Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was only 14 years old when he lost his father, Orbin Love. The elder Love took his own life on 13 July 2013.
Orbin Love, a sergeant in the Bakersfield Police Department, was 51-year-old when he passed away.
Highlights
- Jordan Love’s mother, Anna Love, worked as a Highway Patrol officer for the California Highway Patrol.
- Love’s father, Orbin Love, was a police sergeant with the Bakersfield Police Department.
- He has three siblings – two sisters named Kami and Emily and a younger sister named Alexis.
When the Green Bay Packers chose Jordan Love as their starting quarterback for Week 1 in 2023, many fans and analysts were unsure what to expect.
Love, who played college football at Utah State, didn’t see much game time in his first three seasons because Aaron Rodgers was the main quarterback.
Despite the uncertainty, Love has performed well. He’s shown good decision-making skills, avoided turnovers, and demonstrated the strong arm talent that impressed people during his college days.
It’s been a bit of a surprise to see Love rise to the occasion, especially since he wasn’t from a top-tier college football program and was quite small when he started high school.
However, his father always believed in him and encouraged him to pursue football. Unfortunately, Orbin Love isn’t around to witness his son’s success.
The late sergeant never saw his son grow to 6’2″ in high school and then to almost 6’4″ a year later.
He never saw Jordan lead his team to the state semifinals in 2015, earn a scholarship to Utah State, or impress NFL scouts who traveled just to watch him practice.
Jordan views these achievements as gifts he never got to give his dad. They are his way of thanking his father for constant encouragement, support, and belief in him.
Jordan Love Described His Father As The “Happiest Dude You Would Ever See”
Jordan Love’s father, Orbin Love, sadly died by suicide after being shot.
In an interview with the NFL, the Green Bay Packers quarterback described his late dad as the happiest man he had ever seen.
“If you knew him, he was the happiest dude you would ever see. He was always smiling. Even if things in his life got him down, he never showed that..”
Jordan Love
Jordan’s family thinks that Orbin’s unexpected death was caused by a change in his blood pressure medication, not by depression.
NFL reported that Orbin’s obituary mentioned the cause of death, “Taken suddenly by a medical demon …”
Jordan Love’s mother, Anna, shared details about his father’s strange behavior in the weeks leading up to his tragic passing.
Anna said she woke up to 13 missed calls from Orbin’s brother, who was worried because Orbin had been talking strangely and wanted to remove pool pipes for no reason.
Later, Anna found Orbin struggling with a simple task in the garage. None of this suggested the possibility of suicide, but it was clear something was wrong.
Similarly, on another morning, Jordan’s mother woke up to find his father standing over her with a strange grin, saying, “Good morning.“
Anna said she told him that he was acting oddly and suggested he stay home.
On the morning of the day Orbin took his life, he sat on the bed, staring blankly and twisting his hands, unable to speak properly.
Jordan’s mother decided to get him help and locked his gun away. When he dropped their daughter off at Jordan’s game, he drove onto the sidewalk and said he’d be right back.
Feeling uneasy, Anna went home and found found him on the bed. At first, she thought he was sleeping, but then she noticed broken glass, the blinds pushed aside, and the gun in his hand.
Anna later learned that Orbin had a spare key to the lockbox. He left no note.
The Darkest Moment Of Jordan Love’s Life
After the game, Jordan and his sister, Alexis, felt something was wrong when their aunt took them to her house instead of theirs.
In the driveway, she told them the heartbreaking news about their father’s death.
“My darkest moment was definitely the day it happened, just hearing about it right there in the car. I didn’t want to believe it.”
Jordan Love
It was very hard for 14-year-old Jordan to deal with the tragedy. But he kept most of his feelings inside. He didn’t want professional therapy, even though his mom offered.
A few weeks after the funeral, Jordan told his mom he wanted to quit football.
His mom, somehow, convinced him to play for at least one more year in his 10th-grade junior varsity season.
The NFL player’s mother said she thought he shouldn’t make such a big decision right after a family tragedy. She told him he could quit after the season if he still wanted to.
Jordan played that season, earned the starting position on his JV team, and never looked back.
Though he wasn’t highly recruited, he made it to Utah State and eventually became a first-round NFL talent.
Additional Information
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jordan Love’s net worth is $50 million.
- In July 2024, Jordan signed a 4-year contract worth $220 million, which included a $75 million signing bonus and $155 million guaranteed.
- Presently, Love is the highest-paid player in the NFL with $55 million annual salary.
- Love is engaged to his fiancee, Ronika Stone, a professional volleyball player and the daughter of former NFL player Ron Stone.
