Who Is Evan McPherson's Fiancee, Gracie Groat?

The Cincinnati Bengals and their kicker, Evan McPherson, both shocked football fans in the 2021-2022 season. Before the start of the season, few would have imagined the Bengals would make it all the way to Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals left fans in disbelief when they drafted McPherson in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, per SB Nation. At the time, the choice had prognosticators scratching their heads, but it wound up paying massive dividends for the team.

McPherson came up extremely clutch during the Bengals improbable playoff run. The kicker went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals in every playoff game leading to the Super Bowl and racked up 14, 13, and 13 points respectively, per SB Nation. That included a game-winning field goal as time expired to qualify for the AFC Championship game and an overtime game-winner in the AFC Championship.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor had high praise for the unflappable rookie. "He's got ice in his veins," Taylor said after McPherson's game-winning field goal secured a spot in the AFC Championship, per NFL.com. Quarterback Joe Burrow shared the same sentiment about McPherson. "That guy's unbelievable," he added. According to Burrow, McPherson showed supreme confidence before kicking that field goal. "[He] gave a warm up swing and said, 'Looks like we're going to the AFC Championship,'" Burrow recalled at a press conference. Besides his clutch play, another constant for McPherson has been his fiancee, Gracie Groat.

Long before he was kicking game-winning field goals in the NFL playoffs, Evan McPherson was dating Gracie Groat, his high school sweetheart. The two started dating in 2014. McPherson uploaded five adorable photos of the couple to Instagram as a special birthday post for his sweetheart in 2019. "I am so glad that I have gotten to spend your last 5 birthdays with you and I hope each year is more special!!" he wrote in the caption.

After many years together, McPherson proposed to Groat on July 14, 2021. The Cincinnati Bengals kicker uploaded a photo from the proposal to his Instagram page the next day. "You are my soul mate and I couldn't have pictured a better night than last night! You make everyday special and I can't wait for you to be my WIFE!" he wrote in the touching caption. Groat followed suit and announced the engagement on her own Instagram page with a similar photo capturing the special moment, gushing over McPherson in the caption. "Evan is the person I've constantly prayed for. He's humble, calm, constantly pursuing, full of joy and shows me the Lord's love every day," she wrote. Apparently, the two believed they were destined to get married for quite some time before they were officially engaged. "I've known he was the one from the start," Groat added.

Groat also has impressive ambitions that extend beyond being McPherson's fiancee.

After high school, Gracie Groat enrolled at Auburn University in 2019. She majored in biomedical sciences with a focus on pre-dental, per LinkedIn. While at Auburn, Groat worked on expanding her resumé beyond her academics when she ran a campaign to become Miss Auburn 2022.

As part of Groat's platform, she stressed the importance of mental wellness. "I believe that all of us have either encountered it, overcome it, or possibly are going through a season right now where you need to overcome mental health," she said in her candidate video, per Eagle Eye TV. Groat wanted to emphasize the positive influence physical activity played in mental wellness. If elected Miss Auburn, Groat wanted to organize a 5K run with a twist. "You would have a blank bib number and be able to write in who you're walking for that day," she said. Ultimately, Groat wound up coming second place in votes for Miss Auburn, per The Auburn Plainsman.

While taking classes at Auburn, Groat still found time to support her fiance, Evan McPherson, whenever possible. On December 12 she uploaded a photo to Instagram of herself and McPherson while he was on the field and she was in front row of the stands. Later that month, on December 26, Groat posted a video to her page of the kicker kissing her hand from the field and then winking at her as he ran back to the game. It looks like these lovebirds have a long future ahead of them.