Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson has been juggling his professional commitments with personal excitement as his fiancée, U.S. women’s national team star Sophia Smith, competes in the Paris Olympics. Despite the significance of the event, Wilson chose not to follow the example of Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, who is taking time off to support his wife, gymnast Simone Biles, in Paris.
Wilson usually begins his training camp warmup about 40 minutes before practice starts. However, he adjusted his routine last Friday and this Monday to watch Smith’s Olympic soccer matches. With a nine-hour time difference between Arizona and Paris, he managed to catch part of the first half of both games before heading to practice.
Staff members kept Wilson updated during practices, including informing him of Smith’s impressive two-goal performance in a 4-1 victory over Germany in the group stage. Despite his eagerness to support Smith, Wilson did not travel to Paris. He explained that his decision was influenced by the importance of this NFL season, noting that it is too critical a year to miss.
If he were in my sixth or seventh year, maybe he would have considered it, Wilson said, as reported by ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. Now in his second NFL season, he is focused on establishing himself and contributing to his team’s success.
Wilson has supported Smith from afar on major stages before. Last year, while Smith was in New Zealand for the World Cup, Wilson followed her games as best as he could despite a 19-hour time difference. This year’s nine-hour difference is more manageable, though still challenging.
Michael Wilson, Sophia Smith get engaged
The couple, who met as freshmen at Stanford University, have navigated their respective sports careers together. Wilson has witnessed Smith’s growth into an international star, a journey he believes was always in the cards.
“I don’t think anyone’s shocked,” he said. “It’s not like she was some underrated player that took the world by storm. She’d been in the national team [program] since she was 16. Now she’s kind of coming in her own and realizing, like fulfilling the prophecy.
“But it’s really cool to see because there’s a lot of people that get nodded as like the next great, the chosen one. Not all the time it works out. But I’m not shocked that it’s happening for her because not only is she extremely, extremely talented, like rarely, rarely talented, kind of like how (Cardinals rookie wide receiver) Marvin (Harrison Jr.) is, and some of the greats are, but she also has the love for the game and does all the little things off the field. So, the sky’s the limit.”
Wilson proposed to Smith on June 14 at the Peninsula Park Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The meticulously planned event involved coordinating with Smith’s agency and Nike to ensure she was prepared for the surprise proposal. Smith, thinking she was attending a Nike dinner, was chauffeured to the garden where Wilson awaited. Both their parents were also present to celebrate the engagement.
Reflecting on the proposal, Wilson described it as perfect. “Honestly, if I could put a measurement on it, it was like a 12 out of 10,” he said. “Everything went perfectly right. I didn’t slip up, didn’t fumble over my words. It honestly was one of the best days of my life, truthfully.”
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