Diane Addonizio met Howie Long before he became an NFL star or a familiar face on television. Their relationship began at university and grew into a marriage that has lasted more than four decades. Yet her life also includes a legal career, a book about famous fathers and years of work with children’s charities. She is a mother of three sons, each with a connection to professional football. Her story brings together education, family choices and community service, with several achievements that deserve attention alongside her marriage.
Diane Addonizio Biography Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Diane Addonizio |
| Also Known As | Diane Long or Diane T. Long |
| Birth Year | 1960 |
| Birthplace | Red Bank, New Jersey, United States |
| Exact Birthday | Not clearly established in reliable public biographies |
| Professional Background | Retired attorney, author and community volunteer |
| Undergraduate Education | Villanova University, Class of 1982 |
| Undergraduate Subject | Classical Studies |
| Law School | University of Southern California, Gould School of Law |
| Former Legal Work | Corporate litigation |
| Husband | Howie Long |
| Marriage | June 1982 |
| Children | Chris Long, Kyle Long and Howard “Howie” Long Jr. |
| Published Book | He’s Just My Dad! (2000) |
| Community Work | Youth development and support for children’s organisations |
| Public Board Roles | Chris Long Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia |
| Personal Net Worth | No independently verified public figure |
Her Early Life and Education
Diane Addonizio was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1960. There is limited reliable information about her parents, siblings or childhood routines. She also appears under her married name, Diane Long, in accounts of her charity work and writing. Her book and community activities are usually listed under that name, which explains why readers may come across both surnames when learning about her.
She graduated from Villanova University in 1982 with a degree in Classical Studies. She later earned a law degree from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law and qualified to practise in California. Public institutional profiles differ on the exact years of her law degree and bar admission. However, they agree on her universities and legal training. Her education is an important part of her biography because it explains the professional career she built before leaving active practice.
How She Met Howie Long
The couple met while studying at Villanova. She was a first-year student, while Howie was in his second year. At that stage, he was a college football player. Their relationship began during student life, before the Raiders drafted him in 1981. They knew each other before professional football became the centre of his working life.
One early date involved watching an NFL game in his room. Howie had a small black-and-white television, and the pair watched the Dallas Cowboys. Diane Addonizio later recalled his strong interest in players he admired. He kept pictures of football players on his wall and was excited to see them in person. Their early time together already included the sport that would become central to their family’s public story.
Their Marriage and Life in the NFL
Diane Addonizio married Howie Long in June 1982, after his first NFL season. By 2026, their marriage had passed its 44th anniversary. Their years together have covered his playing career, retirement, entry into broadcasting and their sons’ own professional journeys. They became parents while Howie was still playing, so family life developed alongside the demands of an NFL career.
She has occasionally spoken about what that experience felt like from inside the family. At a Chicago Bears business event in 2017, she appeared with Kyle and discussed being both a player’s wife and a player’s mother. She described professional football as exciting and difficult, with close relationships behind its public image. Her comments offer a broader view of the sport than results and trophies alone. They also show that she has been willing to share her experience when it serves a clear purpose.
Her Career as a Lawyer
Before focusing on raising her children, Diane Addonizio worked as a corporate litigator. This type of lawyer deals with legal disputes involving businesses. She qualified professionally in California and spent several years in practice. Her legal career took place during the same broad period in which her husband was establishing himself in the NFL.
Howie discussed her decision to leave that career during his Hall of Fame speech in 2000. He explained that she stepped away after their third son was born, allowing him to continue playing. He also thanked her for her support, honest advice and care for their children. His tribute acknowledged the effect of her decision on their household and his ability to continue his football career.
Who Is Her Husband Howie Long?
Howie Long is a former NFL defensive lineman who played his entire 13-season career with the Raiders. The team selected him in the second round of the 1981 draft. He became an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and helped the Raiders win Super Bowl XVIII. His place in football history was recognised with induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. These achievements explain why his family continues to attract interest from sports readers.
He joined FOX NFL Sunday in 1994 and remains part of its 2026 studio team. The move from playing to television gave him a second long career connected to football. He also appeared in films, including Broken Arrow and Firestorm. His work across sport, broadcasting and entertainment has kept him in public view for decades.
Their Three Sons and Family Life
Diane Addonizio and her husband have three sons, Chris, Kyle and Howard, usually called Howie Jr. Chris followed his father into the NFL as a defensive end. He played for the St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles during an 11-season career. He won Super Bowls with the Patriots and Eagles and received the 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his community work. He has also worked in sports media and hosts the Green Light podcast. His career adds another chapter to the family’s connection with football and charitable work.
