How Ryan Russell Realized the Most consuming Teammate in Corey O'Brien
NFL historic previous-maker Ryan Russell's first coffee date with comic Corey O'Brien was a recreation winner. Six years later, they haven't stopped cheering for one but every other.
Tackling would possibly per chance presumably presumably also had been Ryan Russell’s trip on the soccer self-discipline, but it was a swipe that modified his lifestyles without end.
In Could per chance per chance 2019—three months earlier than the feeble Dallas Cowboys defensive terminate came out as bisexual—he matched with Corey O’Brien on a dating app.
Russell headed for O’Brien’s DMs, as he recalled in his 2023 memoir The Yards Between Us, admittedly intrigued by the dancer’s no longer-very-informative profile and his “skimpy” Instagram captions.
“Even with my rising comfort with myself,” Russell wrote, “this felt love a great step.”
Their connection progressed to texting and there had been no flags on the play after they sooner or later met up at an L.A. café.
“I don’t mediate we had been every looking out to salvage a relationship at that time,” O’Brien told Jejune Journal in 2020, “but the entirety took place so organically.”
Added Russell, “After our first coffee meet-up, the do we spoke for rather a while about sobriety, dating in L.A., being within the closet, educated sports actions, dance, and family, we didn't narrate many more days apart.”
Romantic fable rapid, they’ve been collectively ever since.
“Sure, that is me, I don't know why this portray is going viral—again—six years later, but I’m in a relationship with the well-known NFL player to strategy support out as bisexual,” O’Brien acknowledged in a July 17 TikTok, nodding to a 2019 paparazzi portray of him and Russell preserving fingers. “And no, I soundless don’t know the leisure about soccer rather then the truth that he tackles me.”
Yet while that sounds love your day to day megastar-couple-snapped-in-the-wild moment, the pic was taken decrease than two weeks after Russell came out.
“Unless lately, I didn't enjoy myself ample to are residing openly and honestly,” he wrote for ESPN.com in August 2019. “I was ashamed of who I’m.”
When the photographer ran as much as him and O’Brien to steal their portray, Russell admitted in his e-book, his “outdated intuition” would had been to drop his date’s hand and try and block the digicam.
But because the athlete wrote in his essay, he had two needs: Playing within the NFL again after a shoulder peril sidelined him at some stage within the 2018 season, and residing his lifestyles openly.
The feeble didn’t sooner or later pan out for the Purdue alum, who was drafted in 2015 by the Cowboys and conducted one season in Dallas, then two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But Russell went on to salvage his calling as a poet, author and activist, with O’Brien by his aspect.
“Growing up in minute-metropolis rural Texas being homosexual, being bi, being odd of any style was shining never — [it was] an impossibility, in particular no longer in sports actions,” Russell acknowledged as he accredited the Homosexual Times’ Sporting Hero Award in London in December 2019. “Religion, family, and soccer had been the three things that had been roughly ingrained into me.”
Taking into consideration of all the oldsters in church every weekend who moreover watched soccer, he acknowledged, “to know that these families can witness an openly odd player on Sundays is shining what I mediate the field mandatory.”
Within the interim, Russell, 33, has been an equally stable teammate for O’Brien, 34, who marked 11 years of sobriety in 2023.
“About two or three months after meeting me, he determined that he wished to take into legend what it’d be prefer to no longer drink,” the comic, who made the 2021 rapid film Freedom about his sobriety scramble, told Out Entrance Journal. “Appropriate to toughen me.”
And Russell knew after meeting O’Brien that the time was ASAP to portray his fable.
“Popping out was about bigger than shining my occupation,” he mirrored to Jejune. “It was about my happiness, so I couldn't let the disaster of backlash preserve me support from residing my truth. At the tip of the day, I had definitely one of two choices, half of-truth, half of-lies, and empty lifestyles, or a lifestyles stout of truth and enjoy. I made the shining possibility.”
Learn on to take into legend the NFL quarterbacks who've been this lucky in enjoy:
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
If Hailee Steinfeld likes a man with suitable grit, she would possibly per chance presumably presumably've performed worse than marrying the Bills' three-time Loyal Bowl selection.
After bigger than a year of unostentatious dating, Josh's first look on Hailee's Instagram featured the athlete taking a knee for a waterfront proposal.
