Cris Collinsworth, an American former football player and broadcaster, married Holly Bankemper in 1989 after supposedly dating in college in the 1980s. Cris and Holly went to separate institutions in the 1970s to pursue their undergraduate degrees. Their mutual passion for American football, on the other hand, drew them together and finally bonded them together for life.
Cris was born in Dayton, Ohio, to Abraham and Donetta. He learned football from his father at an early age. His father, Abe, was a prodigious scorer in Kentucky High School and later played NCAA football for the Kentucky Wildcats. However, after graduation, Abe gave up his athletic career and started working as an instructor. Despite this, he never stopped coaching high school youngsters, and his son, Cris, inherited his abilities. Collinsworth went on to play football for the Florida Gators while still studying law. He went on to play in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals for eight seasons until retiring in 1988.
Holly Bankemper, Cris Collinsworth’s Wife
Cris Collinsworth and his wife, Holly, met late in life, yet they consider themselves fortunate to have each other. They married in 1989, have incredible chemistry, and have been together for more than three decades. The families of Holly and Cris were from Kentucky, USA. Cris, on the other hand, had never met Holly until meeting at the University of Cincinnati in the late 1980s for their post-graduate law degree.
Cris had already declared his retirement from professional football after playing for the Bengals in the NFL at the time. As a result, he was a well-known character at college. Their affair began when mutual friends organized a date for them at Cris’ nightclub in Cincinnati. Holly completed her studies in 1988 and started working as a lawyer in Cincinnati, while Cris continued his education at the University. Cris ultimately proposed to Holly in 1988 while attending the MLB All-Star Game. They married a year later, on June 3rd.
Cris and Holly Have Four Children
Cris Collinsworth and Holly Collinsworth have four children from their marriage. The couple lived in Cincinnati for a few years before moving to Holly’s hometown of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, when Cris graduated. In 1990, Holly gave birth to their first child, Katie Collinsworth. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2012.
Following graduation, she joined NBC Sports and worked for GolfNow, an NBC Sports subsidiary. Katie is currently married with two children. Similarly, on December 24, 1991, they had their second child, Austin. He attended Highlands High School before going on to play NCAA football at the University of Notre Dame. Ashley, Cris and Holly’s second child, was born in 1993 and attended Harvard University. She was a member of the University’s track and field team while obtaining her degree in Psychology.
Their youngest son, Jac Collinsworth, is the most well-known of their children. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 and has worked for NBC Sports since he was a student. Jac has been an announcer for the USFL, Notre Dame Football, and other sports for NBC Sports since 2020, in addition to co-hosting Football Night in America for the network.
