Who Is Bryan Cook’s Wife? Meet Jayla Thornton-Cook, the Basketball Player Who the Chiefs DB Married

Bryan Cook, Kansas City Chiefs safety, might add another Super Bowl win to his list this year. Yet, an exciting off-field accolade in 2024 is his prized achievement. Yes, that is none other than his forever soulmate, Jayla Thornton-Cook, a basketball player. The athlete couple thrilled their fans with the announcement of their marriage last year. On June 25th, Jayla Thornton-Cook revealed the wedding news on her Instagram account @jaylatcook_. Sharing a candid wedding snap in an elegant floral bridal dress with her now NFL husband Bryan Cook, she captioned the post, “Mr. And Mrs. Cook.”

Soon after, their marriage post surfaced on the internet, their comment section was filled with congratulatory messages. Like many fans, MLFootball also dropped heartfelt wishes for the newlywed couple. “CONGRATULATIONS: #Chiefs standout DB Bryan Cook and his now wife, Jayla Thornton-Cook, have announced their marriage 👏👏👏”. They wrote on their X account. As the NFL safety has found his lifetime athlete partner, his fans are equally invested in knowing more about Jayla Thornton-Cook, who is a prominent collegiate player on the women’s basketball team.

Who is Jayla Thornton-Cook?

Jayla Thornton-Cook is Bryan Cook’s wife. She is also known as JT. She isn’t just Bryan Cook’s wife—she’s a certified hooper. Straight outta Newark, New Jersey, she went amazing on the court at Howard University from 2017 to 2021, racking up 1,222 career points and draining 275 three-pointers. She was that girl, winning MEAC Player of the Year in 2021 and landing a spot on the Black College Sports Network’s All-American First Team.

After her time at Howard, she took her talents to Syracuse for the 2021-2022 season, where she dropped a season-high 12 points in the opener against Monmouth. Then in 2023, she hit up George Washington University as a grad student, playing 20 games and starting two. Her biggest flex? A 23-point performance against Ohio University, securing her first career double-double.

What does Jayla Thornton-Cook do for a living?

There’s no official information on Jayla’s profession. But she’s been deep in the sports world post-basketball. She was a fellow at the Make-A-Play Foundation, helping young athletes level up their skills, and even worked as an Events and Club Business Development Extern at the NFL.

When did Bryan Cook and Jayla Thornton-Cook meet?

Bryan and Jayla met in 2017 as freshmen at Howard University. They vibed over summer classes and cafeteria hangs, but even after transferring to different schools, they stayed in touch. Eventually, they reconnected in Washington, D.C., and the rest is history.

When did Bryan and Jayla get married?

Bryan and Jayla were married on June 24, 2023. Jayla was front and center at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII ring ceremony on June 13, 2023, where she also popped out with a major announcement—she was expecting! Fast forward to August 21, 2024, when their baby Jaycee was born.

Jayla stays locked in as Bryan’s biggest supporter, pulling up to games, posting their best moments on IG, and celebrating every milestone. After the Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl win, she flexed on the timeline with, “2x Super Bowl Champs, this time w/ a plus 1,” proudly showing off her baby bump. And in August 2024, they hit another milestone—three years strong and still thriving. Safe to say, their love story is one for the books.

They have shown their supportive side on and off the ground. And now they are hitched for a lifetime, as promised in their forever vows.