Aaron Stinnie wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and play basketball, but his dreams took a backseat when he was declared too big to play the forward position. But the small setback didn’t deter his parents or Stinnie from working hard and making a name for himself in the NFL.

Aaron was born to Phil and Julia Stinnie on February 18, 1994. Unfortunately, we do not know much about his parents other than their names. However, we might get a glimpse of what his parents are like through his life experiences.

Who are Aaron Stinnie’s parents?

While we don’t know much about his mother, Stinnie’s father, Phil, is somewhat of a VCU Rams basketball legend. Even to this day, he holds the sixth place on the program’s all-time list. It took him 5 years (1984-1988) to forever etch his name in the VCU books as he ranks sixth in made FGs, 4 in made free throws and 4 in defensive rebounds.

Aaron wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, but his six-foot-four stature didn’t allow him to play the forward position with poise. “He was an inside guy, and I told him that there are no 6′4″ inside players, and he wanted to be a Division I athlete,” Phil Stinnie recalled at one point. But some of Aaron’s friends talked him into playing football and the rest is history.

In 2018, Stinnie finished college from JMU and went to UDFA before the Tennessee Titans finally took notice of him and decided to give him a shot. But he was waived in 2019 and little did Phil Stinnie know that his life would change forever. At that point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to give Aaron a go, and nothing was the same.

But before we get to that, it’s important to understand how his father raised him to work hard and not be entitled. “We taught [Aaron] that you never let anybody outwork you,” Phil said. “Nothing is given, everything is earned, and we told him whatever you focus on, any goals you have, you attack it and you go get it.”

Phil’s teachings eventually landed Aaron in a Super Bowl game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs!

How Aaron made his father proud

After playing two seasons with the Bucs, Stinnie finally found his big break. The offensive lineman stood to protect Tom Brady in the Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. Of course, the Bucs won that game 31-9 against the Chiefs. Stinnie was also the third James Madison University prospect to ever play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“He hasn’t had an easy road. He’s had every excuse to quit and nobody would have judged him, because he still went further than anyone had ever thought, but to see him happen for him, it just warms our heart.” After playing 4 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFL guard will now play for the New York Giants.

Hopefully, he maintains the same poise that he has done through all these years in the pro league.