters from ages 3 to 7, with their two oldest being twins. The couple has been praised for their strong bond and public displays of affection.
Meanwhile, Joe Cox and his family have maintained their silence amidst the unwanted media attention. Cox, who played professionally in the Arena Football League, has not publicly commented on the situation.
Kelly Stafford's revelation has served as a reminder of the unintended consequences of public statements. Her apology to the Cox family highlights the importance of respecting the privacy of others, especially when their involvement in a matter is involuntary.
