Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gillotte has made the most of the NFL offseason by marrying his pro volleyball player girlfriend Cara Cresse in a surprise ceremony.
The 23-year-old Gillotte tied the knot with Cresse, also 23, on May 25 in an intimate ceremony surrounded by their families. The couple plan to have a bigger celebration next summer.
‘Surprise! We got married!’ they wrote in a joint social media post. ‘We had our dear families alongside us for the sweetest ceremony and celebration. Our new favorite day!
‘Can’t wait to celebrate with even more of our loved ones next May!’
Gillotte and Cresse met at the University of Louisville and only announced their engagement back in February.
Gillotte, of course, isn’t the only Chiefs player set to get married this summer. Teammate Travis Kelce is set to wed his pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift in the coming weeks, with the power couple desperately trying to keep details as secretive as possible.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gillotte has married girlfriend Cara Cresse
Sports stars Gillotte and Creese, who are both 23, met at the University of Louisville
The happy couple have said they are planning a party with all of their friends next May
The Chiefs team return for another voluntary three-day practice on Monday – Kelce was not at the previous OTA which ran from May 26-28.
The only other wedding date clues from Kelce’s NFL commitments are a mandatory Chiefs minicamp from June 9-11 followed by training camp in late July.
Gillotte, meanwhile, was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round last summer after playing college for the Louisville Cardinals.
He made 17 appearances in his first season in Kansas City – a difficult campaign as the Chiefs missed out on the playoffs.
The team has reloaded dramatically since then. The free agency signing of Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, after his Seattle Seahawks contract expired, was an eye-catching move.
They also snapped up former Baltimore Ravens safety Alohi Gilman and another defensive tackle in Khyiris Tongo, formerly at the New England Patriots.
The Chiefs begin the season with a Monday Night Football showdown against AFC West rivals Denver Broncos – who were a win away from the Super Bowl last season.
There are concerns over whether Patrick Mahomes will be ready for that Week 1 game after tearing his ACL last December but he took part in bits of the recent OTA.
If he is not ready, former New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields will take his place.
