Former quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick might have retired from the NFL but he still keeps a busy life taking care of his big family. While being in the league for 17 long years he maintained a perfect relationship between his professional and private life, proving that he is not only a fantastic quarterback, but a true family man.

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Former Buffalo Bills QB has a big family of nine including himself, his wife, and his seven children. It is needless to say he adores them all, but he did once complain that he added a few pounds by eating cakes as there is always a birthday to celebrate around the corner.

Ryan Fitzpatrick got married to his college sweetheart Liza Barber in 2006 right after a year he made his NFL debut with the St. Louis Rams. The couple have been married for 17 years and they welcomed their firstborn, a boy named Brady, who is now 15. Following him are Tate, 13, Lucy, 11, Maizy, 9, Zoey, 7, Ruby, 5, and the youngest, Jake, who is 4. As the quarterback has played for nine different NFL teams, all his kids were born in different states.

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The 41-year-old QB recently celebrated his birthday with his family during the Thursday Night Football post-game coverage on the show “The Nightcap”. As the former quarterback rejoiced he also received a unique helmet as a gift which was decorated with the nine NFL team’s logos that he was once a part of.

Cooking for a Family of Nine Tips: Crockpot Meals

In an interview with CBS Sports Radio three years ago, Ryan Fitzpatrick revealed some secrets about being an NFL dad with seven kids. Fitzpatrick was asked whether he prepares meals in large quantities like “four gallons of chili or seven packs of pasta” at once for his family of nine. To which he replied,

“Definitely, the kids have to eat stuff sometimes they don’t necessarily want to eat because that’s what we have. We made it for you know, 15 people. This is what you’re eating for the next three days. A lot of crockpot meals.”

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Ryan emphasizes on the necessity to prepare meals in large portions as they have seven children to feed. As he can’t customize each meal, the challenge lies in ensuring the kids eat what is available, even if they don’t like it. He said they often cook meals in a crockpot to manage feeding such a large household over multiple days.

Moreover, when asked about having 11 kids in the coming years, Ryan compared his family size to that of former NFL players Philip Rivers and Antonio Cromartie who themselves have 10 and 14 kids, respectively. He joked that Rivers might surpass them in numbers while accepting defeat in their “competition” of bigger family size.

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