This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Parker Henry. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When my husband, Hunter Henry, signed with the New England Patriots in 2021, I was skeptical about moving to Boston. Yet after we arrived, I was surprised that Massachusetts reminded me of Arkansas, where Hunter and I grew up. The weather is similar, and the people in both places are so loyal.
We bought a house in Massachusetts, near the stadium, and both our children were born here. Because of that, Massachusetts feels so much like home. We have a great community, both within the team and outside it.
We’ve always returned to Arkansas, where we own another house, in the offseason. Now that my son is in preschool, that’s getting harder. We don’t want to take him away from the school that he loves. I’m also pregnant, due in March, and we’re planning to stay in New England year-round for the first time. In the future, we’ll play it by ear each season.
I try not to think about moving for Hunter’s job
Where we call home could change if Hunter were traded. That’s one of those things you try not to think about, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind. We’ve been very, very fortunate to be in New England for five years.
I remind myself that worrying won’t change anything. It’s the reality of the NFL that you can be uprooted at any time. Ultimately, whether it’s Massachusetts, Arkansas, or somewhere else, I know home is where your people are.
Before kids, I worked as an RN while Hunter played
Hunter and I started dating when we were at the University of Arkansas. He was a year ahead of me, and I was still completing my nursing degree when he was drafted to the Chargers (who were first based in San Diego, then Las Vegas).
We had a long-distance relationship before getting married in 2018. That was also the year I graduated and started working as a labor and delivery nurse. Working as a nurse for two and a half years gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
I stopped working when we moved to Massachusetts, and I found out I was expecting our son. Now, my purpose and fulfillment come from raising our soon-to-be three kids. I don’t think I’m done with nursing, though; I joke that I’m going to become a school nurse to follow the kids.
Traveling to away games can be difficult, so we watch from home
The kids and I go to all the home games. If Hunter’s traveling, things are more complicated. We can’t travel or even stay with the team, so I need to figure out our flights and accommodations. The team always flies home after the game, no matter how late it ends, so Hunter gets home before the kids and me if we travel to away games.
Because of that, we usually only go if we have friends or family in the city where he’s playing. I’d rather be at home to greet him after the game and spend the next day together.
Instead, my son and I watch every away game. He still naps from 1 to 3 p.m. every day, so sometimes we have to negotiate that he can watch the second half if it’s an early game.
Being an NFL wife isn’t all glitz and glam
The fascination with NFL wives and girlfriends is funny to me. We’re just human beings, trying to wake up and get through the week. The glitz and glam isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you’re handling the mental load of running a home, getting the kids to school, and packing lunches.
Hunter has no idea what’s going on at home during football season. I rely on paid help, since we don’t have family living near us. It really does take a village.
I also recently got a Skylight calendar, which helps tremendously because Hunter can just glance at it and see if our son has preschool that day, or if we have an event coming up. My son loves the calendar too. Now that he’s older, he wants to know everything about Hunter’s schedule. He likes seeing where Daddy’s traveling, when he’ll be home, and what time the games are, and the calendar helps him feel connected, even when Hunter is on the road.
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