From HBCU cafeterias to the NFL, Chiefs player Bryan Cook’s wife shares her love story

Before they became husband and wife, parents and two-time Super Bowl champions, Bryan Cook and Jayla Thornton-Cook were student-athletes who spent their freshman yr at Howard University. In a recent interview with People MagazineJayla, who played on the HBCU women’s basketball team, recalls becoming friends with Bryan during summer classes.

“It’s funny – back then we argued every day. We were best friends, but we argued constantly. I thought, ‘This man always has something to say, whether it’s a witty comment or a joke,'” she said, explaining how they often bonded over food in the campus dining hall and at Chipotle. “That’s the best way for student-athletes to bond — eating together in the cafeteria.”

While the two became close, their athletic journeys separated them when Jayla moved to Syracuse to play basketball while Bryan continued his football profession at Howard. Four years later, Bryan transferred to the University of Cincinnati to join the football team and started training in Virginia. At the same time, Jayla returned to Washington to reap the benefits of her sixth yr of eligibility by playing for George Washington University after graduating from Syracuse. Finally being close to one another again, the two took the opportunity to rekindle their relationship.

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“As we grew older, I realized what I was really looking for in a partner. When I started feeling feelings for Bryan, it was funny to me. I thought, “Oh, it’s Bryan. How funny is that? But it all made sense as my feelings deepened,” she added. “But when we matured, everything changed. A big part of it was watching each other grow. We were both focused on our individual goals and it was inspiring to watch him chase his dreams while I worked to achieve mine.”

The duo has supported one another over the years. While Bryan was entering his rookie yr with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jayla was playing basketball and earning her degree at George Washington University. Although she watched his games from her dorm during her senior yr in the program, she remembers missing classes and practices to watch Bryan win his first Super Bowl.

“Watching him reach his highest level has been incredibly rewarding for me, especially since he’s not just my partner; he was always my best friend,” she said, recalling the “joy on his face” when the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I try to be there for him mentally and emotionally, which has been key, especially understanding the physical demands of the NFL,” she added. “The biggest challenge I remember from his rookie yr was coping with the emotional, mental and spiritual points of adjusting so quickly. It’s your dream, but when it happens so quickly, nobody gives you a playbook on how to take care of it, especially in the NFL.

Today, Jayla and Bryan are married and have a daughter, Jaycee, whom they welcomed in August. Whether it’s home or away games, Jayla continues to support her husband throughout the football season, explaining that she wants to see him “accomplish everything he has set out for himself” in and outdoors of football.

While balancing life with a newborn and a rigorous soccer schedule has proven to be a necessity, the family’s mantra is “grace,” which Jayla says has helped them each navigate these changes.

“It has been a difficult but rewarding journey, and focusing on grace has made a significant difference for us,” she said. “It’s definitely a new chapter for us, but my main goal is to see us start to come to grips with it and be able to appreciate where we are in life.”