Jake Ferguson knows when something is meant to be — and that moment came long before his proposal to Miami Hurricanes basketball star Haley Cavinder.
The Dallas Cowboys tight end has opened up about how their relationship went from a DM to a proposal, and why he knew almost immediately that Cavinder was the person he wanted to spend forever with. The couple, who met on social media in 2023, has quickly become one of the NFL’s most talked-about pairings — and now their story has a wedding date.
“Pretty much after that first day. I was like, ‘Yeah, I gotta put a ring on her hand,’” Ferguson told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.
The Cowboys host the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving, but before Ferguson takes the field, he’s reflecting on the first moment his future changed.
Jake Ferguson Says He Knew Immediately Hailey Cavinder Was ‘The One’
Ferguson reflected on the moment everything started. He was golfing when a notification popped up on his phone — a “like” from Cavinder on Instagram.
“I remember launching my phone and was like, ‘Let’s go!’” Ferguson recalled. That like turned into a direct message, and shortly after, the two met up during the offseason in Florida.
Their first date didn’t end that night. It turned into 10 straight days of spending time together.
“That first day I was like, ‘I gotta put a ring on her hand,’” Ferguson said.
At the time, Cavinder was a college basketball standout at the University of Miami, where she and twin sister Hanna Cavinder were building one of the biggest name, image, and likeness brands in college sports.
“To be completely honest, I just was not in the position to really wanna dive deep into a professional athlete [relationship] and just like the lifestyle,” Cavinder admitted. “You hear horror stories nowadays, and I never wanna be a part of that.”
She added that her father always warned her: “Never date a professional athlete.” But that changed when he met Ferguson. “He’s like, ‘You’re gonna marry this guy’ and I’m like, ‘I know.’”
Haley Cavinder Says Their Shared Sports Background Helped Their Connection
Cavinder said an instant understanding built the foundation of their relationship.
“I get what it feels like to lose a game or be competitive, and he always helped me with basketball in that way,” she said.
For Ferguson, it was Cavinder’s heart — and her competitiveness — that stood out.
“The way she treats people. That’s my first thing,” he said. “She’s awesome. And she’s a competitor, so I love that too.”
He remembers the exact moment he knew the relationship was forever — and it came during a casual afternoon together.
“She found a ball and we started throwing and I threw her a bad ball and she one-handed it and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m marrying her.’”
The Proposal, the Wedding, and Taylor Swift
Ferguson proposed in April 2025 during a romantic beachfront setting in Florida.
“I got down on one knee and then everything I had planned just went out the window,” he said. “I don’t even remember what I said.”
Cavinder announced the engagement on Instagram with a photo of her ring. “God blessed me with my best friend,” she wrote on TikTok. “Thank you for showing me the purest form of love.”
The couple was later seen at Tight End University in Nashville when Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance. Cavinder said she doesn’t compare their relationship with Swift and Travis Kelce’s.
“I don’t really look at them and compare because she’s Taylor Swift,” she said. “But being able to just even meet her was insane. I’m a huge Swiftie.”
Ferguson and Cavinder will tie the knot in June 2026 in Florida.
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