Washington Commanders safety and special teams ace Jeremy Reaves said he was feeling good after his squad defeated the Atlanta Falcons in overtime to secure a playoff berth — good enough to propose to his girlfriend.
Surrounded by cameras and thousands of ecstatic fans, Mikaela Worley said yes.
“We had a long day to think about it. I was like, ‘God, you gonna tell me if this is the game to do it?’” Reaves said in the locker room. “We win this game? It’s destiny.”
The former All-Pro said the proposal plan only came together this week. Luckily for the hyper-competitive Reaves, his squad came away with a victory.
“I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,” he said. “But that thing was burning a hole in my pocket.”
Reaves has become a staple of Washington’s special teams unit and a fan favorite. He recorded a pair of special teams tackles on Sunday night and worked the crowd between possessions, but the evening’s celebrations were a far cry from his feelings last year.
The South Alabama product suffered a torn ACL in 2023, ending his season as the Commanders limped to a 4-13 record. The 28-year-old said his now-fiancee was there for him at those low points.
“You can tell a lot about somebody when they are going through the worst and how they handle it,” Reaves said, calling Worley his best friend. “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.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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