“She makes the entirety more uncomplicated, so I don't in fact kind out the opposite stuff,” the newlywed told journalists in June. “That was the largest possibility I'll mark in my lifestyles—and I made the shining one.”
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
What's better than successful a Broad Bowl? Why, it's successful three—and attending to mark the requisite journeys to Disneyland in a while with the enjoy of your lifestyles.
“I was no longer prepared for this,” Brittany Mahomes told CBS Recordsdata in July 2023 of the whirlwind of accolades and pleasure that came with falling for QB1 at her excessive faculty in Whitehouse, Texas. “And at this kind of younger age. We had been in enjoy and I loved him with all of my heart. But, you know, I didn't request it to skyrocket this soon, and us roughly shining being thrown into the fireplace love this.”
Patrick proposed at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 1, 2020, the day the Chiefs had been introduced with their Broad Bowl LIV rings, and they tied the knot March 12, 2022.
The athlete told CBS that being dad to daughter Sterling Skye, born Feb. 20, 2021, Patrick “Bronze” Lavone Mahomes III, born Nov. 28, 2022, gave him “a quite a bit better idea of being expose and taking half in” the recreation of soccer.
“When my formative years grow up,” he explained, “I needed them to take into legend that dad wasn't shining gone shining to be gone. I was gone doing something, to form, to be tall. And so, whenever they turn into older, they would possibly be able to witness how hard I labored.”
Brittany gave birth to daughter Golden Raye on Jan. 12, 2025, her name one other nod to treasured metallic earlier than the Chiefs' 10th straight scoot to the postseason.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
The low-key Lion married model Christen Harper on June 22, 2024, at the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, Calif.
“I swore that he messaged me first,” Christen—Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's co-Rookie of the Year in 2022 and a broad name of the uncover sequence Girls of the League—told Fox Recordsdata Digital in 2023 of meeting her future husband on the dating app Raya in 2018. “But after we went and regarded support, I in fact despatched the well-known message. So all you ladies accessible, you better send the well-known message because you never know—you gotta shoot your shot.”
While the co-founder of the wellness app Planted is a permanent fixture on the sidelines rooting for No. 16, Christen known as Jared “shining the staunch cheerleader” when it came to her needs as properly.
“It's so fun because I acquire to cheer him on for his soccer season,” she acknowledged. “But he’s the amount one supporter, the amount one person who's shining in my court.”
They've since added to their cheering allotment, welcoming daughter Romy Isabelle Goff in July 2025.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Now no longer one to flout his relationship on social media, Jalen confirmed to Essence in 2023 that he was “spoken for,” and the girl doing the speaking was IT specialist Bryonna “Bry” Burrows.
They dated at College of Alabama, earlier than Jalen accomplished his college occupation at Oklahoma and was drafted in 2020, but “I knew an extraordinarily lengthy time ago,” he acknowledged about their future collectively. “I imply, to this level in my lifestyles, that’s an irreplaceable feeling. I mediate that's what allowed us to acquire to the do we’re now.”
Essence therefore obtained the scoop on their engagement in September 2024 and Bry was Jalen's accomplice by the time Males's Effectively being published an April 22 quilt fable on the 2025 Broad Bowl winner.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
The 262nd pick within the 2022 NFL draft was never Mr. Irrelevant to Jenna Brandt.
And while the 49ers have one other fabricate of bauble in options, Brock popped the request in July 2023 and the couple married in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 9, 2024.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker's soccer fortunes had been in every single do for about a years earlier than the Bucs took an opportunity in 2023 and ended up within the playoffs. But all the plan in which thru the scramble, Emily Wilkinson Mayfield has been alongside for the lunge
Baker, a Heisman winner with the College of Oklahoma, met Emily in 2017 and proposed six months later, so she's been there for the entire u.s.a.and downs since he went No. 1 within the 2018 NFL draft to the Browns.
And the fairer half of of the Baker & Emily Mayfield Basis is definitely in it for the lengthy haul.
“Happy 4 year anniversary to my sweet husband,” Emily posted to Instagram on July 10, 2024. “These final few years we have grown in so many suggestions, and I’m SO overjoyed with the do we’re in our marriage.”
And indeed it was rather the rebuilding year: The couple welcomed daughter Kova Jade Mayfield on April 9, 2024.
