Commanders OC reveals touching story about Rams’ Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will only gain more admirers with this heartwarming story.

Stafford is one of the most well-liked stars in the NFL. His reputation as a good leader and a kind teammate has steadily grown over the years. Everything has translated to the field, including winning the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022 and the MVP in 2025.

But Stafford’s biggest impact is not on the gridiron. He has helped many people with his generosity and compassion. Just ask Washington Commanders office coordinator David Blough.

On “NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov,” Blough, who was then playing for the Detroit Lions, revealed that Stafford paid for the flight of her wife, Melissa Gonzalez, in 2019 after she was eliminated in the World Athletics Championships in Qatar so they could be together on bye week. Blough noted that he had only known Stafford for a month.

“He says, ‘How come she can’t fly home? How come she can’t come back for the bye week? It’s a long season,'” shared Blough.

“A few days later, he called me. He goes, ‘Hey, can she get on a flight tomorrow night from Doha to Chicago? You can pick her up there. I’ll pay for it. I’ll fly your wife home for you.’ I had known him for a month, and he’s doing this for me.”

#Commanders OC David Blough shares how Matthew Stafford, after knowing him for only a month, paid to fly David's wife back to the U.S. so they could be together during their bye week.

"How come she can't be home?"

This is one of the best stories I've heard on the show. https://t.co/0iv3cwlu7s pic.twitter.com/V37dShK0E1

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 14, 2026

To this day, Stafford’s touching gesture has stayed with Blough. Now that he is a coach, Blough said he has made sure to apply Stafford’s approach and thoughtfulness.

“The money was just a drop in the bucket. What I learned in that moment was that he was trying to make every single person’s experience in the NFL special. Whether it’s a janitor, whether it’s a chef, whether it’s one of his teammates who’s in and out of the building for a week on the practice squad,” added Blough, who is in his third year with the Commanders.

“He didn’t know if I was gonna be there later that season. I was undrafted. I had just been traded there. He was trying to make my experience in the NFL special.”

The NFL can be cruel and violent. Players tend to be selfish and self-centered. But now and then, a guy like Stafford falls through the cracks, reminding everyone that some things are bigger than football.

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