Two quarterbacks. Two love stories. Two almost-disasters that somehow turned into the most heartwarming wins of the offseason. Riley Leonard and Garrett Nussmeier spent their Saturdays reading blitzes and dodging edge rushers, but recently, they were dodging something far more intimidating: proposal-day chaos. And while they nearly fumbled the most important plays of their personal lives, both QBs pulled off the clutch move just in time.

Riley Leonard, the former Notre Dame star now with the Indianapolis Colts, had just wrapped up an emotional college career. He’d helped Notre Dame make a late run to the national title game, tossing two second-half touchdowns and nearly pulling off the upset. Then came the NFL Draft, where the Colts selected him 189th overall. 

And right when everything seemed to be falling into place, boom, he jammed his girlfriend’s finger, throwing her a football right before proposing. Yep. Future quarterback of an NFL team, and he’s out here injuring his soon-to-be fiancée’s ring finger. But the damage was minimal, the ring still fit (barely), and Molly Walding said yes, thankfully. Cheers to Molly, such a good sport.

Leonard shared the moment on Instagram with the caption, “Jammed her finger throwing the football right before engagement. Ring still fit. Barely.” His honesty and complete lack of panic (at least in the photo) made it even more charming. Molly, of course, was over the moon. She wrote, “Best day of my life!!!!! I love you!!!” The two go way back, like, middle school back. Hailing from Fairhope, Alabama, they started dating in high school and managed to hold things together through Leonard’s time at Duke and later Notre Dame, while Molly studied at Auburn. 

And you guys, Leonard was a straight-out-of-a-hollywood-movie boyfriend. He earned boyfriend of the year honors a few months earlier when he flew 1,332 miles round-trip in one day just to make it to her last college formal. “He made it to the first and the last! That’s a win!!!!!! 👏🏻” Molly posted alongside side-by-side pictures showing their full-circle moment. Touchdowns? Cool. But that? That’s absolutely heartwarming.

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier was preparing to field football questions at SEC Media Day when his head coach, Brian Kelly, decided to drop a little bonus content. “Did you congratulate him on his engagement?” Kelly asked the interviewer before tossing a grenade. “She said no three times,” said Kelly. Cue laughter, red faces, and the beginning of a viral moment straight from a Netflix rom-com. Nussmeier, somehow unfazed, admitted the proposal wasn’t exactly a clean play: “Yeah, maybe something like that,” he said with a smile. “It was a little nerve-wracking, I’d say that.”

He then described the scene. “We were at our family’s lakehouse in Oklahoma… flowers, all that set up. Her mom helped me with it. Both families were involved—kind of had them hidden to the sides. And they got to see the moment. It was really cool.” Nussmeier’s choices of proposals were over the top. But it worked. After those three initial ‘no’ (thanks, Coach Kelly,) longtime girlfriend Ella Springfield finally said yes. 

The two have been together since high school, and their story is one of growing pains, loyalty, and a whole lot of long-distance sacrifices. Springfield, who once posted, “Came for the player, stayed for the lifelong memories and friendships made. #foreverLSU,” has been there for all the highs and lows—now she’s there forever.

It brings us such joy to witness when players who we’ve seen grow on the field grow off the field as well. And if there are any others in line for proposing, please learn from the best (not them). Leonard almost sabotaged his proposal with a freak accident, and Nussmeier’s perfect moment got hilariously upstaged by his own head coach. But both quarterbacks owned their chaos and came out with rings that matter way more than any playoff hardware. 

The next chapter begins

Now that the rings are on, the real grind begins on the field, not just in relationships. For Riley Leonard, the story shifts from ‘awww’ to ‘alright, let’s work.’ Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round, Leonard steps into a QB room led by Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. That means no immediate pressure to start, but plenty of competition to climb the depth chart. He’ll need to prove he belongs in the rotation, especially with a fan base that’s seen its fair share of quarterback roulette. Leonard’s dual-threat skillset, combined with his football IQ, makes him a solid project for Shane Steichen’s system, but he’ll have to earn every snap with quiet consistency. (for now).

Garrett Nussmeier, on the other hand, isn’t waiting. His moment is now. Nussmeier has the keys to the Tigers’ offense, and this is his last shot at anything ‘college football.’ Natty? Work for it. Heisman? Work for it. SEC championship? Work for it. Natty? Work for it. And he has the potential for all three. LSU fans are eyeing the natty, and Nussmeier’s arm will be the engine. He’s got weapons, a familiar system, and a shot at turning the Tigers into serious title contenders. Pressure? Sure. But this is the same guy who stayed loyal through it all; now it’s time to show why.