Lisa McCaffrey at the Super Bowl: Christian McCaffrey's Mom on Love, Parenting, and Purpose

Michael Gervais (0:00)

All right, welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Gervais. In this special live episode, recorded at Radio Row in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58, we had the privilege of sitting down with Lisa McCaffrey, the mother of 49ers star running back, Christian McCaffrey. Despite Christian's status as one of, if not the, best running backs in the NFL, Lisa's excitement and nerves during the Super Bowl week are palpable. Now, the McCaffrey family boasts an impressive athletic history with Lisa playing college soccer at Stanford University, her husband, Ed, winning three Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, and her father earning a silver medal in the Olympics. And all four of Lisa's sons have played collegiate football as well.

I mean, talk about a formula. I loved this conversation. We get an exclusive look into the universal theme of parental emotions, capturing the essence of any parent watching their child pursue a passion.

Lisa shares insights on love, support, purpose, and genuine excitement for her family, making for an inspiring and relatable discussion for sports enthusiasts, of course, football fans for sure, anyone interested in family dynamics, and parents who can relate to the emotions of watching their children chase their dreams. With that, live from Las Vegas on the eve of Super Bowl 58, let's jump right into the world of a nervous, excited and loving mother, Lisa McCaffrey.

Lisa McCaffrey (1:46)

Mike check, Mike check. Okay, hi, how are you?

Michael Gervais (1:49)

So great to see you. How are you doing?

Lisa McCaffrey (1:53)

I'm doing great, I'm doing awesome. Very, very appreciative of where things are right now and just praying for a big victory, but I'm also just so nervous.

Michael Gervais (2:03)

You've been the mother of an elite athlete for the last, I don't know, six years?

Lisa McCaffrey (2:08)

Seven.

Michael Gervais (2:09)

He's been in the league for seven years?

Lisa McCaffrey (2:10)

Before that, he wasn't an elite athlete. It just started seven years ago.

Michael Gervais (2:14)

And then before that, at Stanford for four years, did he go all four?

Lisa McCaffrey (2:18)

Three, he dropped out. He's a dropout.

Michael Gervais (2:22)

Okay, so Lisa, what is it like being a mom going into the Super Bowl, where your son is a key feature in the success of the team?

Lisa McCaffrey (2:34)

Oh, wow. Well, I'll let you know on Sunday what it's like, because I've never done this is uncharted territory and that is my son. I've been there when my husband did this, but now it's a whole new bag of worms.

Michael Gervais (2:44)

You guys were together when your husband?

Lisa McCaffrey (2:47)

Yes, yeah, we met in college.

Michael Gervais (2:48)

Yeah, you did, okay.

Lisa McCaffrey (2:49)

We've been married 31 years, insane, so long time.

Michael Gervais (2:52)

But what is it like right now? There's just a couple days prior to, usually for most people, there's such an anxiousness and an energy around it that either you love it or you don't. Like, so how is it for you?

Lisa McCaffrey (3:06)

Yeah, I've been trying to keep busy, I'll say that. Trying to just go for a little run in the morning and do stuff to just remain calm. But then I walk out of the hotel and there's a big Super Bowl 58 sign and it's like, boom, hit you right in the face. And I'm like, my kid is playing in that. Or if I'm walking by and I see somebody in a Niner jersey, I'm like, oh my gosh, that's when I get my anxiety just goes off the chart. But you just wanna win so bad. You don't wanna disappoint anybody and you just wanted everything to go well. So that's what I'm hoping for. But yeah, I'm anxious, I'll say that. Very nervous, but I'm trying not to be because I know it's wrong to be nervous.

Michael Gervais (3:43)

Well, I think it's probably pretty natural.

Lisa McCaffrey (3:44)

Yeah, it seems.

Michael Gervais (3:45)

Do you naturally run nervous? Yes.

Lisa McCaffrey (3:48)

Very nervous. Yeah.

Michael Gervais (3:49)

So generally, you feel anxiety more than you would feel depression.

Lisa McCaffrey (3:54)

Absolutely.

Michael Gervais (3:54)

Yeah. So if you were to fall on one side of the ledger, it would be more on the anxiety side.

Lisa McCaffrey (3:58)

Absolutely.

Michael Gervais (3:59)

Why do you?

Lisa McCaffrey (3:59)

Is there one like people have a tendency to do one of each?

Michael Gervais (4:01)

Yeah, I think even like, let's not diagnose anything about anybody. But like, if I were to fall on one side of the coin, you know, or one side of the ledger, I would fall on the anxiety side as well.