Jeremy Reaves was celebrating more than just an overtime win on Sunday night.
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For their penultimate game of the regular season, the Washington Commanders beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24, clinching their spot in the playoffs.
In the celebratory aftermath Reaves, a safety and special teams player for the Commanders, rushed to the sidelines to pop the question to longtime girlfriend Mikaela Worley.
Dropping to one knee while still in his uniform, Reaves, 28, pulled out a ring box to propose to Worley, who tearfully said yes. The couple stood back up to embrace, as onlookers cheered their support.
Reaves told the Associated Press that Worley — a former college volleyball player who now works as a physician assistant — has been his “best friend since high school.”
After she supported him through a season-ending ACL tear in October 2023, Reaves said he knew Worley was the one.
He added that he had the ring for some time and that it was “burning a hole in my pocket.”
However, he wanted to wait for a big Commanders win to make the proposal extra memorable.
“I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,” he said.
Jeremy Reaves said his wife-to-be supported him through a season-ending injury: “She was there to pick me up everyday.”
Of his wife-to-be, he raved, “She’s earned it. I can’t say enough about her.”
“I was going through the worst last year coming off an ACL [tear]. Couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be my own man… She was there to pick me up everyday,” he added.
Following the proposal, Reaves shared more about his relationship on Instagram, with a post celebrating Worley.
“A year ago I was at one of my lowest,” he captioned a photo with Worley from his hospital bed. “A year later, you helped get me back to my best! Everytime life tore me down, you built me right back up and spoke life into me!”
“You carried the weight when I couldn’t during some tough days(all that PA school definitely came in handy lol!) God makes no mistakes, and he gave me you when I needed you most! 8+ years of friendship, a lifetime to go as one! I meant it when I said 5life! I love you Mikaela R Worley PA-C❤️.”
Worley replied in the comments, writing, “I love you forever B🤍.”
Reaves is a native of Pensacola, Florida, was a standout player in college at South Alabama.
He went undrafted in 2018, and was signed by Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 — but waived soon after.
Reaves is now in his sixth season with the Commanders after being promoted to their active roster in 2019. He was a first-team All-Pro for special teams in 2022.