Kyle became an offensive lineman and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2013 draft. He earned Pro Bowl honours in each of his first three seasons and later returned to football with Kansas City in 2021. His career also moved into broadcasting, including a role on CBS’s The NFL Today in 2026. Howie Jr. followed a different route, working in football personnel with the Raiders rather than becoming an NFL player. The three brothers share a connection with the sport, but their jobs and experiences have been different.
Her Book About Athletes and Fatherhood
In 2000, Diane Addonizio published He’s Just My Dad!: Portraits of Celebrity Athletes and Their Children under the name Diane Long. The book combines family interviews with more than 200 photographs. Its focus is the relationship between athletes and their children, including moments away from games and public appearances. Photographer Sam Abell led the photography team, while the book also included contributions from novelist John Grisham and basketball player David Robinson. It was published by HarperEntertainment.
The subject had a clear connection with her own family experience. Her husband and their children appeared in the book, alongside other sports families. Readers could see athletes in a home setting, spending time with their children. The project brought family voices into a subject usually covered through competition and performance. It explored the everyday relationships that exist alongside a successful sporting career.
Her Work With Children’s Charities
Diane Addonizio has spent years supporting organisations that help young people. She is a longtime board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia. Her listed responsibilities include work on resource development and a leadership role in the Milbank Society. These roles connect her with the practical work of supporting the organisation and its future. Her public profile there describes her as a community volunteer whose interests centre on youth development.
She is also listed as a board member of the Chris Long Foundation. Her work has included helping lead fundraising campaigns for new club buildings and taking part in building design projects. This gives her community involvement a practical side, beyond attending events or lending a familiar family name. The foundation itself works on clean water access and educational needs. Her board role places her within an organisation led by her son, while continuing her own long interest in helping children.
The Couple’s Support for Villanova
In 2015, Villanova announced a $1 million commitment from Diane and Howie Long. The gift supported the university’s athletics facilities and led to a training space being named for Howie. The project formed part of a wider effort to improve resources for student athletes. It was a joint commitment from two graduates, linking their later success with the university where they had studied and first met.
The training centre was dedicated in 2016, with both of them attending. The facility was designed to serve athletes across Villanova’s varsity sports, extending its use beyond the football team. The couple described their gift as a way to express gratitude for their university experience and help future students. Their involvement brought them back to the place where their relationship had begun.
Her Role in Football Events for Parents
Diane Addonizio has also taken part in discussions aimed at parents of young football players. Her involvement has included the Heads Up Football advisory committee. In 2013, she joined a football health and safety event connected with the Kansas City Chiefs. The programme brought mothers together to hear presentations, ask questions and learn about the sport their children played. Her contribution came from her experience of raising children in a family closely connected with football.
The event included military families and discussions with league figures, former players and other football mothers. Participants could hear from parents who had watched their sons progress through the sport. These appearances formed another part of her public work alongside writing and local volunteering. They allowed her to speak from her experience as both a player’s wife and the mother of football players.
Her Public Life Today
The clearest picture of Diane Addonizio today comes from her listed community roles. Both the Chris Long Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia include her in their leadership information. Her professional background remains part of these biographies, while her listed work focuses on children, community projects and nonprofit service.
Readers also search for her personal wealth, but no independently verified figure is available. Her former legal work, published book and family’s charitable gifts do not provide enough information to calculate her assets. A joint donation also does not reveal the value of each spouse’s finances, so a precise personal net worth would be an estimate.
Conclusion
Diane Addonizio’s life includes a long marriage, a professional legal background, motherhood, publishing and years of community work. She met Howie Long during college, built her own career and later made family choices that he publicly acknowledged. Their three sons continued the family’s connection with football through different paths. Her book and charity roles also show how she has used her experience beyond her own household. Together, these details give a fuller picture of the woman many readers first know as Howie Long’s wife.
(FAQ’s)
1. Who is Howie Long’s wife?
His wife is a retired attorney, author and community volunteer who is also known as Diane Long.
2. When did the couple get married?
They married in June 1982, after meeting as students at Villanova University.
3. How many children do they have?
They have three sons, Chris Long, Kyle Long and Howard “Howie” Long Jr.
4. Was she a practising lawyer?
Yes, she worked as a corporate litigator before leaving legal practice to focus on her family.
5. What book did she write?
She wrote He’s Just My Dad!, a book about well-known athletes and their relationships with their children.
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