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Desmond Ridder will take a huge leap this year as he becomes the unquestioned started for the Atlanta Falcons. He took over the spot from Marcus Mariota at the end of last season, but this time, he's the designated successor.
It should be a proud moment for him and his family, especially his mother. Desmond Ridder is of mixed ethnicity. His father was African-American, and his mother is white. She gave birth to him when she was just 15, and he did not have the presence of his biological father growing up. His mother Sarah and grandmother, Jan, were instead the people who supported his upbringing.
Desmond Ridder said that his love for football started with his maternal grandmother, who taught him how to throw a football for the first time. He also credited his mother for his ubringing as a single parent:
"We were able to guide each other. It was open and free. I’m not going to say there wasn’t strictness and parenting, but a lot of things she let me learn on my own.
"She was always going to be there, but you don’t always have to ask for help. She let me be independent but guided me when I needed it."
His mother, Sarah, married later, and his stepfather was also present in his life since then. Ridder has a half-sister, Tia, who is a successful sportsperson in her own right and plays softball.
Desmond Ridder's own family
Desmond Ridder has come a long way since his childhood and is now going to go into the 2023 NFL season as the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. These are big shoes to fill, with the likes of Michael Vick and Matt Ryan having represented the franchise with distinction.
While he does that, he will have support from his own family now, that includes his wife Claire Cornett. They welcomed their first child, Leighton Elizabeth, in 2021 and got married a year later.
As he played the Cincinnati Bengals in the preseason on Friday, we are sure it gave him the time to reflect back on his journey, too.
He grew up in Lousville, Kentucky with his mother and attended St. Xavier High School. However, he made his name as a quarterback at the University of Cincinnati and was twice named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Facing the NFL franchise from the city where he made his name before being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft would have been a special feeling for him. Now, Ridder gets the chance to prove himself as a superstar and make his family proud as the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons.
