She Was a Cheerleader When She First Started Dating Her Husband. Now She’s a Stay-at-Home Mom Managing Life as an NFL Wife (Exclusive)

Isabelle Sewell wed Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell in July 2024, more than four years after they began dating in 2020. The pair are parents to three children, all under the age of 3.

Isabelle cares for their little ones full-time as a stay-at-home mom, but she tells PEOPLE that Penei often sacrifices time with his kids to provide for their family through his NFL career.

She credits the circle of other NFL partners in Detroit as her strongest support system and source of friendship.

Football fans know Penei Sewell as the Detroit Lions’ standout offensive tackle since he entered the NFL as a first-round pick in 2021. With impressive on-field dominance, the 24-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the franchise’s most vital players.

In 2024, NFL.com revealed that Penei inked a four-year, $112 million contract extension with Detroit. Averaging $28 million annually, Yahoo Sports listed him as the league’s second-highest-paid offensive lineman heading into 2025.

Whenever he suits up, Penei’s play excites millions of football fans nationwide, but his four most loyal fans cheer loudest at home. The All-Pro lineman and his wife, Isabelle Sewell, share son Malakai, 2, and daughters Mila, 17 months, and Marley, born this past April.

Isabelle, now 25, was cheering for the University of Oregon when she met Penei, who played on the Ducks’ football team beginning in 2018. In 2020, he opted out of his final collegiate season to prepare for the NFL Draft amid the pandemic.

That transition wasn’t the only milestone for Penei that year — 2020 also marked when his friendship with Isabelle evolved into romance.

“Right before COVID hit was when he and I really started dating,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Back then, everything felt uncertain — football, school, the world. So he decided to move in with me and my family.”

Isabelle adds, “We kind of dove right in because of everything happening, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Four years and one child later, they married in a summer ceremony in Malibu, California. Today, with three kids under three, Isabelle stays home with them while Penei supports the household through football.

Though grateful for their blessings, Isabelle admits the lifestyle brings challenges. Penei’s demanding schedule keeps him away for long stretches, and she knows he misses everyday parenting moments.

“He leaves before the kids wake up and gets home just in time for baths and bedtime,” she says. “That’s the hardest part for him — missing out on time he can’t get back.”

“It’s definitely weighed on him more over the years because those little moments matter,” Isabelle adds.

Life connected to the NFL can be unpredictable. Players can be traded or relocated suddenly, forcing families to move.

For the Sewells, however, life feels more stable. Penei’s success gives them security in Detroit, and his extended deal means fewer worries about relocating their young children.

“We’re lucky,” Isabelle explains. “He’s at the top of his position, so it’s unlikely he’ll go anywhere during his prime. Other players fight for roster spots every season — we don’t have that stress.”

Though she doesn’t have relatives nearby, Isabelle has built a strong community. “We’ve created our own village out here,” she says, crediting the Lions’ family circle for helping her feel at home.

“I feel so lucky,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’ve made my best friends — not just NFL friends, but lifelong ones — here in Michigan through the Lions.”

When Penei joined the team in 2021, Isabelle recalls only a few other partners had children. Over the years, more of them became mothers, herself included, creating a close-knit group of young families.

Now, their children grow up “super close in age,” Isabelle says, and the shared experience of motherhood strengthens their bond.

“It’s tough when you’re figuring it all out alone during the season,” she admits. “But having girlfriends who get it — the motherhood, the NFL lifestyle, the challenges — it’s been the best support system I could ask for.”