Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz made his first-ever Super Bowl appearance when the squad took on the New England Patriots last year. The Eagles ended up beating the Patriots 41-33.
Ertz boasts one of the most athletic-minded families in any sport. As the oldest of four brothers, he grew up on the gridiron and has worked with his parents to fine-tune his game and, don’t forget, his wife, Julie, a World Cup champion and former Olympian.
Ertz has had the support of his family throughout his career.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Zach & Julie Johnston Got Married in 2017
The couple, who first met at a Stanford baseball game while they were still in college, made things official with an outdoor ceremony on March 26, 2017, at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California.
Of course, with so much athletic talent in one relationship, there were plenty of sporty details to the wedding. The flower girl and ring bearer both sported the couple’s jerseys on their walk down the aisle, cappuccinos embossed with footballs and soccer balls were served after the reception and even the cake topper was shaped like a football and soccer ball.
“We wanted pops of just us, not just a typical wedding,” Julie told People Magazine. “It was definitely a dream come true. It was beautiful, perfect… I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a moment. It just felt so right.”
The pair were surrounded by family and friends on their big day – including members of the US Women’s National Team and the Eagles. In fact, one of Zach’s groomsmen was Philly teammate Trey Burton. Eagles standouts Jordan Hicks, Jordan Matthews, Lane Johnson, and Nick Foles were also in attendance.
2. Julie Is a Standout on the US Women’s National Team
Johnston or Ertz, 2017 belonged to Julie. @julieertz is your #USWNT Player of the Year » t.co/TBYDamp0Ah
Julie Ertz began playing soccer at age 13 and joined the US National team in January 2013. She made her first appearance on February 9 of that year, but her breakout moment came when she was named to the roster for the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
Julie competed with USWNT in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was one of just five American players who competed every minute in all seven games, earning a spot on the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team. Julie was also named to the United States’ squad at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In December 2017, Julie was named US Soccer’s 2017 female player of the year with 51.6% of the votes. She’s established herself as one of the best defensive middies in the game, regularly showcasing her skill with both the national team and her club squad, the Chicago Red Stars. Julie racked up four goals and three assists for them in 22 games for the Red Stars, while chipping in six goals in 12 games for the USWNT.
3. His Mother, Lisa, Is Outspoken About Football Safety
The Ertz family has spent decades on the gridiron and, with four boys, dealt with its fair share of football-related injuries. Those experiences have sparked Lisa Ertz to spearhead the campaign for player safety on the field, teaming up with VICIS, the company behind the Zero1 helmet.
What does a Zero1 helmet do exactly? It’s designed to help reduce the force of impacts and, by extension, decrease the chance of concussions. Lisa currently serves as president of the VICIS Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to help young athletes of all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to safe, reliable equipment.
“After years of very scary and negative press about CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), concussions and degenerative brain disease, it’s so incredible to see that there is a focus on improving technology and creating an option that is truly a game changer. My passion for helmet safety began when [my son] Shane’s football career ended on the field after a traumatic concussion in 2011, his senior year at Monte Vista. Of course all the recent headlines about CTE and football and having Zachary in his fifth year in the NFL and Jackson still playing high school football, it’s become a relentless pursuit,” she told the East Bay Times.
Lisa’s role with the VICIS Foundation is one she takes incredibly seriously and one that keeps her incredibly busy. According to the company’s website, she works “with corporations, athlete foundations, and other organizations interested in making financial contributions.” She also works to provide grants for under-funded programs across the country, making sure that any kid who wants to play football will be able to do it safely.
The VICIS helmet design has sparked change across the sport. It finished first among 33 helmets in a safety test conducted by the NFL in 2017 and players like Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, and Jadeveon Clowney now wear the helmet.
4. Ertz’s Father Played College Football at Lehigh University
Zach’s father, Doug, was also a standout on the gridiron, playing college football at Lehigh University from 1981-84 before moving to California for work, shortly after graduation. Although his football career didn’t take off – he’s now the vice president of worldwide sales at Wind River, a software and company – Doug has been one of his son’s biggest supporters.
“First of all, there’s a sense of relief. I know Zach was going through a stressful time. I think, in Zach’s mindset, he believes he was best tight end in the draft. I believe time will tell. He thought he would be the first tight end to go, but he didn’t. And I think when the ‘Niners had the chance to pick him but they traded up, that created some gyrations for him. There were a lot of things going on that first day, and I know he was really frustrated,” Doug told The Morning Call, just after Zach was drafted in 2013.
Zach’s first athletic love was basketball, but it didn’t take long for him to find a place on the football field and he frequently credits his parents for sparking that interest.
5. His Youngest Brother Plays Baseball at San Jose State
Ertz’s youngest brother, Jackson, graduated from Monte Vista High School in 2018 and committed to San Jose State.
Blessed to become a a spartan!!! #spartanup @SJSUBaseball
Jackson notched a 2.78 ERA in his junior season last year, posting a 4-1 record on the mound. He gave up just 19 hits in 22.2 innings pitched and has also performed well on the travel circuit, taking home Perfect Game All-American honorable mentions in 2016 and 2017.
And while Jackson is dedicated to the game of baseball and seems to be stoked to play for the Spartans, he is still extremely supportive of his big brother. Jackson’s Twitter account is filled with retweets about the Eagles.
A LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Zach’s brother Shane reveals that he graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder and currently works as an Account Executive at Verkada, located in San Francisco, California.
The other Ertz brother, Nick, graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.