Melissa Babish Met Terry Bradshaw through a Girl He Was Going Out With

Former football star Terry Bradshaw's first wife, Melissa Babish, once shared a unique love story with her ex-spouse, and it was anything but ordinary as it intertwined with another beauty pageant titleholder.

Terry Bradshaw, a household name in the football world, previously served as a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL) before transitioning into a television career.

Multiple marriages and divorces mark the "Father Figures" star's personal life. Among these unions, one that stands out is his marriage to his first wife, Melissa Babish.

Inside Melissa Babish's Marriage With The NFL Icon

Babish and Terry Bradshaw's story began with a twist of fate, as the latter recalls in his book, "It's Only a Game." Freshly drafted into the NFL, Bradshaw gained attention and admiration, particularly from women he had never met.

These women would write letters expressing their desire to go out with him, a prospect that both excited and unnerved the young quarterback. Bradshaw attributed their interest to the fact that they hadn't met him yet.

Amidst this newfound attention, even the Miss Teen America titleholder took notice and expressed her interest in Bradshaw—the two briefly dated. However, the story took an unexpected turn. He recalled:

"She liked me a whole lot. In fact, she liked me so much that after we'd gone out only a few times, she introduced me to her friend and suggested I go out with her."

The beauty queen introduced Bradshaw to Babish, who also held the title of Miss Teen America. The sportsman and Babish's relationship swiftly blossomed, eventually culminating in their marriage.

Their union was a captivating tale—a quarterback and a beauty queen coming together. At one point in their brief marriage, Babish and her husband settled on a farm.

Their residence was a quaint, little farmhouse, elevated on blocks and sporting a tin roof. The adjustment was challenging, as Babish's mother came to stay with them for two weeks, expressing her doubts about the whole arrangement.

At the farm together, Babish's husband recalled they were interested in cattle. At an auction with Babish, Bradshaw initiated a conversation with a group of men, and one of them was called "the Colonel."

Neither Bradshaw nor Babish knew much about animal farming. As the men discussed prices, Babish's spouse overheard mentions of limousines and became impressed, assuming that the cattle business must be remarkably profitable.

Just as he was about to express his astonishment, Babish beat him to it, asking the Colonel whether he made more money selling limousines than registered cattle, highlighting her surprise at the connection between the two businesses.

Babish's husband admitted that he learned a lot about the complexities of their marriage. It was a pivotal moment in his life when he was trying to understand the intricacies of his football career and the intricacies of dealing with the opposite sex.

A Midlife Crisis Brought An End To Their Marriage

The former athlete's marriage to Babish ended due to his midlife crisis at only 26 years old. In 1974, life challenges strained their relationship, leading to divorce after 18 months of marriage.

These difficulties triggered intense guilt within Bradshaw, exacerbating his career and spiritual crises. Feeling a sense of failure, he distanced himself from his Christian beliefs and resorted to self-destructive behavior, which included alcohol consumption and pursuing casual relationships in bars.

This phase marked a significant departure from his conservative lifestyle, as Bradshaw was overwhelmed by remorse. He described this tumultuous time as if God had unexpectedly intervened in his life without a warning flag.

Melissa Babish's Husband Married Three More Women

There's no information about what happened to Babish after parting ways with the football athlete. On the other hand, the football athlete married three times: to his second wife Alicia Jo Starbuck, then to Charla Hopkins, and finally to Tammy Bradshaw.

Starbuck is a former professional figure skater from Downey, Los Angeles. Bradshaw and his second spouse tied the knot on June 6, 1976. Unfortunately, their marriage eventually ended in divorce.

In 1986, Bradshaw exchanged vows with his third wife, Hopkins, at the Texas Woman's University campus in Texas. She was a law student when they got married. Sadly, their relationship also ended in divorce.

Bradshaw found love again with his fourth and current wife, Tammy. They tied the knot in 2014 and continue to share a happy union. In 2021, they renewed their vows in a beautiful ceremony in Hawaii, which aired in Bradshaw's family reality TV show "The Bradshaw Bunch."

The show is among the many reality shows that focus on its family members, similar to "The Kardashians" with Kris Jenner and children Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian, along with Kylie and Kendall Jenner.