A football love story! Rising football star Tez Johnson is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Laila Thompson-Wainer. A University of Washington graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Thompson-Wainer has carved out an impressive career in the sports world. She has worked with major organizations such as the Seattle Seahawks and the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, focusing on creating engaging fan experiences. Her passion for sports and entertainment is evident in her work, which has included roles in communications, community outreach, and brand planning.

As an athlete in high school, Laila Thompson-Wainer didn’t shy away from challenges. While many recognized her from the M-A Dance Team and the soccer field, in 2018, she chose to carve out a new path. Kicking her way over the years as a soccer convert, this high school dynamo decided to step out on a limb and try something entirely different. “I think football has just always been in my blood,” she said once.

Sure enough, she took her courageous leap into football and joined varsity almost immediately to become a field-kicker for the school term 2019-20. This placed her at that moment in the ranks of the select few who represented female M-A in football. At that time, she stood out as the only woman in the Varsity team. 

It was an effortless transition due to a natural gift and love for the sport that she had possessed all along.“In soccer, I was always the kicker, so I guess I always knew I had a special talent for it,” she said once. All the support of her teammates went to an amazing Laila as she bucked tradition in an overwhelmingly male sport. 

Today, Laisa isn’t active on the field as an athlete, but she is still involved as a sport marketer and communicator. She is occasionally spotted now and then, cheering on the sidelines for her fiancée, just as she had once received support.

When did Tez Johnson and Laila Thompson‑Wainer get engaged?

It all began at the University of Oregon, where the bright star of football Tez Johnson met Laila Thompson-Wainer, an amazing communications graduate. They matched perfectly; they have shared values, deep faith, and a powerful drive to succeed, especially in football. It was in this atmosphere that Johnson found a rock, a fix in the unstable world of college athletics. With each other, they became partners of mutual respect and admiration. So, it was really an appropriate ending of their love story in one such moment.

The Buccaneers‘ player kneeled on one knee inside a football indoor training facility in March 2024, just after he exhibited his talent before exposing himself to the NFL Scouting Combine. Their hearts melted, and a very romantic Instagram photo of their precious moment was dropped, evoking all they had experienced. It was a prelude to celebrating not just a new adventure but the security of their bond throughout.

Of the glorious news, none was more excited than close friends, family, and Izzy Nix, Bo Nix’s wife, who also got social to embrace Laila into the Nix family. “God is good. [Laila] is joining the family,” she wrote.

What Does Laila Thompson‑Wainer Do for a Living?

For Laila Thompson-Wainer, a love of sports combined with strong communication skills naturally led her toward sports marketing. With a solid academic foundation as a Communication major and business and diversity minors at the University of Washington, she built an impressive portfolio. Her experience includes working with major sports franchises such as the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Kraken, contributing to marketing, entertainment, and fan experience roles.

Her focus is on the business of engaging fans, helping organizations communicate with their audience. Be it marketing strategy, activations engaging fans, or communication solutions, Laila’s career represents a love for sports and the desire to continually challenge herself.