INDIANAPOLIS — She was Jonathan Taylor‘s high school sweetheart in New Jersey. While he played football, Ayanna Chapman played field hockey, basketball and ran track.
The two athletes met at Salem High and fell in love. On Tuesday, Taylor posted to Instagram that he and Chapman are engaged. “Together, we can do anything,” he wrote with an emoji of a blue heart.
In announcing the engagement, the 23-year-old Indianapolis Colts running back posted photos of he and Chapman, including one at a romantic dinner.
He also revealed the moment he asked Chapman to marry him. In the photo, Taylor is down on one knee with two red hearts lit up in the background. Chapman, 23, has her hand over her mouth in surprise.
SPORTS NEWSLETTER: Sign up now for daily updates sent to your inbox
NFL WINNERS, LOSERS: Franchise QBs (Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson), franchise tags make news
After becoming a couple in high school, Chapman went on to play field hockey at Ball State. She redshirted her freshman season in 2017 and is not listed on the roster in the school’s following seasons.
Taylor went on to play football at Wisconsin and was the 41st overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Colts.
According to Ball State’s website, Chapman led her high school field hockey team to a 12-2 record her senior year, including going 10-0 in conference play. She also helped the team win a Tri-County Conference title.
The page goes on to describe Chapman as graduating high school with a 4.3 grade-point average, a member of the National Honor Society and finishing fourth in her graduating class. It listed her in 2017 as a political science major at the university.
The couple has a YouTube channel “Ayanna Ly and JT” where they post videos, including one of a “sweet vs. spicy” food challenge they did together.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts’ Jonathan Taylor gets engaged to Ayanna Chapman, HS sweetheart