Greg Olsen, a former NFL tight end and two-time Sports Emmy winner, is considered one of the greatest tight ends in history, being a three-time Pro Bowler and ranking fifth all-time in receptions and yards.
But to anyone who follows him closely, it’s clear that his proudest title isn’t “Pro Bowler” or “analyst.” It’s simply “Dad.”
Greg and his wife Kara, who met as students at the University of Miami and married in 2009, are parents to three incredible kids: Tate Christian, who was born in June 2011, and twins Talbot and Trent Jason “T.J.”, born October 9, 2012.
Each of them has carved out their own personality, passions, and, especially in T.J.’s case, an inspiring story of resilience.
Greg Olsen’s kids
The firstborn, Tate, arrived in early June 2011 and immediately inherited his dad’s love for competition. Now 14, Tate is a multi-sport standout who plays Pop Warner football and travel baseball (where he’s a pitcher with a knack for big moments).
In November 2022, his football team won a city championship, and in July 2023, his baseball squad won the prestigious Easton Elite World Series in Florida.
Greg rarely floods social media with youth-sports highlights, but when Tate’s team won that World Series, he couldn’t help himself.
He posted a heartfelt caption that perfectly captures his dad-philosophy:
“I typically don’t post about my kids playing sports… but every now and then we share an experience that is too good not to share. I am so proud of Tate and his entire team for all they accomplished. The hard work, personal sacrifice, struggles and triumphs are teaching these boys the lessons only sports can teach you. Being a dad can be stressful and full of doubt. But man is it fun!!”
Via People
Greg even volunteers as an assistant coach on Tate’s baseball team, often spotted in the dugout cheering louder than anyone.
T.J. was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped, essentially meaning he was born with “half a heart.”
He underwent multiple open-heart surgeries as an infant and toddler, but by spring 2021, his heart began to fail.
In May of that year, at just eight years old, T.J. was admitted to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte in end-stage heart failure and placed on the transplant list.
On June 4, 2021, a donor heart became available.
The transplant was a success. Three days later, still in the ICU with tubes and monitors everywhere, T.J. recorded an adorable video message on his dad’s phone that instantly went viral:
“Hi everybody. Thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for praying for me. We love you guys. Bye.”
Two weeks after surgery, he got to “ring the bell” signaling the end of his hospital stay, a moment Greg had been dreaming about with him every night in the ICU.
Greg posted the video with the caption: “He promised us he was going to ring it.”
Since the transplant, T.J. has thrived. He plays flag football and baseball, met his idol Aaron Rodgers in 2022 (a moment Rodgers called one of the highlights of his season), and generally lives the full-speed life of a 13-year-old boy who knows exactly how precious every heartbeat is.
Talbot is the family’s lone daughter and, by all accounts, has her daddy completely wrapped around her finger.
A competitive swimmer and youth cheerleader, she also loves boating with the family on Lake Norman.
For her 10th birthday in October 2022, Greg took her on a father-daughter trip to Los Angeles, where she got to sit at the FOX NFL Sunday desk with the broadcast crew, a #GirlDad moment he proudly documented.
Talbot and T.J. actually made their First Holy Communion together in spring 2021, just weeks before T.J.’s transplant, a bittersweet milestone the family still looks back on with gratitude.
A Family Bound by Love, Faith, and Football
Through the years of surgeries, hospital stays, and transplant waiting, Greg and Kara founded The HEARTest Yard, a charity that provides support to families of children with congenital heart defects (in partnership with Levine Children’s Hospital).
The entire Olsen crew – Greg, Kara, Tate, T.J., and Talbot- regularly participates in fundraisers and hospital visits, turning their hardship into hope for countless others.
At the end of the day, Greg Olsen may call NFL games for a living and own some of the most impressive tight-end stats in history, but spend five minutes scrolling his Instagram and you’ll see where his heart truly lies: with Tate on the pitcher’s mound, T.J. throwing a football in the backyard, and Talbot cheering from the pool deck.
Greg Olsen’s kids aren’t just growing up in the spotlight; they’re proof that even in the toughest battles, love, family, and a whole lot of heart (sometimes a brand-new one) always win.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Olsen’s older brother, Chris Olsen Jr., played quarterback for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.
- Olsen, along with Vince Vaughn and Ryan Kalil, launched a podcast network and production company named Audiorama.
- On January 24, 2021, Olsen announced his retirement and that he would be joining Fox Sports as a full-time broadcaster.
