Former football star Max McGee exchanged the holy vows with Marcia Priebe and Denise Dawson, welcoming children from both of his wives. Though he had a short-lived marriage with his first marriage, his second marriage lasted until he took his last breath.
William Max McGee was a football player with a great history playing as an end and punter with the Packers. He scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl I.
Growing up as the youngest of six children, he developed an interest in football early in his life. He gained national attention playing at White Oak High School.
Alongside professional high, Max saw two marriages, but the latter ended on his deathbed in 2007.
He first married during his time at Tulane University and even had children. However, their marriage didn’t last long due to the couple’s young age.
Later, Max McGee met his second wife, and after dating for a while, the couple tied the holy knot.
Late Football Player Max McGee Married Denise Dawson When He Was 49, While She Was Just 26!
Max McGee had an enriching personal life, particularly highlighted by his marriage to Denise Dawson.
The athlete met Denise Dawson in 1981 at Maximillian’s, a popular restaurant in Minnesota. At that time, he was 49 and living a vibrant single life after a divorce.
Max was previously married to Marcia Priebe, while Denise was also a 26-year-old divorcee.
Before tying the knot with Max, Denise was married to her first husband from age 20 to 25 in her hometown. During that time, she even owned a clothing store.
During their first meeting, he asked her for a date, and she accepted. It laid a base for their beautiful relationship, lasting for decades.
Reports suggest that the couple dated for almost a year and a half before moving together for another year.
Eventually, their connection blossomed in no time, and they married.
Ultimately, they exchanged vows in the spring of 1984. Max and Denise were together from September 6, 1984, to October 20, 2007.
During their meeting, Denise reportedly had recently moved to the Twin Cities from her hometown, River Falls.
According to a Sports Illustrated report, Denise said, “The thing about Max is that he seemed much younger than his age.”
She further added, “He was energetic and he was fun. And he had the quickest wit of anybody I’ve ever known.“
The couple welcomed their first child of the family, Max Jr., aka Maxie, in September 1986. However, he had Down Syndrome, and the McGees struggled with it.
Later, in the spring of 1989, the couple became the parents of another boy named Dalles. Later on, medical experts diagnosed him with Type I Diabetes.
Max had the disease and hoped his children wouldn’t have it, but fate wasn’t on his side. This led him to start the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes in 1999.
Marcia Priebe and Max McGee Had a Short-Lived Marriage Which Didn’t Last More Than Four Years!
Max McGee met Marcia Priebe during his college years at Tulane University in New Orleans. Marcia was a student at H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College.
Their journey began in the early 1950s. Eventually, the couple exchanged the holy vows in 1953.
The former couple welcomed their first daughter, Marla, shortly thereafter. They became the parents of a second daughter, Mona, after the Packers drafted him in 1954.
However, their marriage faced challenges almost immediately after marrying in 1953. Their burgeoning football career and Marcia’s aspirations led to a growing rift between them.
By 1957, they divorced shortly after their second daughter, Mona, was born. Following their divorce, Marcia returned to Minnesota to raise their children while the athlete remained in Green Bay.
Like Max, Marcia also remarried in 1958 and became Marcia Gray, raising her daughters from her past marriage alongside her new family.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Max McGee was the first American high school football player to rush for over 3,000 yards in a single season.
- He even served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
- After retiring from football, Max co-founded the Mexican restaurant chain Chi-Chi’s.
