Darla Leigh Pittman Rodgers is famous as the mother of NFL star Aaron Rodgers. Since Aaron’s NFL Draft in 2005, he has had a successful career donning two jerseys till now. As of 2024, he plays as the quarterback for the New York Jets and is counted as one of the top-rated players. Like every mother, Darla has been one of her son’s biggest supporters.
However, as of late, Aaron doesn’t seem to have been on good terms with his mother. Do Darala and Aaron currently have a complicated relationship?
Let’s uncover more about Darla’s identity beyond being a celebrity’s mother.
All You Need To Know About Darla Leigh Pittman Rodgers
The beautiful Darla Leigh was born on January 26, 1958, to Charles Herbert Pittman and Barbara Pittman in Ukiah, Mendocino, California. As of 2024, she is 66-years-old.
She wasn’t the only child of her parents. She spent most of her childhood in Ukiah alongside her three siblings. Darla has two sisters, Cheryl Myrl Pittman and Valerie Ann Pittman, and a brother, Charles B. Pittman.
Her Father is Already Dead
Sadly, on Friday, May 27, 2016, her father passed away unexpectedly in the arms of his wife at the age of 87. He was born the youngest among five children of his parents, Herbert Charles and Anna Marie Pittman, on November 10, 1928.
He got married to Darla’s mother on May 26, 1951, and were together for 65 years before passing by her side. A private graveyard service was held for his funeral in Eversole Mortuary, Ukiah.
College
Leigh attended Ukiah High School, where she was a song leader as well as a cheerleader, and graduated in 1976. After that, she joined Sacramento State University and studied there for two years, and later transferred to the California State University, Chico. She then graduated from there with a major in gerontology and stress management.
Darla Leigh Pittman Rodgers Is a dancer
Aaron’s mother Darla began dancing when she was in high school. She used to dance in the cheer squad and later pursued it professionally. No further information regarding her dancing career is available. However, she claims she is a graceful dancer.
She even took a slight credit for her sons’ agile feet on the ground. Darla said her kids took behind her and inherited the footwork from her. During her interview with FOX6’s Tom Pipines, she said,
I think that my guys did get some of my dancer qualities. You have to know where you are in time and space when you’re dancing, and they definitely are running for their lives. They know where they are in time and space to be elusive, and I think that I kinda gave them some of that.
But that’s not all; the celebrity mom also played basketball in her high school days.
Darla Rodgers Is Married to Her College Sweetheart
She has been married to her hubby Edward Wesley Rodgers for several years now. The two tied the knot on 5th April 1980. Coming up to 2024, they have been together for over four decades.
As for their meeting, the duo possibly crossed their paths at Chico State as college students. Soon, they became friends and began dating. After being in a relationship for some time, they also decided to get engaged at a formal dinner party in the cellar at the Blue Fox Restaurant in San Francisco amidst their families.
Details On Her Husband Edward
Her spouse Edward is the son of retired Lt. Col. Edward Wesley Rodgers Sr. and Kathryn Christine “Kay” Odell of Lompoc.
He graduated from a high school in Lompoc in 1973. He also played four years of football at Chico State Wildcats as an offensive lineman. However, at present, he works as a Chiropractor.
They Are Proud Parents Of Three Children
Darla and Edward’s beautiful marriage of more than four decades has provided them with 3 sons: Luke, Aaron, and Jordan Rodgers.
All three of them are accomplished in their life.
Luke Rodgers
He is the eldest son of the couple. Born in April 1982, Rodgers completed his studies at San Diego State University, California, with a master’s in Business Administration. He now works as a senior director of business development at 5G LLC.
Luke has also appeared in sports-related podcasts as a co-host with his younger brother, Jordan.
Besides, Luke is married to his long-term girlfriend, Aimee Wathen. The pair also welcomed a son named Jack Jordan Rodgers on June 17th, 2022.
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron is the middle child and is involved in sports. Born on December 2, 1983, he was selected in the 2005 NFL Draft and played for the Green Bay Packers for 18 seasons before moving to the New York Jets.
He is also one of the highest-paid players of all time, with a total net worth of $200 million. Alongside his successful NFL career, he is also a philanthropic person and is actively involved in charitable and humanitarian works.
Talking about his love life, the NFL star got engaged to the actress Shailene Woodley on February 6, 2021, and they were soon to marry. However, they parted ways in early 2022 for various reasons. After his separation from Shailene, he dated a podcast host, Deja Blu, but that didn’t last either.
Jordan Rodgers
Jordan, the youngest child of the duo, was born on August 30, 1988. He is popularly known as a television personality who has appeared in many reality shows. Among them, he was even able to win Bachelorette (S12) in 2016.
Darla Leigh Pittman Rodgers Has an Estranged Relationship With Her Son Aaron Rodgers
As perfect as it looks on the outside, the Rodgers family doesn’t seem to have a healthy familial relationship on the inside. Not only Darla, but the entire family hasn’t been on talking terms with Aaron for years now.
Their internal feud became public when Jordan appeared on The Bachelorette’s S12. Following that, their father, Ed, told The New York Times in 2017 that their son Aaron had not spoken to them since December 2014. He even made a statement saying fame can change things.
Aaron also skipped his grandfather’s funeral and his own brothers’ marriage. The footballer even returned the Christmas presents sent by his parents in 2016.
How Things Started?
The quarterback started to distance himself from the family when he led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2011. After that, he started dating actress Olivia Munn in 2014, and since his mom Darla didn’t get along with his girlfriend, he stopped talking to them. Although the ex-couple has now broken up, the family still aren’t contacting each other.
Aside from that, sources stated his parents were upset with Aaron after he stated that, growing up, he struggled with the religious beliefs of his family.
Will They Ever Reconcile?
It has been almost 10 years since the dispute started in the family. In the long-term, there have been hints about the reconciliation of the Rodgers. However, none of the family members has confirmed it to the media.
Despite this, in January 2022, many sources disclosed that the Rodgers brothers had started talking a little bit. But looking at the history, things haven’t been great for them to be on good terms yet.
Additionally, in August 2022, Aaron mentioned the possibility of a reunion with the family by putting their year-long argument behind him.
During his Aubrey Marcus Podcast, he said,
I do believe in healing and I believe in the possibility of reconciliation at some point. But, it’s a different journey for all of us, and to judge on the outside about what should be or what it should look like, or who’s wrong or who’s right, is just a game I’ve never wanted to play and still don’t want to play.
He also mentioned that he doesn’t hold any grudges with his family anymore.