'All in God's Time': NFL Player's Relative Gives Birth at Stadium During Game
Well, that’s one way to sneak your kid into a football game.
A Week 7 NFL game in Indianapolis, Indiana, became a talking point among NFL fans due to controversial officiating — but now the game has taken on a whole new meaning following this WXIN report.
The Cleveland Browns stunned the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday 39-38, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a heart-stopping game-winning drive.
The comeback victory would’ve made it memorable enough for Browns wide receiver David Bell, who otherwise finished the game without a catch.
But Bell will now never forget this game because a relative of his gave one of the most unique births you’ve ever heard of at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The news was confirmed to WXIN by the Capital Improvement Board, which is the public entity that oversees the football stadium, via statement.
“We wish the family our warmest congratulations and wishes for good health,” Capital Improvement Board officials said. “We are excited to be a part of their history.”
The statement added: “We also want to extend thanks to our partners at IU Health for being prepared for any medical situation. They do a great job at meeting all the needs that come their way, and today was no exception.”
Bell, who is from Indianapolis and played college football at Purdue, had a number of friends and family in attendance for this homecoming of his.
“They were just happy to see me play,” Bell told WLFI-TV. “For a lot of them, this was the first NFL game that they were able to come to, so it was definitely a blessing to see their baby boy’s dreams come to a reality and they can see it in full fruition.”
Bell’s mother, Kareem Butler, told the outlet that the newborn was Bell’s niece.
“Our niece was born here in the stadium today,” Butler said to the WLFI. “Our niece went into labor and they delivered her at 1:20. So it’s a really exciting day today.”
Bell, who didn’t learn of the birth until after the game was finished, called the entire ordeal a “blessing.”
“It’s a blessing, so her whole idea was to try to have the baby before the game, but it’s all in God’s timing, so now I have a new niece so hopefully I get to see her when I come back to the city,” Bell said.
As for the game itself, it probably didn’t feel much like a blessing for the Colts, who lost the game in agonizing fashion to fall to 3-4 on the year.
Controversial calls down the stretch exacerbated the agony:
And the “illegal contact” just before that pic.twitter.com/wIofG3wtKU
— Kyle (@ImKyleMangum) October 22, 2023
The Colts will try to get back to a .500 record when they host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Browns and their growing team family, meanwhile, will travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Sunday.
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