Diane Addonizio is best known as the wife of Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long. The two met during his freshman year at Villanova University and married in 1982. They raised three sons: two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long, three-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, and NFL front-office executive Howie Long Jr.
Howie Long is one of the most recognizable faces in football. He was a fearsome Raiders defensive end, then a longtime star of Fox NFL Sunday. Two of his sons followed him into the NFL, and a third went into team management.
At the center of that family is Diane Addonizio. This article covers how she and Howie met, the sons they raised, and why so much about her own life stays private.
Quick Facts: Diane Addonizio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Diane Addonizio (also known as Diane Long) |
| Known as | Howie Long’s wife |
| Met Howie | At Villanova, during his freshman year |
| Married | 1982 |
| Sons | Howie Jr., Chris (born 1985), Kyle (born 1988) |
| Family base | Charlottesville area, Virginia (where the boys grew up) |
| Career | Widely reported as a lawyer (not confirmed) |
| Birth date | Not publicly confirmed |
| Hometown | Not publicly confirmed |
| Net worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Who Is Diane Addonizio?
Diane Addonizio is Howie Long’s wife of more than 40 years. Howie’s Wikipedia page says he met her during his freshman year at Villanova University and that they married in 1982.
She is the mother of three sons, two of whom became NFL players. She has stayed out of the spotlight throughout Howie’s career.
Her family, not her own fame, is the reason people search for her.
The Young Man Diane Met at Villanova
Howie Long was born on January 6, 1960, in Somerville, Massachusetts, near Boston. He played college football for the Villanova Wildcats from 1977 to 1980.
Villanova is a Catholic university just outside Philadelphia. It’s better known for basketball than football, which makes Howie’s rise to the NFL even more impressive.
Diane met him there during his first year. At that point, he was a young lineman with big dreams and no guarantee of success.
Married as Howie’s NFL Career Began
The Oakland Raiders picked Howie in the second round, 48th overall, of the 1981 NFL Draft, according to Wikipedia. A year later, in 1982, he and Diane married.
The Raiders moved to Los Angeles that same year. So Diane began her married life as the wife of a young pro football player in a new city.
It was the start of a long journey together through football’s highs and lows.
The Super Bowl Years
Howie quickly became a star. He won Super Bowl XVIII with the Raiders after the 1983 season, a dominant win over Washington.
Over his career, he made eight Pro Bowls. He played his whole career with the Raiders, retiring after the 1993 season.
In 2000, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Diane had been with him from his college days to the sport’s highest honor.
The Long Family’s Three Sons
Diane and Howie raised three boys. Their oldest, Howie Long Jr., went into football operations rather than playing. Wikipedia notes he worked in player personnel for the Raiders.
Their middle son, Chris Long, was born on March 28, 1985, in Santa Monica, California.
Their youngest, Kyle Long, was born on December 5, 1988, in Ivy, Virginia.
Raising Boys in Virginia
The family eventually settled in Virginia, near Charlottesville. Chris attended St. Anne’s-Belfield School there, according to Wikipedia.
Raising three boys while their father traveled for football and later for TV took real organization. Diane was the parent at home much of that time.
The boys grew up close to the University of Virginia, where Chris would later play college football.
Chris Long’s Remarkable Career
Chris starred at Virginia from 2004 to 2007. The St. Louis Rams picked him second overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
He won back-to-back Super Bowls: Super Bowl LI with the New England Patriots and Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles. He retired in May 2019 after 11 seasons.
In 2018, he won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his charity work, including his Waterboys initiative, which builds wells in East Africa. He also hosts the Green Light podcast.
Kyle Long’s Path to the NFL
Kyle took a winding road. The Chicago White Sox drafted him in 2008 as a baseball player, but he chose football instead, according to Wikipedia.
After time at Florida State and Saddleback College, he played at Oregon. The Chicago Bears picked him 20th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.
He made three straight Pro Bowls from 2013 to 2015. He retired in January 2020, briefly returned with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, and became an analyst for CBS Sports.
A Family of Givers
Chris Long’s charity work earned national praise. His Walter Payton award honored years of giving, including donating his game checks to education causes.
A child’s values often trace back to the home they grew up in. While Diane hasn’t spoken publicly about her parenting, her sons’ character speaks loudly.
Two NFL careers and one front-office career, all from one household, is a rare achievement for any family.
Howie Long’s Life After Football
After retiring, Howie joined Fox as a studio analyst in 1994. He has been on its NFL coverage, including Fox NFL Sunday, ever since.
He also tried acting. He starred in the John Travolta action film Broken Arrow (1996) and led his own film, Firestorm (1998).
Many fans also remember him from Radio Shack commercials, where he appeared alongside actress Teri Hatcher.
Clearing Up the Confusion About Diane Addonizio
Many websites share details about Diane that aren’t confirmed. Here is what to keep in mind.
Her law career. Most profiles say she was a lawyer who stepped back to raise her sons. This is widely repeated, but we did not find a trusted outlet confirming it.
An “author” title. Some sites call her an author. No book by her has been confirmed.
Her age and background. Birth dates, hometowns, and family details online lack trusted sources.
Her name. She’s known as both Diane Addonizio and Diane Long.
Net worth. No reliable figure exists for her personally.
Why Diane Addonizio Stays Out of the Spotlight
Diane has lived next to fame for more than four decades: an NFL star husband, a TV analyst husband, and two NFL sons. Yet she has rarely stepped in front of a camera.
That seems to be a deliberate choice. A family with that much public attention needs someone who keeps home life steady.
Her privacy has outlasted every Super Bowl, Hall of Fame speech, and draft day.
Diane Addonizio Today
As of 2026, Diane and Howie have been married for 44 years. Howie continues to appear on Fox’s NFL coverage.
Chris is retired from playing and active in charity and media. Kyle works in broadcasting. Howie Jr. has built a career in football operations.
The family that started with a freshman-year meeting at Villanova has grown into one of the NFL’s best-known families.
Final Thoughts
Football is a game of famous names on the backs of jerseys. Behind many of those names is someone whose name never appears on a broadcast. Someone who packed the lunches, drove to practices, and held things together when the season took over everything.
Diane Addonizio appears to be that person for the Long family. She met a young lineman before anyone knew his name, married him as his career began, and raised three sons who made their own marks on the sport.
Maybe the real measure of a family isn’t how many trophies it collects. It’s what kind of people it produces. By that measure, the Long household has done remarkably well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Diane Addonizio?
Diane Addonizio is Howie Long’s wife. They met at Villanova University and married in 1982.
How did Diane Addonizio and Howie Long meet?
They met during Howie’s freshman year at Villanova University, where he played football.
How many children do Diane Addonizio and Howie Long have?
Three sons: Howie Long Jr., Chris Long, and Kyle Long.
Was Diane Addonizio a lawyer?
Many sites say so, but no trusted outlet we found has confirmed it.
Which of Diane Addonizio’s sons played in the NFL?
Chris Long, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and Kyle Long, a three-time Pro Bowl guard with the Chicago Bears.
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