Tim Green’s Wife, Illyssa Green: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Tim Green‘s wife, Illyssa Green, was described as “a force just as bullish” as the former NFL defensive end, best-selling author and lawyer.

Green is fighting Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.. His story was aired on 60 Minutes, which received two Emmy nominations this year.

They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in May. They have five children: Thane, Tessa, Troy, Tate and Ty. The family has lived in Skaneateles, New York since 1993.

Illyssa Wolkoff met her future husband, Tim Green, at Syracuse University. He was soon drafted to the Atlanta Falcons.

The couple has been together through the highs and lows of life. When the two first met, Tim Green was struggling with the prospect of finding his birth mother. He was raised by loving parents, but struggled with feelings of inadequacy and strongly desired to understand his background. She encouraged him to find his birth mother, saying the quest would have a happy ending.

Green was eventually diagnosed with ALS, and his wife is fighting the battle alongside him.

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Tim Green & Illyssa Wolkoff Met Through Mutual Friends in College

Tim Green met his future wife, Illyssa Wolkoff through mutual friends in college. The couple was together long before he was drafted to the NFL and long before he was diagnosed with ALS.

The two went to Syacruse University, where he played for Syracuse Orange Football. He was an All-American football player and graduated in 2006.

Mutual friends introduced Wolkoff and Green. The couple married in 1989. She shared a photo on her Facebook page in 2017 of she and Green as a young couple.

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2. Illyssa Green Encouraged Her Husband to Seek Out His Birth Mother

Tim Green was adopted, and while he was raised by loving parents, he yearned to know his birth parents. He told People in 1998 that he would cling tightly to his girlfriends, seeking out love he never received from his birth mother.

“My whole quest for praise and achievement was an attempt to make myself desirable to a woman who gave me away,” he said.

He started his search for his birth mother in 1985 when a previous relationship ended. His former girlfriend’s mother told him she put a baby up for adoption, spurring his search. It was around this time that Green met Illyssa Wolkoff. He was haunted by his search, which would often turn up false and sometimes painful leads. Wolkoff stood by his side. He eventually found his birth mother and birth father, and they connected in meaningful ways. He wrote about his search and the conclusion of the story in his book, A Man and His Mother: An Adopted Son’s Search.

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3. Tim Green & Illyssa Wilkoff Married in 1989 & Had 5 Children

Tim Green and Illyssa Wilkoff married in 1989. They live in upstate New York in Skaneateles, about 20 miles from Syracuse. The couple had five children, Thane, Tessa, Troy, Tate and Ty.

Thane Green played college football for the University of Rochester Yellowjackets as a defensive end. Troy Green also followed in his father’s footstepsm playing football for Syracuse University. Tate Green is attending Harvard University, and plays for the women’s lacrosse team.

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4. Illyssa Green Helps Raise Funds for ALS Research

Illyssa Green helps to raise funds for ALS research through Tackle ALS, a group with a tagline that sums up Tim Green’s mindset: “Don’t be sorry. Let’s beat this.”

The organization raises funds through “teams.” Tim Green’s team had raised $737,443 through 910 donors as of August 25, 2019.

“The time to cure ALS is NOW! There are dozens of advanced drugs waiting to go to trial,” his team’s page says. “MGH has the framework to open the pipeline of new drugs and needs just $10M to begin. With friends like you we can make a huge difference to those with the disease and for those diagnosed in the future. Don’t be sorry, let’s beat this!”

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5. Illyssa Green Was Described As ‘A Force As Bullish’ As Tim Green

Syracuse University called Illyssa Green “a force as bullish” as her husband, Tim, in a feature article about their famous alumnus.

Green often struggled with feelings of inadequacy in his early adulthood, and Illyssa was the person who encouraged him, stood beside him and pushed him. They met when he was a college football player, and they were together when he was drafted to play for the Atlanta Falcons. After he was diagnosed with ALS, she fought with him to raise funds for research.

Tim Green first asked Illyssa for her phone number just a few days before college graduation. Soon he was a first-draft NFL pick. He went on to study law at Syracuse University and became an author.

The couple had five children. They have lived in upstate New York since 1993.

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