Al Roker Salutes ‘Special’ Son Nick On Milestone Day With Sentimental Video

Jul 19, 2023

Since 1996, Al Roker has been delivering the weather news to every American household on NBC's morning show, "TODAY." He has established himself as a prominent figure in American television. 

Born in 1954 in Queens, New York, Al kickstarted his career in journalism as a weather presenter on various local television stations across the United States. He earned national recognition for his magnetic on-air presence and became a beloved figure among people of all ages. Starting out as a weekend weathercaster, he soon began hosting the weather forecast on a nightly basis. From the '90s onwards, he began filling in for "TODAY" show regulars such as Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer in their absence. By 1996, Al was regularly handling the weather report, alongside other notable appearances that have made him a household name and NBC staple. 

Aside from becoming a part of everyone's daily programming, Al also hosted various television programs like "Roker on the Road," "Wake Up With Al" and "Al Roker's Big Bad BBQ." Al has also authored several books, cookbooks and even memoirs, as well as being a patron and philanthropist of various organizations.

He is also a recipient of various accolades and achievements in his television career, including multiple Emmy Awards for his weather reporting. Among his most significant charge is hosting NBC's annual coverage of New York City's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, something he has done every year since 1995. 

Al has shared a lot of milestones in his life with the American people. Among them have been sweet moments shared with his family, including his wife, Deborah Roberts, daughter Courtney Roker and son Nick Roker. Read on to find out how Al celebrated his son on the occasion of his milestone 21st birthday.

Al is a true family man, as proven by the way he gushes over them with his "Today" show colleagues and on his social media. Al became a grandfather for the first time when his daughter Courtney gave birth to a baby girl on July 3, 2023, named Sky Clara Laga. Proud "Pop-Pop" Al took to Instagram to show off his family's newest bundle of joy a few days later. On July 5, 2023, he posted three photos of Sky. The first two showed the newborn swaddled in blankets with a full head of hair, looking innocently at the camera with her doe eyes. The last photo was of Al cradling the baby in his arms as he looked proudly at the camera. The look on his face said it all. He captioned the post:

"And then this little girl came into my life. Welcome to the world, Sky Clara Laga. In love all over again. Thank you, Courtney and Wes for such a perfect blessing. You (sic) baby is beautiful. Already planning the ways to spoil her and then hand her back."

Naturally, Al's attention also extends to his son Nick, on whom he showers immense love and affection. In September 2022, Al posted a carousel of photos from Nick's toddler years all the way through to early adulthood on National Son Day. The pictures showed just how much Nick has grown over the years, from a tiny tot to being the same height as his dad, to towering over him. Al captioned the post:

"I am one of the most fortunate fathers in the world to be able to celebrate such a special young man as @nickroker155 on #nationalsonday."

Al again played the role of dutiful dad perfectly during one of the most harrowing moments for any parent; the day he and his wife Deborah dropped Nick off at college. On Instagram, Deborah shared a photo of the three of them with the boot of their car filled to the brim. 

"After all the hard work. All the discipline. All the dreaming. All the prayers. His moment to soar has come. (I'm not crying. I promise. 😢). Pride doesn't even begin to describe this day Nick Roker. The journey continues," she captioned the post.

Al some advice to deal with the transition from none other than former president Barack Obama.  

"Well, first tip is you are going to weep copiously when you drop Nick off at college. But you can't let him see you cry, so you drop him off and then you quickly leave, and then you cry in the car," Obama told Al in an exclusive interview. 

He then shared tip number two, which was to "try to bribe them with like nice trips. 'Hey, we're going to Hawaii, you guys want to come?' so that they show up."

Al's deep love for his son was made crystal clear on the occasion of Nick's milestone 21st birthday as well. On July 18, 2023, Al posted a video montage showing Nick through the years, from an adorable baby boy to the spitting image of his famous dad. The caption read:

"Wow. #andjustlikethat 21 years ago, this young man changed our lives. Nick Roker, I love you and you make me so proud. #happybirthday Nick."

The post was so heartwarming even Savannah Guthrie had to get in on the action and remarked, "an incredible young man - and he learned from the best ❤️"

Isn't Al Roker just the most adorable dad? Do you dote on your children in much the same way? Let us know, then pass this along to all the wonderful parents and their lovely kids, too!