As Sunday's Washington Commanders game headed to overtime against the Atlanta Falcons, safety Jeremy Reaves had more than just winning on his mind.
Reaves put a plan into motion earlier that week to surprise his longtime girlfriend, Mikaela Worley, with an on-field proposal following the game. The plan, however, hinged on a Washington win.
"It was going to be on standby," Reaves said with a laugh as he explained what would have happened had the team lost. "Listen, I hate losing. So there was no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss, there's no way."
"We had a long time out there to think about it," Reaves added. "I was like, 'God's going to tell me if this is the day to do it. If we win this game, it's destiny.'"
Everything worked out for Reaves when quarterback Jayden Daniels connected with tight end Zach Ertz for a game-winning touchdown on the first drive of the overtime period, sealing a 30-24 victory and a playoff berth for the Commanders.
As the team was celebrating, Reaves found Worley in the stands and pulled her over the barricade to the field. The two embraced before Reaves got down on one knee and popped the question. Worley's family, including her brother and sister-in-law, was also in the crowd to witness the special moment.
The two grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and competed in the NCAA Sun Belt Conference in their respective sports -- Worley at University of Louisiana Monroe as an outside hitter on the volleyball team, and Reaves at South Alabama.
When she's not in the stands supporting Reaves, Worley works as a certified physician's assistant with him as her cheerleader. Her training came in handy last season when Reaves suffered his first career injury -- an ACL tear -- in October 2023.
"She's earned it, I can't say enough good things about her," Reaves said of Worley. "When I was at my lowest last year, she was there to pick me up. She showed up and that's my best friend. She's been my best friend since high school."
