At 6’6″ and 336 pounds of pure defensive power, Yahya Black spent five seasons becoming the immovable object at the heart of Iowa’s defense. The small-town Minnesota kid who once dominated at Marshall High School grew into a nightmare for Big Ten offensive linemen, racking up 117 tackles and earning All-Conference honors through sheer consistency. His 2025 NFL Combine performance showed the league what Hawkeyes fans already knew – this was no ordinary defensive tackle.

But there’s always been more to Black than his ability to collapse pockets. While his on-field persona screams intensity, those close to him know a different side. The kind of man who values privacy as much as he does a well-timed swim move. As he prepares to bring his talents to Pittsburgh, something interesting happened this week. And that reminded everyone: even the most fearsome linemen have lives beyond the gridiron.

The Steelers might have gotten themselves a steal in the draft. But it turns out Yahya Black has been guarding his treasure this whole time. And this week, he decided it was finally time to let the world in on that secret, at least a little bit.

Yahya Black is engaged

The same hands that routinely toss aside 300-pound offensive linemen were surprisingly gentle when it mattered most. This week, Yahya Black traded his football gloves for something far more meaningful. A diamond ring for his longtime love, Hailiy Okins. The couple’s social media posts captured the quiet magic of the moment: “Always to forever 6-29-25,” they captioned, sharing photos from a sun-drenched beach where Black knelt, all smiles, ring in hand.

There was no flashy production, no staged reveal—just raw, unfiltered joy. In one frame, Black’s massive frame looked almost delicate as he reached for Hailiy’s hand. In another, they laughed like two kids who’d just pulled off the best inside joke. The Steelers’ social team didn’t miss a beat, first commenting “congratulations” before reposting the photo themselves with “Congratulations to Yahya Black and Hailiy on their engagement! 💍”

For a player who built his reputation on brute strength, these images showed a different kind of power—the kind that makes a man forget the playbook and remember the date. June 29, 2025. The day football’s quiet force finally let the world see his softest side.

Hailiy & Yahya’s 4-Year journey

Okins grew up in Franklin, Minnesota, and attended Redwood Valley Senior High before studying Paramedicine at Ridgewater College. According to her Facebook profile, she now lives in Iowa City and works as an EMT at North Memorial Health. She maintains an active but low-key Instagram presence (@okins_18) with fewer than 1,000 followers as of April 2025.

Yahya Black and Hailiy Okins have been dating since October 2020, marking over four years together when they got engaged in June 2025. Their relationship spanned Black’s entire college football career at Iowa – from his freshman season through his NFL Draft preparation. While Black dominated on the field, Okins built her career in emergency medicine, keeping their relationship largely out of the public eye until their engagement.

Now, as Black preps for Steelers training camp, their timeline hits its sweetest marker: that beachside ‘yes,’ and a love story that outlasted college careers. For a couple who favored quiet over clout, those social media posts weren’t just announcements—they were proof that some bonds only grow stronger when the world isn’t watching.