Born in a military family! It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Tyler Steen’s parents met each other because destiny wanted them to.

Born on June 24, 2000 in Miami to mom Samantha and dad Daris Steen, Tyler is their oldest child. Besides the Philadelphia Eagles’ guard, the couple also shares two sons – Blake and Dylan Steen. Interestingly, Blake is also a member of the University of Virginia football team. Apart from him, besides being parents, Samantha is Esq, an attorney, and practices law in South Florida. While Daris was a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps (joined in 1985) by profession. He was naturally drawn to the military because of his uncle and other family members in the same background. Additionally, Daris was also Tyler’s coach in recreation football, and played the sport at LSU. But the couple’s journey of dating each other was quite interesting.

However, before going ahead, it’s important to note that Samantha stayed away from men having military backgrounds, because of “her family history and experience.” Daris, who was dating his future wife many years ago, didn’t know that Samantha was the daughter of Sgt. Rodney M. Davis. Now you must be thinking that because of the military background, the couple was destined to meet. Perhaps, yes! But there’s more to the story! By coincidence or destiny, whatever you may want to put, both “Davis and Daris served in the same unit – the 5th Marines and lodged in the same billet.”

This was known to him because whenever Tyler’s father walked into “the Hall of Honor of his regiment,” he saw a couple of dedicated militants, who lost their lives while performing heroic deeds. In those series of pictures, one was of Davis. And according to the reports, in order to earn a promotion, “Daris needed to learn the names of all the Medal of Honor recipients featured in the Hall.” Hence, he knew Davis and his heroic deeds, but the irony was, he never realized the connection to his then-girlfriend, Samantha, until that dinner day.

Many years back, the couple was having dinner at Daris’ Los Angeles home. So, it’s obvious anyone would talk about anything randomly since they had a lot of time to communicate about the past, present and future. Similarly, while having the meal, Tyler’s dad randomly started talking about his time in the U.S. Marine Corps. While explaining his work, he even showed Samantha his earned ribbons hung on the wall. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Samantha mentioned that her father also served in the Marines and had received the Congressional Medal of Honor. This shocked her future husband. Waiting no time further, Daris asked her, “The Congress what? He got the Congressional Medal of Honor?…..Wait a minute, what’s your father’s name?” Samantha replied, “Rodney Davis.”

Clearing the confusion, Daris once again asked her, “You mean Sgt. Rodney Davis, the … USS Davis?” To which Samantha replied, “Yes!” Well, there’s no doubt that this moment must have numbed Daris for a while, sending emotional thrills into his entire body. For Samantha too, “That was definitely unexpected.” Now for the people who don’t know who Sgt. Rodney Davis was, here’s the backdrop – Samantha was just 13 months old when “her father Davis was killed in action in Vietnam.” However, she knew how her father died! According to Samantha’s mother, “Davis, at the age of 25, jumped on a grenade to save five fellow Marines during a firefight on Sept. 6, 1967.” For this heroic act, Davis was honored with the Medal of Honor on March 26, 1969.

Talking about her father, Samantha said, “I understood what he did, and that he was a hero. What he did was selfless. There was a great pride and honor that I had that he did that. But on the other hand, I did miss my father a lot. I had great uncles and aunts … and my mom was the best. But every little girl wants her dad.”

Besides these, Samantha and Daris made sure to pass on some characteristics and discipline to their children as well.

What did Tyler Steen learn from his grandfather?

Tyler Steen’s journey to understanding his grandfather’s heroism started when he was just 5 years old. But it wasn’t until he was 11. While standing aboard a Navy warship named after his grandfather, Rodney Davis, he truly began to grasp the magnitude of his legacy. Hence, Tyler’s parents, Samantha and Daris, made sure their sons understood what true courage and responsibility meant. They didn’t push their boys toward the military because of their experiences, but they did instill discipline. But what were the disciplines?

Well, the two major rules were: Saturdays meant no sleeping in, and grades had to be maintained – no exceptions. So, it wasn’t easy, especially when Tyler transferred to a top football school. This was because his parents made it clear: success would only be his responsibility. So, when Tyler grew, he understood his grandfather’s courage.

Now, Davis’ strong personality shaped Tyler into the disciplined and focused individual who now takes on the challenges of the NFL easily.