Joe Douglas is a dedicated family man. He has been married to his wife, Shannon, for nearly two decades and they are proud parents of three children: Addison, Tommy (or Thomas), and Leighton.
The NFL general manager found himself in a tough spot after the team’s poor 3-8 start this season.
Highlights
- Joe Douglas married Shannon in 2003 and has been living happily together since then.
- The couple first met through a college friend and fell in love. Eventually, they decided to spend their lives together.
- The former New York Jets general manager shared that his job leaves little time for him to spend with his family.
Despite being in the final year of his contract, the New York Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Douglas. The general manager worked with the team for over five seasons.
According to reports, the decision came after the Jets’ recent 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Phil Savage, a senior football advisor and former GM of the Cleveland Browns, was appointed as the Jets’ interim GM.
Just six weeks earlier, Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh following a 2-3 start.
The New York Jets started the season with high hopes but fell to a 3-8 record, which led to Douglas’s firing.
Douglas had a poor record of 30-64 under his leadership, with no winning seasons or playoff appearances.
However, the timing was unexpected. Douglas had signed a six-year contract in 2019, which was set to expire in six months.
While the NFL general manager may be facing challenges in his professional life, his wife strongly supports him.
Joe Douglas Met His Wife Shannon Through A College Friend
Joe Douglas and his spouse, Shannon, have been together for nearly two decades. They crossed paths for the first time after their mutual friends introduced them to each other.
As a personnel assistant, the former Jets GM began his career with the Ravens in June 2000.
He took on various scouting roles, covering regions like the Northeast, East Coast, and Southeast, eventually becoming the team’s national scout from 2012 to 2015.
The role of a scout required extensive travel, up to 200 days a year. The NFL official found out how hard that can be on a family after he got married to Shannon in 2003.
In 2015, he left the Ravens to join the Chicago Bears as the director of college scouting. This allowed him to spend more time with his family, but it was still hard to manage.
Joe Douglas Has Three Kids With His Spouse
The ex-Eagles’ vice president of player personnel is a proud father of three kids: Addison, Tommy, and Leighton.
As mentioned, he shares all his kids with his current spouse, Shannon.
The Douglas couple’s first child, Addison, was born in 2013. The pair welcomed their second child, a baby boy named Tommy, in 2015.
Then, the youngest of the Douglas bunch, Leighton, joined the family in 2018.
Joe and Shannon, the parents of three, have shared that juggling family obligations while also leading a demanding professional life has been difficult.
However, their kids also make their lives incredibly fulfilling. Children and supporting partners often give a sense of stability and purpose.
Additional Information
- Joe Douglas, the former general manager of the New York Jets, had a contract worth $3 million per year during his tenure with the team.
- He was born on 20 July 1976 in Mechanicsville, Virginia, to his parents, whose identity has not been disclosed.
- Joe Douglas made a brief appearance as an extra in the 2000 sports comedy film “The Replacements”. The film, featuring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman, revolves around a team of replacement players who take over during a professional football strike.