Christian and Samantha Ponder – Together Since 2012

When Christian Ponder, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, reached out to Samantha Steele, a respected ESPN reporter, on Twitter in 2012, little did they know they were starting their journey toward marriage. Just two months after connecting, they exchanged vows in a spontaneous courthouse wedding in Wisconsin, proving that love doesn’t need extravagance to flourish.

Celebrating their union with a simple meal at Arby’s, they set the tone for a grounded and genuine life together. Now, several years and two children later, they’ve navigated the challenges of career changes—with Christian retiring from the NFL in 2016 and Samantha becoming a staple on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.”