This summer, while the Southeast Missouri State football team was training for the 2017 season, senior wide receiver Tyler McLemore was getting ready for his future.

When McLemore entered his true freshman year at Southeast as a member of the football team, he met his athletic trainer, Holly Reynolds, and he knew he had found the girl of his dreams.

“I knew from that moment that I was probably going to marry this girl,” McLemore said. “So what better way to do it than my last year playing football in the spot where it all happened.”

Leading up to the big day, McLemore talked to his mother and head coach of the Redhawks Tom Matukewicz. “I got some advice from coach Tuke and I’m thankful for that man,” McLemore said. “If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be able to have that special moment like that.”

McLemore decided to take a different approach when he was going to pop the question to Reynolds. He knew she loves surprises, so he wanted to come up with a special, shocking moment for her.

“I didn’t want her to know anything about it,” McLemore said.

After practice, the team formed a circle in the middle of the football field in Houck Stadium to get ready for a tire fight. He knew Reynolds was excited to do that but also knew she was going to love the surprise that was about to come her way.

Right before the tire fight began, coach Tuke told everyone to bring their attention to the video board, and that was where McLemore appeared and asked Reynolds to marry him. McLemore decided to propose to her in front of his teammates instead of their families because football has always been a part of their relationship, and he considers his teammates his second family.

“These are my brothers, they are my family away from home,” McLemore said.

He made sure to have someone record the proposal so he could share the moment with their families.

McLemore added that the moment leading up to proposing to Reynolds wasn’t nerve racking.

“Leading up to it wasn’t that bad,” McLemore said. “It was getting enough courage to ask her dad for the hand in marriage.” Once he got permission from her father to propose, it was smooth sailing from there on out.

To see the full video of the proposal, click here.