Raising a kid is more expensive than ever. That doesn’t seem to be a problem for 2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, who on Thursday announced that he’s welcoming his 14th child with wife Valerie. According to a 2023 study, the average annual cost of raising a child is $21,681, which, if multiplied by 18 years (And parents often know their responsibility rarely stops at 18), comes to $390,258.
Seahawks RB legend Shaun Alexander just broke the news that he & his wife Valerie are welcoming their 14th child.
Congrats @shaunalexander !
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) September 25, 2025
That’s almost half a million dollars per kid raised, according to current numbers. That’s not a problem for someone like Alexander, who has a net worth of $12 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Raising 14 kids, according to the current estimates, would cost you around $5.5 million.
Of course, Alexander could’ve likely spent much less, seeing as a lot of his kids were born when the cost of raising a child was much lower. Pitting the cost against his current net worth is also only a thought experiment, since it’s impossible to know how much he actually spent. Whatever money he spent raising his children is no longer part of his net worth.
What did Shaun Alexander achieve as an NFL player?
Shaun Alexander had a distinguished nine-season career in the NFL, remarkably durable for a running back at the highest level of the sport. Alexander started his journey at the NCAA level with the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he played between 1996 and 1999. There he was, SEC Player of the Year, First Team All-American, and First Team All-SEC in 1999.
This led him to be the 19th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, being selected by the Seattle Seahawks. He would spend eight of his nine years in the NFL with the Seahawks. There, he won the NFL MVP and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year once, was a Pro Bowl selection three times, and a First Team All-Pro selection twice.
It was in 2005, while running for 1,880 yards and an astounding 27 touchdowns, that he won his MVP award and NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. That year, he was the league’s rushing yards leader, scoring leader, and rushing touchdowns leader. He helped carry the team to the Super Bowl that year, where they fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers of Ben Roethlisberger. He finished his career with a final quiet season with the then-Washington Redskins.
Read more:
Brandon Aiyuk Injury Update: What Fantasy Owners Need to Know About 49ers WR Ahead of Week 4
Mike Evans Injury Update: What Fantasy Owners Need to Know About Buccaneers’ WR Ahead of Week 4
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