Jordan Worship, Green Bay Packers
He has some Aaron Rodgers-size shoes to have in Green Bay, but fiancée Ronika Stone has absolute self assurance Jordan's as much as the anguish.
Ronika, a pro volleyball player and daughter of retired Broad Bowl champ Ron Stone, rocks Packers merch with pleasure. And when she and her future mother-in-law Anna Worship weren't precisely given the VIP medication at Arrowhead Stadium at some stage in an away recreation in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs recreation in 2021, she handled it with grace and humor.
“I continually wished to be on sportscenter…idea it'd be for volleyball tho,” Ronika posted to Instagram after a pic of she and Jordan's mother sitting within the nosebleeds went viral.
Sparkling a lunge or die when he sees one, Worship popped the request while they had been in Italy in June 2024.
“First step to without end,” they posted on Instagram June 23.
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
The unexpected savior of the Browns' 2023-24 playoff possibilities was Broad Bowl winner (with the Ravens) Joe, who was busy taking half in preserve-at-dwelling dad to his 5 formative years with accomplice Dana Grady Flacco when he obtained the possibility.
“Joe's no longer one to take a seat down down soundless,” Dana told Cleveland.com earlier than the playoffs. “He was continually love, 'What can I assemble? I’m shining going to acquire you a coffee.' I mediate I had love seven coffees a day.”
The couple, collectively since senior year at Audubon High Faculty in Contemporary Jersey, married on June 25, 2011. They welcomed Stephen in June 2012, Daniel in September 2013, Francis in January 2015, Evelyn in September 2016 and Thomas in April 2018.
“It’s surely modified how I narrate time within the off-season,” Joe acknowledged in a Ravens promo video. “Me and my accomplice gaze at one but every other and sweetness what we did earlier than we had them, because you’re shining wrapped up in these guys.”
Now no longer prepared to grasp up his helmet shining but, Joe signed a one-year take care of the Colts to support up second-year QB Anthony Richardson in 2024 and then agreed to one other season with the Browns for $4 million in 2025.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
After 12 seasons leading the Lions' offense, the crew swapped quarterbacks with the Rams in 2021, that means longtime Bloomfield Hills, Mich., residents Matt and Kelly Stafford had been off to L.A.—the do he promptly obtained a Broad Bowl in his first season with his unique crew.
And it turned out he had a secret weapon within the pocket with him: Sure, it was his accomplice's unflagging toughen.
Kelly shared on TODAY after the Rams' secure that she wrote her husband letters earlier than every recreation leading as much as the excellent one in February 2022. “It was shining how great I idea he in actuality deserved this, and why I idea he deserved it,” she acknowledged. “A actually mighty thing at the tip of the day is that we all have one but every other.”
Married since April 4, 2015, the Staffords are fogeys of 4 daughters: twins Chandler and Sawyer (born March 31, 2017), Hunter Hope (Aug. 16, 2018) and Tyler Hall (June 28, 2020).
Russell Wilson, Contemporary York Giants
“He and I share the linked vision for our babies, which I mediate makes the field of a distinction, that we’re on the linked online page,” Ciara, who married Russ in 2016, told Sports Illustrated in 2022. “It’s fundamental that our formative years—you know, they’ve plan more entry than we had rising up—so we’re wanting to mark determined we preserve them humble within the route of to mark determined they assemble things love having to secure after themselves and radiant that lifestyles isn’t going to be handed to you.”
Russ joined the Broncos in 2022 after 10 seasons in Seattle and gained a brand unique crew member off the self-discipline as properly: Daughter Amora Princess Wilson was born in December 2023, becoming a member of Future Zahir (Ciara's son with rapper Future, born Could per chance per chance 2019), daughter Sienna (April 2017), and son Bag (July 2020), within the family lineup.
After two lackluster seasons in Denver, he was in comeback-player-of-the-year fabricate with the Steelers. But they moreover obtained feeble Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields in 2024, so Russ moved on to signal a one-year take care of the Contemporary York Giants in 2025.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
The crew's quarterback first sparked romance rumors with Sarah Jane Ramos in September 2023 when she shared photography of herself watching a Cowboys recreation with his sister-in-law Holly Prescott.
In November 2023, Sarah and Dak launched on Instagram that they had been looking forward to his or her first child.
Margaret Jane Rose Prescott was born Feb. 22, 2024, and Dak ran it in for the recreation winner in October.
