![Diane Addonizio and Howie Long, 1992 | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/14f9a87cf9d130e6800093c171ad34eaa85fbfbaa13270acb5045b67daa45c96.jpg)
Diane Addonizio Became Howie Long's Wife in 1982 & Is a Mother of 3
Howie Long's wife is Diane Addonizio, the mother of his sons. The couple welcomed three children together, now all grown and following in their famous father's career footsteps in different ways.
Diane Addonizio, Howie Long's wife, met him during her first year in Red Bank, New Jersey. The classical studies major also graduated with a law degree from the University of Southern California. Long's wife practiced law for a few years before choosing to be a stay-at-home mom to her sons.
She fell for him when he was a sophomore. In a past interview, Addonizio recalled how difficult it was to get to know Long and how moody he was. One positive thing she recalled about the former football player was his attractiveness. Addonizio confessed that she'd never met anyone who was that good-looking but also big! Soon enough, the pair was off to their first date.
![Diane Addonizio and Howie Long at the "Broken Arrow" premiere on February 5, 1996, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/f4572e6d574d978070087c0c045954bb45083e215750cfabacc57102d9523c3c.jpg)
Diane Addonizio and Howie Long at the "Broken Arrow" premiere on February 5, 1996, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
The former athlete's wife said their first actual date happened when Long invited her to his room to watch a televised National Football League (NFL) game. Not long after their relationship began, Addonizio tied the knot with the star.
![Howie Long and his wife Diane Addonizio at the "Firestorm" premiere on January 7, 1998, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/6a4ef6d0735b7acc3714ad22f6ee3ee7fb194709efc88045d98c00122ed5ec5f.jpg)
Howie Long and his wife Diane Addonizio at the "Firestorm" premiere on January 7, 1998, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
Diane Addonizio's Journey to Becoming Howie Long's Wife and the Mother of His Children
In June 1982, Addonizio and Long became husband and wife, and the couple later welcomed three sons. One of their sons, Chris, is also a football player like his father.
In 2022, Addonizio appeared in Chris's Instagram post, featuring pictures where she's bonding with Chris and his two sons, Waylon and Luke. In the post's caption, Chris confessed to loving his "momma" very much, as do his sons.
![Howie Long, his then eight-month-old son Christopher, and his wife Diane Addonizio at home on December 20, 1986, in Redondo Beach, California | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/21451ba88c02133b33340e2adc3190f85343550bd297edaa529a326f562c918f.jpg)
Howie Long, his then eight-month-old son Christopher, and his wife Diane Addonizio at home on December 20, 1986, in Redondo Beach, California | Source: Getty Images
Chris's brother, Kyle, also followed in their father's career footsteps by becoming an NFL player. In 2020, Kyle showed how much he loves and cherishes Addonizio by honoring her with a Mother's Day post. He shared a picture of his mother in the wild, looking through binoculars while a stuffed monkey sat on a tree branch.
Long's wife practiced law for a few years before choosing to be a stay-at-home mom to her sons.
Addonizio's last son is Howard Jr. While he doesn't seem to be a football player like his brothers and father, he also loves the sport. According to his LinkedIn profile, he works as a manager and does premium sales for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Howard Jr. appears to be living in Las Vegas, Nevada, and studied at the University of Virginia. Meanwhile, not much is known about Long's wife, but she is an author who's written at least one known book.
![Howie Long, his wife Diane Addonizio, and their son Christopher Long at the "Firestorm" premiere on January 7, 1998, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/3443e253e0c5f931eda105557fe07bc7e069602883f6faa64da4892700a8f6ba.jpg)
Howie Long, his wife Diane Addonizio, and their son Christopher Long at the "Firestorm" premiere on January 7, 1998, in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
What Is Howie Long's Wife, Diane Addonizio's Book About?
In 2000, Addonizio released her book "He's Just My Dad!: Portraits of Celebrity Athletes and Their Children." The Fox football analyst's wife's book saw her interviewing male athletes and their families, providing humorous and surprising outlooks into the parenting styles of sports stars.
The book includes 200 photographs of celebrity athletes and their children. They were taken at home and behind the scenes by a team of photographers led by Sam Abell.
![Howie Long and Diane Addonizio at the Friars Club Roast of Terry Bradshaw during the ESPN Super Bowl Roast on January 29, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona | Source: Getty Images](https://cdn.amomama.com/57a271a00541baa95e15487e0393e0e718fba0419ffe3af8ea1d633d92574a54.jpg)
Howie Long and Diane Addonizio at the Friars Club Roast of Terry Bradshaw during the ESPN Super Bowl Roast on January 29, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona | Source: Getty Images
Addonizio's passion for photography, love for sports, and appreciation of fatherhood inspired her to look into the father-child relationship of star athletes in her book. Her book profile shows that she and her family live in Albemarle County, Virginia.