It took three parents and two last names to mold Clyde Edwards-Helaire into the personality he is today. Apart from being a Kansas City Chiefs Running back, the flip side of this 25-year-old can “handle any medical emergencies.” Surprised? Well, he has a spectacular family background from his “military mom and military dad” who are the main inspirations behind whatever he is today.

The former LSU Tigers star appeared in a video describing his family’s military influence in his life, as well as a memorable college occasion that connected everything together. The film, created for The Players’ Tribune in collaboration with USAA, depicts his military parents giving an emotional testimonial. Edwards-Helaire’s upbringing was deeply rooted in the values instilled by his parents, who played significant roles in shaping his character and career.

Meet Tongelia and Shannon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s Parents

On April 11, 1999, Edwards-Helaire was born to Tongelia Helaire and Clyde Edwards Senior in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Edwards and Tongelia Helaire were simply dating and had never married. Edwards Senior had a football background during his school days.

As time passed, the family faced financial issues which led Edwards Senior to some unexpected ways to support his family. Reportedly, he got arrested and given 30 years of imprisonment when Edwards-Helaire was just eleven months old. So, after him, it was Shannon Helaire, Tongelia’s boyfriend who took care of the family.

Tongelia, Edwards-Helaire’s mother, entered the US Army in 1996, while his father joined the US Marine Corps in 1989. The couple first met while working as drill instructors at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, Louisiana.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire reflected on his upbringing, sharing, “I was the middle child, and everything was based off structure.” His father was a drill instructor, and he did the things that can be seen in military movies. That’s how he was raised.

“Being at home with my military mom and military dad, I guess that’s kind of where my competitive nature comes,” said Edwards-Helaire. “Just having that upbringing knowing when times got hard, nothing can break you.”

Edwards-Helaire further added, “They kind of instilled that standard and that routine, the catch I made showed having that military background and just having those foundations made me who I am today, I couldn’t have that moment on my shoulders knowing that I could have made the difference.”

While Edwards-Helaire took the lessons of life from his stepfather Shannon Helaire, he didn’t forget his biological father. At the age of After becoming a well-known football star in his birthplace Baton Rouge, he officially changed his name. “Out of respect, I added the last name.” He maintained Edwards to commemorate his biological father while adding Helaire to honor the man who reared him. “Knowing and understanding that in high school, that’s when your name starts to flow more,” Edwards-Helaire said.

However, Chiefs RB has crystal clear clarity when it comes to his future plans.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s mother is his inspiration for pursuing nursing

“Football is football, but I know for my profession what I want to do,” Edwards-Helaire said in an interview with reports on January 2024. “Football is just one of those things that’s kind of getting me in this position, but using my brain and me knowing what I can do on the back end, helping people, it’s close to my heart,” he further explained.

But, from where did he get this passion of “helping people”? It’s none other than his mother Tongelia Helaire who joined nursing school after serving in the Army. As she mentioned in an interview with the Advocate in 2019, she was “about to graduate from nursing school” when she discovered her pregnancy. “At first, I was taken aback, but I was so excited when I found out she was a girl.”

But, unfortunately, after Edwards-Helaire’s sister Maddee’s birth, her happiness turned into a challenge to keep her daughter alive. Born with muscular dystrophy, doctors predicted little Maddee’s lifetime to be of just six months. But, new mother Tongelia took charge of drawing the lifeline of Maddee on her own hand. “Doctors said none of that would ever happen,” she recalled. “And when they did, I tapped into my strength to find my daughter’s.”

With the care of her mother, Maddee had outgrown the feeding tube that had kept her alive at the age of five. She learned to walk and speak. Now, 16-year-old Maddee serves as a local Muscular Dystrophy Association representative. And this is the reason why helping others is Edwards-Helaire’s close to his heart. The Chiefs running back credits his mother and sister for inspiring him to enter nursing school.