“Mine Perpetually!!!!” he captioned his Oct. 18 proposal pic. “The Simplest Buddy, Partner, Teammate, Mother, and Now Fiancé I could per chance presumably presumably Query or Pray for! Thank you God for this Blessing and Family! I Worship you.”
Derick Carr, Contemporary Orleans Saints
Who dat? Why, it's Heather Carr, most standard NOLA transplant after her husband signed with the Saints in 2023 following 9 seasons with the Oakland-turned-Las Vegas Raiders.
They had been students at Fresno Speak after they met, Derick attempting his darndest to acquire a cute waitress' attention.
“I was shining love 'Ugh, I don't want the leisure to assemble with that,'” Heather recalled to Fresno's ABC 30. “The regular soccer man, shining?”
But when she purposely gave him a irascible phone amount, he came support to the restaurant to give her his digits—and portray her that, when she was prepared, he'd secure the phone. A pair of weeks later, she learned out Derick wasn't so regular.
They tied the knot June 29, 2012.
“Some days he comes dwelling, he's soundless, he's drained,” she mirrored of her broad name QB. “Appropriate making determined he continually knows that I'm here to abet him, toughen him, assemble I must assemble the leisure for you.”
When it was time to trip all the plan in which thru the country, she stocked up on Saints gear in all sizes for sons Dallas (born Aug. 5, 2013), Deker (March 16, 2016) and Deakon (Could per chance per chance 16, 2019), and daughter Brooklyn (Nov. 30, 2020).
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Clear, offensive traces are tall, but it's Julie Hampton Cousins who in fact has Kirk's support.
The most fundamental faculty teacher, who married Kirk in 2014, “flourishes within the work of supporting” her husband, she told Folks. “I love web hosting folks for video games, cooking and planning snacks and meals. I moreover expertise organizing all forms of stuff for Kirk off the self-discipline, love his bodywork, making determined we all acquire shining sleep and that we're going in quality time with our boys. It's an extraordinarily extraordinary job, but I'm very overjoyed to be in it.”
And while at 36 Kirk is closer to the tip of his occupation than the inspiration, he acknowledged he'd enjoy to play unless sons Cooper (born Sept. 29, 2017) and Turner (March 10, 2019) can “in fact be aware it and would possibly per chance presumably presumably even have loved being a phase of it.”
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Marissa Lawrence has been cheering her husband on since their Cartersville High Faculty days in Georgia—and their portray album contains memories of every milestone, from their senior prom to their April 10, 2021, marriage ceremony day to Trevor going No. 1 to the Jaguars shining weeks later and a number of tropical vacations since.
“Yearly will get sweeter with you @marissa_lawrence,” Trevor wrote on their anniversary in 2023. “2 years down already and we’ve made so many memories and experienced so great collectively. Exasperated for all the lengthy flee years support. I love you bigger than you know.”
And he wasn't kidding regarding the progressively sweeter years: The couple published in June 2024 that “a miniature bit Lawrence” was on the scheme and daughter Shae Lynn Lawrence arrived Jan. 4.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe met Olivia Holzmacher in 2017 at Ohio Speak—and he didn't drop the ball once he transferred to Lousiana Speak, the do he obtained a national championship and the Heisman trophy with the Tigers in 2020.
When he went No. 1 to the Bengals within the NFL draft, Olivia wrote, “Grateful to be by your aspect Joe … so furious for what the lengthy flee holds.”
Light Bengal Adam “Pacman” Jones claimed they had been engaged in 2023 but confirmed no receipts, and because the 2024 NFL season obtained underway, Joe's closing cameo on her Instagram was Jan. 31.
The athlete has since been linked to model Olivia Ponton after she known as 911 to report a burglary at Joe's Ohio dwelling on Dec. 9, 2024, while he was away taking half in in Dallas.
“I in fact feel love my privateness has been violated in more suggestions than one,” Joe told journalists a pair days later, alongside with, “Manner more is already accessible than I would want accessible and that I care to share, so that's all I obtained to relate about that.”
Drake Maye, Contemporary England Patriots
The No. 3 pick within the 2024 NFL Draft came to Foxborough, Mass., prepared to open on the self-discipline, but he hasn't conducted the self-discipline presumably ever, having been in a relationship with fellow North Carolina Tar Heel Ann Michael Hudson for practically a decade.
