The Truth About Robert Woods' Wife, Alexandra Barbee

Super Bowl LVI (that's 56, for those of us who forgot our Latin numerals) promises to be an exciting showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. Even viewers who aren't into the game will be tuning in to see the clever star-studded commercials and the halftime spectacular featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. But of all the fans sitting in the very expensive stands (the cheap seats start at $3,000, per NBC5 Chicago), the ones cheering hardest will be the spouses of the men on the field. Among them will be Alexandra Barbee, the wife of Rams wide receiver Robert Woods III. 

Woods himself will not be playing; he tore his ACL in November and is now out for the season, but he will be there to cheer on his teammates and, he hopes, to celebrate their victory. This was the second of two devastating blows he suffered; not long after his injury, his father, Robert Woods II, died unexpectedly (via Yahoo! Sports). Woods credited the support of both Barbee and his teammates for helping him get through this heartbreaking time. Days before the Super Bowl, he posted on Instagram, "I'm so grateful and proud of my brothers for battling through in my honor this season. Thank you to my wife for being there and supporting me through all of this. The job is not finished yet, but I know my Dad is proud."

So who is the supportive woman who won this gridiron giant's heart?

Alexandra Barbee and Robert Woods almost didn't have their happily-ever-after. Their first meeting was at a party in Los Angeles, and at first, she was unimpressed. But on the urging of a mutual friend, Barbee struck up a conversation with the football star, and they began dating the very next night (via Wedding Style). At the time, Woods was playing for the Buffalo Bills, but he returned to California during the off-season and stayed in touch with Barbee via text and FaceTime when he was in New York.

After two years of dating, Woods proposed to Barbee, and they were married in a lavish ceremony featuring an all-white color scheme, a dove release as the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, and a multitiered gold and white wedding cake. Woods gave Barbee two diamond wedding bands to complement her stunning engagement ring; as she wrote, "I wear not one, but two bands because my husband said if he could live twice & do it all over again, he would!"

Not much is known about Barbee's pre-wedding life or career, but she has embraced the football wife role wholeheartedly. Her Instagram page is filled with photos of NFL events and candids from the sidelines. Six months ago, the couple celebrated a new chapter in their lives when they welcomed daughter Shi Demi Woods, nicknamed Dottie. The couple chose not to find out their baby's gender until the birth, but it was "well worth the wait," Barbee wrote in a post to her daughter. "In you I've found a newfound purpose, unwavering unconditional love & bliss that makes everyday a whole lot brighter."