From France, with love. Zach Ertz boarded a flight for Paris last Friday and he’ll be in the stands Sunday afternoon to watch his wife, Julie, take on Chile in Group Play during the Women’s World Cut. Ertz confirmed that his return flight back to Philadelphia isn’t scheduled until “after the final” game.
This should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention to Ertz’s life. The Eagles tight end has long been a proud supporter of his superstar spouse’s athletic exploits. Julie Ertz is a talented midfielder for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, a woman who is apparently really impressed by guys that feed her sunflower seeds.
Game day @julieertz!!! Let’s goooo!!! 😤😤😤
The USWNT cruised to a 13-0 win in Tuesday’s opener over Thailand. It was their largest margin of victory in the tournament since a 7-0 triumph in 1991. Despite being at Eagles minicamp, Ertz admitted to keeping tabs on the game in between snaps. Still, it wasn’t the same as being in the stands and watching it live.
“It’s very similar to how she would feel watching me play,” Zach told the Associated Press. “It’s special. It’s definitely unique in a sense as an athlete, you always feel you have control of the game or of the situation. When I sit in the stands, I’m just a casual person with a vested interest in seeing a team succeed, seeing Julie succeed. It’s a lot different [than playing] because you have no control when you sit in the stands.”
Ertz also told The Associated Press that watching his wife has been one of the proudest moments of his life. He can’t credit her enough for all the work she’s put in, all the blood, sweat and tears have finally paid off.
“It’s awesome being married to Julie, being able to support the people we love doing what they love to do,” Ertz told The Associated Press. ”I’ve seen all the work she does each and every day and I’ve seen all the adversity she’s faced over the past seven years we’ve been together. I’ve seen the injuries. I’ve seen her cry. I’ve seen the blood. I’ve seen the tears. Because she loves the game so much, I’m so invested in seeing her succeed. That hard work is paying off.'”
On the field, Ertz has been a beast for the Eagles over his six seasons in the league. On Tuesday, he was seen working in the slot on certain formations at practice, a place where he led all tight ends in the NFL in receptions last year with 56.
Zach Ertz led all TEs with 56 receptions from the slot last season!
Ertz is one of the hardest working players in football and that work ethic is obviously reflected in his play and his famous wife’s accomplishments. However, the tight end admitted that being a fan is a bit nerve-wracking since he has no control over the outcome.
“As an athlete, I feel like I have a little bit of control — or a lot of control — of the situation,” Ertz told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “When you’re the in the stands, you have no control of the situation. You’re just praying (a) she’s healthy, (b) she’s having fun and successful. It’s definitely more nerve-racking watching than playing.”
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Eagles’ Zach Ertz in Paris for World Cup, Says Return Flight is ‘After the Final’