All About Alex Freeman's Family, Including His Older Sister Diamond
All About Alex Freeman's Family, Including His Older Sister Diamond
Samantha StutsmanFri, June 26, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC
0
Alex Freeman during the 2026 FIFA World Cup; Antonio Freeman, Diamond Spaulding, Mekevia Hawkins and Alex Freeman.Credit: Jared C. Tilton - FIFA/FIFA via Getty; Diamond Spaulding -
Alex Freeman was born to dad Antonio Freeman and mom Rochelle Hinkle in 2004
The couple went their separate ways, and the USMNT star was raised in a blended family with several siblings, including collegiate track star Diamond Spaulding
Alex's mom and stepdad, Jake Hinkle, introduced him to soccer at age 4
Alex Freeman grew up in a family where athletics were part of everyday life.
The USMNT defender was born in 2004 to former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman and mom Rochelle Hinkle. His parents split shortly after his birth, per ESPN, and Rochelle later married Jake Hinkle. Antonio went on to build a blended family with Mekevia Hawkins, whose daughter, Diamond Spaulding, competed in track and field at Texas A&M University, according to her bio.
Alex has said he never lacked family support, including from his two younger brothers, Tyler and Josh. Speaking to ESPN in June 2026, he credited his parents and stepparents with creating a close-knit environment.
"Knowing that my stepdad and dad got along, and my mom, knowing that we're all a big family, it just meant so much to me and gave me so much support that I needed," Alex told the outlet.
That support helped lay the foundation for Alex's rise in soccer. After developing into one of the country's top young defenders, he earned a spot with the U.S. Men's National Team and is representing the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Here's everything to know about Alex Freeman's family, including his parents, brothers and sister Diamond.
His dad played in the NFL
Antonio Freeman during a Green Bay Packers game in 2000.Credit: Matthew Stockman/Allsport via Getty
Before Alex was born, his father, Antonio, had already made his mark in the NFL. The wide receiver spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, helping the franchise win Super Bowl XXXI and earning Pro Bowl honors in 1998.
Growing up as the son of an NFL player, Alex often faced questions about whether he would follow his father onto the football field. But according to the Los Angeles Times, he always had a "secret love for soccer."
Antonio was skeptical at first about Alex pursuing the sport.
"To be honest, for Black men, I didn't really see a pathway for him in soccer, because there previously hadn't been a lot of color in soccer," Antonio told ESPN in June 2026. "[Alex] turned me into a believer. Not in him, but in the process and in the system."
Although soccer wasn't Antonio's sport, Alex still leaned on his father for advice about what it takes to compete at the highest level.
"The advice he gave me was just about hard work, about discipline, about stuff I need to do off the field, because obviously he didn't know a lot about soccer, but he knew a lot about what it takes to get to the next level," Alex told the outlet.
Alex was raised in a blended family
Rochelle Hinkle; Antonio Freeman.Credit: 7News Miami; FOX Sports
After Antonio and Rochelle ended their relationship, both went on to grow their families. Rochelle married Jake Hinkle, while Antonio later partnered with Mekevia Hawkins. Together, the blended family raised their children in South Florida, creating a support system that Alex has repeatedly credited for his success.
In particular, Alex has spoken about the impact Jake had on his life. Jake embraced his stepparent role wholeheartedly and helped raise Alex alongside Antonio and Rochelle.
"I feel like as a stepdad, it's kind of hard to step into that role of being there for a son that's not biologically yours," Alex told ESPN. "And I feel like he kind of made that step to, not only do I treat you like my son, I'm going to take you in and treat you like you're the world."
Alex added that having both a father and a stepfather who supported him unconditionally was something he never took for granted.
Advertisement
"I feel like having a stepdad and a dad that treats you both like that, you got to be so grateful for it because it's so hard to have that," he said.
His mom and stepdad introduced him to soccer
Alex Freeman in 2025.Credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty
Alex's soccer journey began with his mom and Jake, a Manchester United fan, who introduced him to the sport at age 4 and served as his first coach. While Antonio hoped to share his love of football with his son, he told The Athletic in May 2025 that Alex always preferred kicking the ball.
Choosing a different sport also allowed Alex to carve out an identity of his own.
"It's kind of good to create my own story," he told the outlet. "To be able to maybe step away from the fact that my dad was a professional football player and just try to create my own narrative."
Alex has several siblings
Alex has two younger brothers, Tyler and Josh, who the soccer player feels a special responsibility to set a positive example for, particularly because they share his passion for soccer.
"I feel like they're really the ones that I play for the most because they're the ones who look up to me as an example. And I feel like for them, it's just being able to be that good role model," he told Fox Sports in June 2025.
Through Antonio's relationship with Hawkins, Alex also gained a sister in Diamond, who had a very successful track career at Texas A&M.
"I never had siblings before Alex," she told PEOPLE in June 2026. "We never fought, but he would always want to hang out with me and my friends."
"He was always so playful and so competitive," she added. "He wanted to master everything and win at everything. Even walking in the house, he would yell, 'I WON!' "
Diamond went viral on TikTok in June 2026
Diamond Spaulding and Alex Freeman.Credit: Diamond Spaulding
In June 2026, Diamond unexpectedly became part of Alex's World Cup story. Ahead of the USMNT match on June 12 against Paraguay, Diamond commented on a TikTok video encouraging fans to support Team USA and casually mentioned that her "little brother" was playing for the team.
Because she referred to him only by his jersey number — No. 16 — curious fans began investigating and quickly discovered she was talking about Alex. The comment went viral, and social media users soon began referring to the defender as "Diamond's Little Brother."
The nickname spread across TikTok and even caught the attention of the official USMNT account, which joined in on the joke.
Diamond later told PEOPLE that Alex had actually been known as "Diamond's little brother" growing up because she was competing at a high level in track before he became a professional athlete. While she initially worried the nickname might overshadow his accomplishments, Alex embraced the viral moment.
"I want him recognized as such and not just my little brother," she said. "He's a good sport about it and finds it all funny, so I feel a little better about the ongoing joke."
Diamond continued, "The passion he has for this sport and [yearn] to win. He gives his all to the game every time. I'm proud to bring new fans on board to watch him play because I think he plays amazing when people are watching him. He takes it up a notch to give a show."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
