Julie Ertz would be a better drinking buddy than Zach, and more from E:60’s ‘Meet the Ertzes’

When the preview dropped for last Sunday’s edition of E:60, “Meet the Ertzes”, I knew we were in for a cute love story about two World-class athletes. And they did not disappoint.

Zach Ertz, the tight end for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, and his wife Julie, a Women’s World Cup champion, reigning U.S. soccer player of the year, and midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars, make up one of the most successful and sweet couples around.

We learned a lot during their ESPN feature, including how they support each other on and off their respective fields, how they train alongside each other, and how they try to find time in their crazy-hectic schedules to be together.

But more importantly, we learned which of the two would be more fun to go out drinking with. It seems pretty obvious that Julie has a much more outgoing personality than Zach, but it’s still funny to hear his family picking between the two.

And while Julie might make the better drinking buddy, there’s no question the two get competitive with each other over the smallest things. And even the moderately big things, like board games.

In an interview with ESPN, the couple admits to keeping tracks of wins, with Julie getting a recent boost from gin.

Zach: We have a book that keeps a tally of wins. There are two sides of the book; one’s labeled “Z” and one’s “J,” and it’s just a running tally of victories, because Julie is a known cheater. [laughs] She exaggerates how many victories she has. So we had to create this book in order to hold each other accountable. I still have to look over her shoulder to make sure she’s not giving herself two victories instead of one, or that she’s actually giving me a mark in the victory column.

Julie: Unfortunately, Zach is winning right now. I won’t lie, he’s up. He used to be up by a pretty big margin, but I’ve been killing it in gin.

(“I’ve been killing it in gin” is my new life motto, FWIW.)

It isn’t always easy being apart for long stretches of time, but the college sweethearts have built their relationship on a strong foundation and support each others individual goals.

Sure, Julie doesn’t love hearing the crashing pads when Zach takes a big hit, but she understands that football is his passion and will do whatever she can to help him achieve his dreams. And that isn’t one-sided, with Zach being there for Julie in some of her more vulnerable or uncertain moments.

The pair was married in March 2017 and it’s been a whirlwind for them ever since, and with Zach already reporting for Eagles camp, and Julie back on the soccer field in Chicago, their lives show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. (Which is a good thing for us sport lovers.)