Let your mind time travel 2 decades back. It’s 2006. A new coach has joined the Green Bay Packers. His name is Mike McCarthy. He is tough and determined to produce results on the field. At the same time, he meets lifelong Packers fan Jessica Kress, and the two immediately feel a connection, starting to date soon after. As their relationship grew, Mike’s performance on the field improved. In 2007, he led the Packers to the playoffs and finished second in The Associated Press Coach of the Year voting. It felt like a divine sign, and ultimately, the couple exchanged vows on March 15, 2008.

Jessica was born on February 9, 1972, in Wisconsin. She later attended the University of Wisconsin and became an elementary art teacher. Before meeting the NFL coach, she was married to William Kress, CEO of Green Bay Packaging, until their marriage ended in 2005. Mike, too, had gone through a divorce from his first wife, Christine, in 1995. In the end, both found solace in each other.

Mike and Jessica have five children—Alex, Jack, George, Gabrielle, and Isabella. Alex, Mike’s daughter from his first marriage, lives with her mother, while Jack and George are Jessica’s sons from her previous marriage. Together, Mike and Jessica have two daughters, Gabrielle and Isabella. Although Mike strives to be a responsible father, his wife particularly appreciates one of his habits. Praising him as a positive influence, she said, “He just loves being with everybody when he’s home and never talks (about work), even after a loss. He’s never negative.” Ever since moving to the Cowboys, the coach has found one pastime.

At home, Mike McCarthy is ‘Boat Mike‘, not ‘Football Mike.’ While his daughters adjust to Texas, he spends time at the lake away from the game, sometimes with his wife. She exclaimed, “That’s Mike’s happy place. The lake and the boat. Just being with everybody. He’s very much a family man. He’s funny, and he’s a teddy bear.” While declaring her love for Boat Mike, she admitted that his ‘Football Mike‘ avatar is needed to get things worked on the field.

Jessica not only keeps an eye on his work front but also gives her 100% to Mike’s commitment to serving humanity.

Mike McCarthy serves people through his foundation

When they dated before marriage, Mike and Jessica also shared a passion for social service. While Mike was the Packers’ head coach, they donated to causes such as the Green Bay Police Foundation, the Seven Loaves Project in Rwanda, and the Autism Society of Northeast Wisconsin (ASNEW). However, they took their commitment a step further by establishing their own charitable organization, the McCarthy Family Foundation.

Jessica’s exact words were, “There isn’t a day that goes by that Mike and I don’t acknowledge our blessings bestowed on our family and we are grateful to pay it back – and forward – to communities that have given so much to us.” Through their foundation, Mike and his wife also help other charities to grow and become big. They provide tuition relief and help athletes and ex-military personnel to transition to civilian life.

Jessica was by Mike’s side when he won the Super Bowl, and she continues to cheer him on as he aims to go all-in with the Cowboys again. Stay tuned as we bring you more heartwarming family stories from the NFL.

To bring out some unknown stories, we interviewed Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment. Watch it here.