Diane Addonizio is an American attorney, author, and businesswoman best known as the wife of NFL Hall of Famer and Fox Sports analyst Howie Long.
She studied classical studies at Villanova University, earned her law degree from the University of Southern California, and later authored the book “He’s Just My Dad,” published in 2000.
Who is Diane Addonizio?
Diane Addonizio is an American woman who built a career in law before stepping away to focus on her family.
She trained as an attorney at the University of Southern California’s School of Law and later shifted her work toward business and writing.
She married former NFL defensive end Howie Long on 27 June 1982, a relationship that started during their shared time at Villanova University.
The couple has remained together for more than four decades and raised three sons, all of whom pursued careers connected to the NFL.
In 2000, Addonizio published a coffee-table book called “He’s Just My Dad” through Harper Entertainment.
The book profiles world-class athletes as fathers rather than competitors, featuring Howie Long and their children alongside other sports figures.
A Christian Science Monitor review described it as capturing athletes “off the playing field, in their own backyards, where their kids are clearly the stars.”
Addonizio is also a member of the NFL Head Up Football Advisory Committee, contributing to the league’s work on safe playing techniques and youth sports development.
She keeps a low public profile and rarely gives media interviews.
Diane Addonizio and Howie Long
Diane Addonizio met Howie Long during their undergraduate years at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.
Long was one year ahead of her, and the two began dating after he invited her to his dorm room to watch an NFL game on a small black-and-white television his grandmother had given him.
Their relationship deepened over the course of their college years. Diane later introduced Howie to her family at her father’s Christmas party, marking a significant step in their relationship.
The couple married on 27 June 1982, the year after Long was drafted by the Oakland Raiders. They have kept details of their wedding private, in keeping with their general approach to personal life.
Howie Long played as a defensive end for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders for 13 seasons, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and helping the Raiders win Super Bowl XVIII in January 1984.
After retiring from football, he moved into acting and broadcasting and has worked as a studio analyst for Fox Sports NFL coverage since the 1990s. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 2000.
Diane supported Howie’s career across both phases, raising their three sons during his playing years and his broadcasting career.
Their marriage of over 44 years stands as one of the longer relationships in professional football circles.
Early Life of Diane Addonizio
Diane Addonizio was born on 16 March 1962 in Red Bank, New Jersey, a town in Monmouth County. She grew up in a Catholic household with strong family values.
Her father, Frank Addonizio, served as a soldier in the Second World War. Her mother, Marie Cecere, was a homemaker.
Diane also has a brother, James Addonizio, who went on to become an attorney. Both siblings showed an interest in law from an early age, and the family encouraged academic achievement.
She attended school in New Jersey before moving on to higher education. Her Catholic upbringing and close family ties shaped both her academic direction and her approach to family life.
Diane Addonizio Age / Birthday
Diane Addonizio was born on 16 March 1962, making her 64 years old as of 2026. Her zodiac sign is Pisces, a sign often linked with intuition, empathy, and a strong inner life.
She remains out of the public spotlight but stays engaged in family and community life.
Diane Addonizio Ethnicity and Nationality
Diane Addonizio holds American nationality and was born and raised in New Jersey. Her ethnic background is White, of Italian-American descent.
Her family’s Catholic faith was central to her upbringing, and she has carried those values through her adult life and into the way she raised her own children.
Diane Addonizio Height and Weight
Diane Addonizio stands at approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, which is around 173 centimetres.
Her weight is not publicly confirmed. She maintains a healthy and active appearance based on her public appearances alongside her family.
Diane Addonizio Education
Addonizio attended school in Red Bank, New Jersey before enrolling at Villanova University, a private Catholic research university near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies.
Following her undergraduate studies, she went on to the University of Southern California’s School of Law in Los Angeles.
She completed her law degree there in 1987, giving her the qualifications to practise as an attorney.
Her academic path showed a consistent interest in the humanities and legal reasoning. That foundation later appeared in her writing and community work.
Diane Addonizio Career
Legal Career and Early Professional Life
After graduating from USC’s law school in 1987, Addonizio worked as an attorney in Los Angeles for a period of time.
She practised law while Howie Long’s NFL career was at its height, balancing professional life with the demands of being married to a high-profile player.
She stepped away from active legal practice as her family grew. None of the details of her specific caseload or firm are publicly known, in keeping with her private approach to personal information.
Addonizio never returned to active law practice after leaving. She has since been described in public references as a non-practising lawyer, retaining her legal qualifications while focusing elsewhere.
Author and Writing
In 2000, Addonizio published “He’s Just My Dad” through Harper Entertainment, priced at $35 and running 164 pages.
The book takes a photo-essay format and profiles world-class athletes, including basketball player Isiah Thomas and cyclist Greg LeMond, as fathers in their everyday home environments.
Howie Long and their children also feature in the book. Addonizio’s stated goal was to show a different side of male athletes: not their competitive dominance, but their role as parents.
The book received coverage in the Christian Science Monitor around Father’s Day 2000, which described it as capturing athletes in their own backyards, with their children as the real focus.
It stands as the most notable public creative project Addonizio has put her name to.
NFL Advisory and Community Work
Addonizio serves on the NFL Head Up Football Advisory Committee, a group connected to the league’s work on safe tackling techniques and reducing head injuries in youth football.
Her involvement reflects a long-standing engagement with the NFL world that extends beyond her husband’s career.
She has also been described in various profiles as involved in charitable and philanthropic work, though she has not publicly identified specific organisations by name.
Diane Addonizio Children
Diane Addonizio and Howie Long have three sons together. The eldest, Christopher Howard Long, was born on 28 March 1985.
Chris played as a defensive end in the NFL for 11 seasons, representing the St Louis Rams, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles.
He won two Super Bowl championships during his career and was named to the Pro Bowl. After retiring, he moved into philanthropy and broadcasting work.
Kyle Howard Long was born on 5 December 1988. Kyle played as a guard in the NFL, spending most of his career with the Chicago Bears.
He earned three Pro Bowl selections and a First Team All-Pro honour in 2013 before retiring. Howard Long Jr. is the youngest of the three sons.
He pursued a career in the football business rather than as a player and has worked as a football operative in NFL management circles.
All three sons built careers connected to their father’s sport, a rare achievement in the history of professional football families.
Diane Addonizio Net Worth
Diane Addonizio’s estimated net worth is $14 million as of 2026.
Her wealth reflects a combination of her own legal career, her writing, and her long marriage to Howie Long, whose career as an NFL player and decades-long role as a Fox Sports analyst generated substantial earnings.
Howie Long’s broadcasting work at Fox Sports, now spanning more than 30 years, has been a consistent income source for the household.
His acting work in films including Broken Arrow (1996) and Firestorm (1998) added further income during the 1990s.
Addonizio’s own contributions include her legal career in Los Angeles in the late 1980s and her published book.
Beyond those, she has focused on family and community work rather than building a public commercial portfolio.
The family’s financial standing also benefits from the earnings of their two NFL sons, Chris and Kyle Long, though those represent separate personal wealth.
Diane Addonizio Social Media
Diane Addonizio does not maintain any publicly known social media accounts.
She keeps her personal life away from platforms and rarely makes public appearances independent of family events.
Her husband Howie Long is also largely absent from social media in a personal capacity.
Conclusion
Diane Addonizio built a career in law, authored a well-received sports photography book, and raised three sons who each built professional football careers of their own.
Her four-decade marriage to Howie Long has given her a public profile, but her own story includes a law degree, a published book, and an active role in NFL advisory work that stands apart from her husband’s fame.