If you’re searching for Howie Long’s wife, the answer is Diane Addonizio. She’s been married to Howie for decades, and their relationship is often pointed to as one of the rare long-running, steady marriages connected to pro sports. While Howie became famous as an NFL star and later a TV analyst, Diane built her own identity as an educated, private, family-centered partner who stayed mostly out of the spotlight.
Quick Facts
- Howie Long’s Wife: Diane Addonizio
- Married: 1982
- Howie Long Known For: NFL Hall of Famer (Raiders), sports broadcasting, acting
- Diane Known For: Private family life; background in education and law studies
- Children: Three sons (including Chris Long and Kyle Long)
- Marriage Style: Long-term and low-drama, with strong privacy boundaries
Who Is Howie Long?
Howie Long is a former NFL defensive end who became a cornerstone of the Raiders and later a familiar face in sports media. He built his reputation as a dominant, physical defender and eventually earned a place among football’s all-time greats. After retiring, he transitioned into broadcasting, becoming known for sharp analysis and an on-air presence that felt confident without being overproduced. He also took on acting work, which helped broaden his public profile beyond football fans.
Even with all that fame, Howie’s personal life has stayed surprisingly grounded—and a lot of that stability is connected to the partnership he’s had with Diane for decades.
Who Is Howie Long’s Wife Diane Addonizio?
Diane Addonizio is Howie Long’s wife and one of the most private “sports family” figures you’ll ever hear about. She isn’t an influencer-style celebrity spouse, and she isn’t known for chasing media attention. Instead, she’s usually described as someone who prioritized education, family, and a normal home life while being married to a high-profile athlete.
Diane is often said to have a background that includes higher education and law-related studies, and she’s frequently portrayed as intelligent, grounded, and strong-willed—the kind of person who can handle the intensity of pro sports life without needing constant validation from the spotlight.
Her “bio” in the public eye is simple: she’s the long-term partner who helped create a stable family structure while Howie’s career moved through football, media, and business. The fact that she remains low-profile after decades of fame around her says a lot about her priorities.
When Did Howie Long And Diane Addonizio Get Married?
Howie Long and Diane Addonizio married in 1982. In celebrity and pro sports terms, that’s a lifetime. The relationship has spanned:
- the peak and pressure of Howie’s NFL career
- retirement and career transition into TV
- raising three sons, including two who became NFL players
- years of public attention without turning the marriage into a headline machine
It’s one thing to stay married when life is calm. It’s another thing to stay married through major career shifts, media attention, and the demands of raising a family in the public eye. Their marriage is often described as steady because it’s lasted through all of it.
How Did Howie Long Meet Diane Addonizio?
The most commonly shared version of their story is that Howie and Diane met during their younger years, connected through college-era life and shared circles. Their relationship is often framed as a partnership that began before the full weight of Howie’s fame hit—meaning it wasn’t built on celebrity status. It was built on connection first.
That “before the spotlight” beginning is often a strong foundation in sports marriages. When a relationship is established before the money and attention explode, it can feel more grounded—because both people remember what life looked like when it was just life.
Their Children: A Sports Family With Three Sons
Howie Long and Diane Addonizio have three sons:
- Chris Long – former NFL defensive end and Super Bowl champion
- Kyle Long – former NFL offensive lineman
- Howie Long Jr. – known for work connected to sports operations and business roles
This is one of the reasons people look up Diane. She didn’t just marry an NFL star—she helped raise a family that became deeply tied to pro football culture. Having two sons reach the NFL is rare. It often suggests a household built around structure, discipline, and strong support systems—especially because the kids had to develop their own identities rather than living only as “Howie Long’s sons.”
What Diane Addonizio Does For Work
Diane Addonizio is not known for a high-profile public career, and that’s partly because she has always avoided the spotlight. She’s often described as having studied in areas connected to education and law, and she’s widely framed as someone who chose to focus on family life rather than becoming a public celebrity figure.
In practical terms, being married to an NFL player (and later raising kids who became athletes) involves plenty of behind-the-scenes work that never gets labeled as a “job” but absolutely functions like one:
- keeping routines stable during travel-heavy seasons
- managing a household through intense schedules
- supporting kids through competitive sports pathways
- protecting family privacy while living near fame
So even if her career isn’t displayed on a public résumé, her role in the family’s long-term success is easy to understand.
Why Their Marriage Has Lasted So Long
You can’t know the full private dynamics of any marriage, but long-term relationships in pro sports often share a few visible patterns. In Howie and Diane’s case, a few likely factors stand out:
- Privacy boundaries: They don’t make their relationship a public product.
- Shared priorities: Family stability has always seemed central.
- Strong division of roles: Howie handled public career life; Diane maintained home stability.
- Long-term mindset: They’ve moved through chapters rather than chasing attention.
It also helps that Howie’s public persona, while confident and strong, often comes across as family-oriented. The less a public figure chases chaos, the easier it is to keep a private life calm.
Common Confusion About Howie Long’s Wife
Because Diane stays private, people sometimes assume she’s “unknown” or “mysterious.” The reality is simpler: she’s not unknown—she’s just not publicly performing her life for the internet. That can make it harder to find details, but it doesn’t mean there’s a hidden scandal or a complicated story. It usually just means boundaries.
The Bottom Line
Howie Long’s wife is Diane Addonizio, and they’ve been married since 1982. They share three sons, including former NFL players Chris Long and Kyle Long, and their marriage is often noted for its longevity and privacy. If you’re used to celebrity couples oversharing, their relationship can feel “quiet”—but that quiet is likely exactly why it’s lasted.
Bio Summary
Howie Long is a former NFL defensive end and sports broadcaster best known for his career with the Raiders and his later work in football media. Diane Addonizio is Howie Long’s wife, known for maintaining a private family life while supporting a long-term marriage through decades of sports fame. They married in 1982 and have three sons, including former NFL players Chris Long and Kyle Long. Their relationship is widely viewed as stable, long-lasting, and protected by strong privacy boundaries.
Featured image source: https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nfl/howie-long-net-worth/
