Who is Zach Ertz's wife, Julie?

SOCCER star Julie Ertz and football player Zach Ertz first met at a baseball game in 2012.

Over a decade later, the World Cup winner and her husband, Super Bowl champion Zach Ertz, are still going strong.

Who is Zach Ertz's wife, Julie?

Julie Ertz was born in Misa, Arizona, on April 6, 1992.

Ertz is a former professional soccer player.

She played the midfield position for the National Women's Soccer League Club, the Chicago Red Stars, from 2014 to 2021.

Ertz was also a member of the US Women's National Team from 2013 to 2023, making 123 total appearances for the team.

In 2015, the USWNT won the World Cup after beating Japan.

Julie's husband, Zach, congratulated his wife on her victory on his social media account.

Posting a photo on Instagram, he wrote, "So proud of my baby @juliejohnston2! Such an amazing journey and now World Cup Champions! Great to be a part of it all!"

He added the hashtags #Champs and #USA.

Julie was awarded US Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019.

Ertz was also nominated for the same award in 2018 but lost to Alex Morgan.

That same year, she was nominated for an ESPY award for the best female athlete but lost to professional snowboarder, Chloe Kim.

After a brief year-and-a-half hiatus, Ertz returned to professional soccer as a free agent.

In 2023, she played for Angel City Football Club, which is based in Los Angeles, California.

She made her official return to the NWSL in April 2023.

However, just a few months later, Ertz announced her retirement from professional soccer on August 31, 2023.

What team does Zach Ertz play for in the NFL?

Zach Ertz is an American football tight end.

On January 22, 2024, the NFL announced that the Detroit Lions had signed Zach after he had been a free agent for around two months.

He is expected to start on the Lions' practice squad with the chance of being elevated for the NFC Championship game.

The football tight end played for the Philadelphia Eagles between 2013 and 2021.

He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in October 2021 and played with the team until 2023.

Before signing with the Lions, he requested his release from the Cardinals and was waived on November 30, 2023.

The three-time Pro Bowl player also helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win in 2018.

How did Zach and Julie meet?

Before starting his professional football career, Zach met his now-wife, Julie, in 2012.

The duo were both attending a baseball game at Stanford University, where Zach was a student.

They entered a long-distance relationship, with Zach playing football in Philadelphia and Julie playing soccer in Chicago.

In February 2016, the duo got engaged at Klein Field, the same stadium where they first met.

On March 26, 2017, the couple got married on the coast of Santa Barbara, California.

As reported by People, the couple's sporty backgrounds influenced their wedding decor, "The flower girl and ring bearer wore the pair's sports jerseys and the wedding cake was topped with footballs and soccer balls."

After their wedding, the newlyweds honeymooned in Hawaii.

In a November 2017 interview with Sports Illustrated, the couple reflected on their marriage.

Zach said, "Our relationship isn't really based on our success as athletes. We love each other for the company. The sports are just a season of our life that we're in."

Julie added, "I'm just so proud of Zach. Being an athlete myself, I see all the hard work I do in my sports, so it's really cool to see your spouse doing it too."

In a 2021 interview with People, Julie also opened up about being married to a fellow athlete.

"Being married to a professional athlete is a huge blessing because he understands the lifestyle completely."

"We both know what it takes to reach the top of our sports, so we are always on the same page with our daily routines, and we keep each other disciplined." 

Do Zach and Julie have any kids?

Back on April 4, 2022, People magazine reported that the pair were expecting their first child together.

The soccer player took to Instagram to reveal the family's news.

"Adding to our starting lineup… Baby Ertz! Psalms 30:11-12," the couple captioned their announcement.

Four months after announcing her pregnancy, Julie gave birth to the couple's son, Madden Matthew Ertz, on August 11, 2022.

On November 10, 2022, Julie gave a sweet shout-out to her husband – and Madden's father – on Instagram for his birthday.

She captioned the photo, "Happy Birthday to the sweetest man and best dada in the World! Madden and I love you so much. Have the best day ever you deserve it" alongside a heart eyes emoji.

Do the Ertz's have a foundation?

Julie and Zach started the Ertz Family Foundation which creates opportunities for children in sports and education.

Julie credits the role sports played in her life and how they helped her develop and grow into the person she is today.

The Ertz's success in sports has afforded them opportunities to create scholarships for kids in Haiti, develop SAT-prep and college-readiness programs for athletes, and teach youths about the value of exercise, nutrition, leadership, teamwork, and accountability.

Julie believes that without her sports education, college wouldn't have been an option for her.

She shared, "You never know how many opportunities come up through sports—they changed my life.”

Their most recent charitable endeavor, The House of Hope Project, aims to give back to the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The city is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement on their website, Julie and Zach wrote, "We discovered that the youth not only need athletic engagement and opportunities, but also need school and career support, Wi-Fi access, healthy food options, employment support, and financial literacy."

As a part of their mission, the Ertz's are aiming to renovate the Grace and Peace Community Fellowship building.

They have pledged $100,000 of the $900,000 needed to "support the required renovations, general operating costs, and future programming expenses."

Their donation will go directly to funding the Youth Leadership Development Center, which will be located inside the House of Hope.