Russell Wilson says being a stepfather taught him 'what love is like'

When Russell Wilson began dating singer Ciara in 2015, he developed a deep bond Future, with her son from a previous relationship.

In an interview with "Good Morning America," Wilson said that being a stepfather opened his eyes to a new kind of love.

"Being a stepdad ... has taught me, really, what love is like, what life is really like, [and] how God intends us to love," Wilson said. "One of the greatest gifts in the world is children."

Wilson, 31, and Ciara, 34, married in 2016. They welcomed their daughter Sienna in 2017 and are expecting a baby boy in a few weeks. As he prepares to become a new dad again, Wilson, who will co-host the ESPYS Sunday night, said he continues to consider the importance of protecting his children, especially amid nationwide conversations around race and police brutality. The events of the past few weeks, he said, have been "heavy on my heart."

"Hopefully we can continue to educate, continue to understand, continue to love in the midst of the process. Continue to try to forgive," he said. "I think that's a real important thing in that understand that everybody's not perfect, but we can make our world better, and I think it starts with our homes."

"I think it's important for our moms and our dads and our loved ones to really guide and to impact," he continued. "Hopefully, Ciara and I can continue to do that as best we can."

According to Wilson, the importance of having a societal impact is also going to be the theme of Sunday night's awards show, which airs at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Wilson credits his late father with imparting many life lessons and he expressed excitement about co-hosting with U.S. women's national soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe and WNBA star Sue Bird.

"They're two of the most amazing women I've ever known. They're they're super-inspirational [and] super-talented," he said. "To top of all that they really have always made a difference. It'll be a powerful show."