“9 years with you and it retains recuperating day to day,” Ann wrote Oct. 30 on Instagram. “I couldn’t imagine my lifestyles with out you as my perfect buddy. I love you bigger than you know!”
After wrapping up his rookie NFL season, Drake popped the request, captioning their Jan. 15, 2015, engagement announcement, “Worship doing lifestyles with you. Can't wait to marry you!”
Desmond Ridder, Las Vegas Raiders
The third-round 2022 draft pick turned boring-season rookie starter for the Falcons has a nose for numbers.
“4 years, 1460 days, 2,102,400 minutes with you has been one hell of a scramble, we have had our u.s.a.and downs but it has made us stronger within the tip,” Desmond posted about his then-fiancée Claire Cornett in 2020. “Can’t wait to narrate without end with you.”
The College of Cincinnati sweethearts launched daughter Leighton Elizabeth Ridder to the field on April 21, 2021 (yes, Bearcat onesies assemble strategy in that size), and then tied the knot July 15, 2022.
Son Kyland Jett arrived on Feb. 20, 2024.
For their second anniversary, Desmond wrote to Claire, “Thank you for loving me unconditionally thru thick and thin and never missing an opportunity to mark me chuckle. You are the BEST Accomplice, Mother, and Buddy that anybody would possibly per chance presumably presumably quiz for.”
Desmond reported to coaching camp prepared to steal snaps for the Arizona Cardinals, who signed him in 2024 to support up Kyler Murray, then released him, then brought him support for the educate squad. And that's the do he was when the Raiders signed him in October.
Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Sophie Scott was continually showing up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., for him, so it was completely shining he rate up there for her when the Eras Tour came to metropolis.
Faculty sweethearts at Alabama, the couple made the trip to Boston collectively when Mac was drafted by the Contemporary England Patriots in 2021.
In 2024, their environment would possibly per chance presumably presumably even have modified—Mac signed with the Jaguars to support up Trevor Lawrence—however the corporate has stayed the linked.
“Happy birthday @sophiescott9!,” Mac wrote Sept. 1, 2024. “25 appears to be like to be shining on you! Anticipating many more adventures collectively sweet sugar.”
Kenny Pickett, Cleveland Browns
The surely quarterback chosen within the well-known round of the 2022 NFL draft reported for Steelers' coaching camp in 2023 a married man, swapping vows with feeble Princeton soccer player Amy Paternoster on June 24.
The couple, who started dating in 2021, honeymooned in Puerto Rico.
On Amy's twenty second birthday Feb. 13, 2023, Kenny posted to Instagram, “Extremely grateful for you on daily foundation and spending the leisure of my lifestyles with you are going to be one of the best honor I could per chance presumably presumably quiz for.”
They loved their first marriage ceremony anniversary vacationing in Napa, Calif., earlier than Kenny reported for obligation with the Philadelphia Eagles to support up Jalen Hurts.
After sharing within the Eagles' 2025 Broad Bowl secure, Kenny was traded to the Browns.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
After his fifth-year possibility was picked up by the Dolphins in March 2023, Tua admitted to journalists that he idea to be as retiring after his peril-marred 2022 season.
And no longer least because he had so many very ideal things to preserve dwelling for.
“Never one to position my deepest lifestyles accessible. But this one deserved a post,” Tua wrote on July 17, 2023, sharing a one-time-completely snap of his enjoy Annah Tagovailoa. “Happy 1 Year Anniversary to my aesthetic accomplice. I love you.”
In a rare peek into his off-self-discipline world, Tua told journalists in November 2022 that he was thankful for his accomplice and unique child (son Ace, born in August 2022, made his public debut at the Tua Basis luau support the next April).
“It's very extraordinary how having a child impacts how you witness things in but every other plan in lifestyles. It’s love nothing that I’ve experienced,” Tua acknowledged. “There’s no playbook for this because every person’s expertise is assorted, whether or no longer you’re having a boy first or a girl.”
That being acknowledged, he added, “I thank my fine Father up above that I obtained a boy first. Oh, man. I don’t know what I’d assemble if I had a girl. It'd be a miniature bit more challenging, I mediate, because I wouldn’t know what to assemble necessarily.”
Tua and Anna have since welcomed daughter Maisey.
Source credit : eonline.com
