It all goes down the DMs! Sydney Warner (née Hightower) immediately caught Fred Warner’s eye after her early elimination from The Bachelor.
“He actually sent me an emoji [because] he didn’t think I was gonna respond and that’s why he got really casual, but it was sweet,” Sydney — who briefly competed on Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor — exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2022 of meeting the professional football player.
After less than one year of dating, the San Francisco 49ers athlete popped the question in May 2021.
“Wishing us godspeed, glory. There will be mountains you won’t move,” Sydney wrote via Instagram at the time, sharing footage from her man’s proposal. “Still I’ll always be there for you .”
The twosome wed one year later in June 2022 — with several of her Bachelor Nation pals in attendance.
“I’ll never be able to express into words the magic of June 25th. The love and support that filled those walls was inescapable,” the bride wrote via Instagram one month later. “I am still in awe that I get to be this incredible man’s wife and love him for the rest of our days. We will cherish these photos & memories endlessly.”
Since tying the knot, Sydney has become the linebacker’s No. 1 cheerleader during his NFL games. However, grappling with the possibility of injuries was “definitely hard” for her to adjust to.
“It’s not easy as you think it would be, you know, everything’s going great for the majority of the game and it only takes one second for everything to change,” the Alabama native confessed to Us in January 2022. “So it definitely humbles you, and lets you know that this is definitely a blessing to be able to do, but it’s also very stressful for the significant other.”
She continued at the time: “It’s just taking the good with the bad. So thankfully, he is OK and healthy, and everything’s good to go. But yeah, when those little moments do happen of uncertainty and seeing him hurt, and you have no way of helping, it’s definitely not easy.”
As Fred’s team made it to the NFC playoffs ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl, Sydney was eager to support her man on game day.
“A night to remember. So proud of you #54 see you in Philly Faithful,” she gushed via Instagram that January, sharing a video of herself kissing her husband after his team defeated the Dallas Cowboys.
Fred replied at the time: “All for you mama.”
Scroll below to see Fred and Sydney’s complete relationship timeline: