BRANDON Staley's rapid rise to the NFL has been nothing short of remarkable.
In five years, Staley, 40, went from serving as the defensive coordinator for D-III John Carroll to head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
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And by his side throughout has been his wife, Amy Ward Staley.
A Sycamore, Illinois native, Amy played volleyball at Northern Illinois University before suffering a career-ending foot injury.
An education major, she went on to work at the student recreation center where she happened to meet her future husband in 2007.
After initially attending the University of Dayton, Staley, a college quarterback, eventually graduated from Mercyhurst College in 2006 before heading to NIU where he was working as a graduate assistant for their football program.
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Amy told the NIU Alumni Association that they two had actually first crossed paths before while she worked as a server at a restaurant.
Eventually, they ended up getting to know one another at a bar, which Brandon explained: "kind of sealed the deal."
"It’s one of those things I know neither of us was expecting or looking for at the time, but I tell people, when I got past my cancer treatments (Staley previously suffered from Hodgkins Lymphoma), I really felt like I was on a mission to get back to my best self.
"I made a lot of changes to make that happen—physically, mentally and emotionally. I wanted to make sure I was back. I really feel like I was me, all the way, and that’s when this wonderful thing happened."
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Staley's journey to the NFL picked up the pace in the years to follow, with subsequent stops at Hutchinson Community College, Tennessee, John Carroll, and James Madison before he was hired by the Chicago Bears in 2017.
All the while Amy, who was working as an elementary school teacher, was by his side.
She told the NIU Alumni Association: "In seven years, I worked in six districts.
"It’s one of the hallmarks of college coaches. They usually marry teachers and nurses because they can get a job anywhere."
And Staley credits his wife for "the strength of my marriage."
He said: "I was so happy to meet Amy. She supported the vision I had in my career, and I credit the strength of my marriage, of our relationship before all this NFL stuff happened.
"It’s been a long journey to get here. We don’t forget it."
Staley has now been the head coach of the Chargers for two seasons, leading them to a 19-15 record over that period.
Meanwhile, Amy looks after their three children: Colin, Will, and Grant.
And in the summer of 2022, the couple headed across the pond for their anniversary.
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While in the U.K., they made the most of their opportunity and soaked in the full Wimbledon experience, dressed to the nines.
This represented something of a dream come true for Staley, whose mom, Linda, had been an avid tennis fan and player.
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According to the Los Angeles Times, it had been a dream of hers to attend the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.
Staley admitted: "If my mom were here now, she wouldn’t believe this."
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