Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves has twice the good news to celebrate on Monday morning, getting engaged moments after his team clinched their playoff place.
Mikaela Worley was the lucky lady, saying yes on the field at Northwest Stadium after Reaves got down on one knee.
Moments earlier, the Commanders had dramatically beaten the Atlanta Falcons in overtime with their 30-24 triumph securing their place in the postseason for the first time since 2020.
The couple have been together about 18 months and in that time, Worley has seen the Commanders flip the script after a miserable 2023 campaign.
The team’s struggles last year coincided with the 28-year-old Reaves needing surgery in October 2023 to fix an ACL tear.
This year, Worley has been a regular both at home and on the road to cheers Reaves and the Commanders.
Washington Commanders’ safety Jeremy Reaves has got engaged to girlfriend Mikaela Worley
Reaves got down on one knee moments after the Commanders reached the NFL playoffs
Worley has been a regular at Commanders games throughout their exciting NFL season
The 26-year-old Worley was born in Pensacola, Florida – just like her fiancee Reaves – and is the youngest of three siblings.
It appears that Reaves and Worley are childhood friends from their days at Milton High School.
Speaking after his big moment, Reaves said to ᴀssociated Press: ‘That’s my best friend. Been my best friend since high school.’
She went on to study at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she majored in biology and played for three years on the volleyball team. Now, she works as a physician ᴀssistant.
According to the team’s website, Worley’s mother was also a volleyball player while her father played football at Livingston University.
Reaves admitted that he would have held back from proposing to her if the Commanders hadn’t beaten the Falcons.
‘I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,’ he said. ‘That thing was burning a hole in my pocket.
‘If we win this game, it’s destiny. She’s earned it. I can’t say enough about her. When I was at my lowest last year (after ACL surgery), she was there to pick me up every day. She showed up.
Reaves called Worley his ‘best friend since high school’ after the emotional scenes Sunday
Worley and Reaves are believed to have been dating 18 months but knew each other longer
Reaves said he would not have proposed if the Commanders hadn’t beaten the Falcons
‘You can tell a lot about somebody when they are going through the worst and how they handle it. I was going through the worst last year coming off an ACL.
‘Couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be my own man and she was the crutch there when I couldn’t do it myself.’
The Commanders round out the regular season on Sunday, Jan. 5 on the road to the Dallas Cowboys before the playoffs begin the following weekend.