For Olivia Culpo, this NFL season arrived with a new title: mom.<\/p>\n
The model and television personality and her husband, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, welcomed their daughter, Colette, in July \u2014 a life shift that quietly reframed everything from game-day routines to what actually matters most. Sundays, once familiar, suddenly carried new weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt puts things into perspective,\u201d Culpo tells Yahoo. \u201cIt\u2019s such a rebirth \u2014 it\u2019s a new version of yourself \u2014 that has something so important at the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n
What followed was a season measured not by stats, but by moments \u2014 early mornings, firsts she\u2019ll never forget and Sundays that moved faster and meant more than the ones before.<\/p>\n
Sundays, step by step<\/p>\n
Home-game Sundays start early.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re usually leaving three or four hours before kickoff,\u201d Culpo says. \u201cIf there\u2019s a 5 p.m. game, we\u2019re out the door by 2 or even 1:30.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means the day begins long before football does. \u201cI\u2019m usually waking up around 8 a.m.,\u201d she says. \u201cI get coffee with my mother-in-law \u2014 that\u2019s a tradition we have \u2014 and then I\u2019m immediately getting myself and my daughter ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
This season, there was just a little more to do than preparing sideline looks.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that I have [my daughter], there\u2019s a lot to remember,\u201d Culpo says. \u201cHer stroller, diapers, milk, food. I had to bring my pump when I was breastfeeding, privacy covers, change of clothes, backups for the backups.\u201d<\/p>\n
The list keeps growing. \u201cA sound machine because she\u2019ll eventually fall asleep, pajamas, sometimes a sleep sack,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was just so much to prep for her. \u2026 I would start as soon as the sun was coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sundays, seen through a new lens<\/p>\n
Navigating an NFL season while raising a baby also meant watching McCaffrey step into fatherhood during a career that rarely slows down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really glad that Christian has had the opportunity to share those moments as a dad,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery player will tell you that those years are so fleeting and go by so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Timing matters in the NFL, and Culpo is acutely aware of how rare this window can be. \u201cSome people don\u2019t have their children while they\u2019re playing because it goes by so quickly,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m really grateful. I know that\u2019s something he always wanted. It\u2019s really fun to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a generational layer that makes this season feel especially meaningful. McCaffrey\u2019s father, Ed, played in the NFL, and Culpo knows how much that experience shaped him. \u201cHe had that with his dad,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd now we get to have that with our daughter and show her someday these times they had together.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Sunday she\u2019ll never forget<\/p>\n
When Culpo thinks back on the season, one moment rises above the rest: taking her daughter to training camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was three weeks postpartum, and it was the first time I left the house,\u201d Culpo recalls. \u201cIt was just us, not a lot of people, and it felt really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was pride in simply showing up. \u201cI was also proud of myself for going out of the house with a newborn,\u201d she says. \u201cYou always remember that first time you leave with your newborn.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sundays no one sees<\/p>\n
Not every Sunday feels celebratory. Road games, Culpo admits, come with nerves. \u201cIt can be a little more stressful, honestly, because I\u2019m nervous typically,\u201d she says. Still, she rarely watches alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always have my family over,\u201d Culpo says. \u201cIt\u2019s so fun.\u201d Keeping things casual helps \u2014 pajamas, sweatpants, no pressure. \u201cJust come as you are,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s why football Sundays are the best days to host and be together, because you have every right to stay in your pajamas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind those Sundays is a reality few fans see. \u201cI don\u2019t think people understand what these guys put into their craft,\u201d Culpo says. \u201cThe amount of hours they spend day in and day out \u2014 even in the offseason \u2014 there are no days off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Supporting that level of dedication requires flexibility and understanding. \u201cBeing a supportive partner means understanding that and allowing them to do everything they need to do to be their best and feel the most prepared,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat means understanding when they can\u2019t go to dinner or when they\u2019re coming home at 8 p.m. and leaving at 6 a.m. every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Culpo adds, \u201cThat\u2019s just what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Super Bowl Sunday, at home<\/p>\n
By the time Super Bowl Sunday arrives, on Feb. 8, Culpo is back in hosting mode \u201cas usual,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Along with her husband and daughter, Culpo will be watching with her niece and nephew, who are newly invested in football. She says it has added another layer of joy. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to watch the game through their eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n