Three months after Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the NFL after 18 seasons, his team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, selected Kenny Pickett, a quarterback from the University of Pittsburgh, as a potential replacement. As the Steelers selected Kenny, 24, in the 2022 NFL Draft, the loudest voice celebrating his success was Amy Paternoster, his fiancée. She cheered and congratulated her future husband on making it to the NFL, especially since he’ll get to play not that far from his native New Jersey.
While Kenny is not likely to start for the team – as of August 2022, Mitch Trubisky is the starting quarterback, with Kenny and Mason Rudolph set for backup – chances are that football fans will see him and Amy throughout the upcoming NFL season. So, here’s what you need to know about her.
She’s An Athlete
Like Kenny – who was born in Oakhurst – Amy is a New Jersey native, per the New York Post. She is also involved in sports. She played soccer while attending Princeton University. “aaannddd that’s a wrap,” she wrote in December 2021, at the conclusion of her final season. “I owe this sport everything! Eternally grateful for all of the memories I’ve made along the way – for God, my parents, teammates, coaches, trainers, and everyone who helped me find so much joy in doing what I love. Would not be who I am today if it weren’t for this game. See you again in some adult pickup league #retired”
She’s Also An Ivy League Graduate
Amy graduated from Princeton in May 2022. “Thank you, @princeton, for everyone and everything,” she posted on Instagram. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you, or the best four years spent here!!”
Amy Is Open With Her Faith
Included in Amy’s Instagram bio is “Jerimiah 29:11,” which links to a scripture in the Christian Bible. “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,'” the passage reads, per Bible Gateway.
Amy & Kenny Got Engaged In January 2022
Kenny and Amy went Instagram Official with their relationship in April 2021, though it’s unclear when they first began dating. She revealed in January 2022 that he asked her to marry him. “When I think of my life, I think of you – because I will never be able to go a day without you,” she captioned the Instagram Gallery of his proposal. “I cannot put into words the love I have for you, but I promise to show you every day for the rest of my life.”
“I am so blessed to have found such a perfect man and to have the privilege of knowing, loving, and sharing a life with you,” she added. “You are my everything: my other half, my best friend, my soulmate. I promise to always be by your side – to always laugh with you, support you, and love you more each and every day. I can’t wait to experience all of God’s blessings with you and to call you my husband! I love you more, forever and always.”
“Got tired of calling you my girlfriend… here’s to a lifetime with the person I cherish more than anything in the world,” Kenny wrote on Instagram. “You make me a better person, and I could not imagine life without you. I love you more forever and always!!”
She’s Supportive
The world of professional football is a strange and confusing one. Kenny’s hands became a controversial subject ahead of the NFL Draft. During the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, his hand size increased by 1/8 an inch to 8 5/8 inches, up from the previous measurement of 8.5 inches. “The stretches work,” Pickett said, per the New York Post. “It’s the reason why I’ve been doing them. If it helped getting an eighth of an inch, I’ll take it.”
Even with the increase, Kenny’s hands would be the smallest of any starter or backup quarterback. Though Kenny was a Heisman Trophy finalist, this measurement was something that raised eyebrows. Amy, on the other hand, made fun of the whole thing. In March, she posted an Instagram photo of her holding up a phone to her fiancé. “Look at this funny tweet about your hands,” she captioned the shot.