Marcus Mariota has spent much of his life in the spotlight because of football, but away from the field, one person has remained one of his strongest supporters: his wife, Kiyomi Cook.
The couple’s relationship began during their college years at the University of Oregon, where Mariota was making a name for himself as a football player while Cook was competing as a soccer player. What started as a college romance eventually became a long-term relationship, marriage and a growing family.
Cook has largely stayed away from the attention that comes with being married to an NFL quarterback. She has maintained a relatively private life, appearing publicly with Mariota from time to time but generally keeping the focus away from herself.
Still, her support for Mariota has been clear. During the Netflix series Quarterback, Cook spoke about her confidence in her husband and the way she approaches his football career. Rather than constantly worrying about the pressure surrounding him, she said she believes there is always a chance when Mariota has the ball in his hands.
From their early days in Oregon to their Hawaii wedding and life as parents, here is a closer look at Marcus Mariota and Kiyomi Cook’s relationship.
Who Is Kiyomi Cook?
Kiyomi Cook was born in 1993 to Karl and Carol Cook and grew up in Gresham, Oregon. She was raised alongside her sister, Kerri, and developed a passion for soccer from a young age.
Cook attended Sam Barlow High School, where she played soccer and established herself as a talented young athlete. During her high school years, she earned all-state and all-conference recognition in 2008.
Her athletic background would eventually lead her to the University of Oregon, where she continued playing soccer at the collegiate level.
Unlike some NFL wives who became known through their husband’s career, Cook had her own sporting background before she and Mariota became a public couple. Soccer was an important part of her life, and she continued to pursue the game during her college years.
That shared experience as college athletes was one of the things that connected Cook and Mariota when they first met.
Kiyomi Cook Played Soccer at Oregon
Cook attended the University of Oregon, where she studied human physiology and psychology. At the same time, she played for the Oregon Ducks women’s soccer team.
Her primary position was midfielder, a role that requires energy, awareness and the ability to contribute across different areas of the field. Playing college sports also meant balancing demanding training schedules with academic work.
Mariota was at Oregon during the same period and was becoming one of the most recognizable players in college football.
The two athletes met in 2014 while they were both attending the university. At the time, Mariota’s football career was beginning to take off, while Cook was pursuing her own path in soccer.
Their relationship was not immediately a major public story. Both had demanding college lives, and they largely kept their personal relationship away from the spotlight.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Cook continued her education. She later earned a master’s degree in exercise and nutrition science from Lipscomb University in Nashville.
Her academic interests also fit naturally with her background in athletics and physical performance.
She Worked as a Soccer Coach
Cook’s connection to soccer did not end when her playing career at Oregon was over.
After college, she worked as a soccer coach in Nashville. According to the details provided, she coached at the University School of Nashville from 2015 through 2019 and also worked at Father Ryan High School from 2016 through 2020.
Coaching gave Cook another way to remain involved in the sport she had played for years.
Her time in Nashville also overlapped with Mariota’s early NFL career. After being selected by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mariota moved into professional football while Cook continued pursuing her own interests.
The couple were therefore building their lives at the same time that Mariota was adjusting to the demands of being an NFL quarterback.
Mariota and Cook Made Their Relationship Public
Although they had met in 2014, Mariota and Cook became more publicly known as a couple in 2015.
They were spotted together in Honolulu at an NFL Draft party that year. Mariota had just entered the NFL after being selected by the Titans, making the period a major turning point in his career.
Their relationship continued as Mariota adjusted to life as a professional athlete.
In 2016, Mariota spoke about living with Cook in Nashville during an interview. At that point, the couple were already navigating the challenges that come with a professional football schedule.
Mariota’s early NFL years involved training, games, travel and constant attention from fans and the media. Having someone close to him who understood the world of competitive sports likely gave the relationship a strong foundation.
Cook also had experience with the pressures of athletics, having competed at both the high school and college levels.
Kiyomi Cook Supported Mariota Through His NFL Career
One of the most notable things about Cook’s relationship with Mariota is the confidence she has expressed in him.
During Netflix’s Quarterback, Cook talked about watching Mariota play and explained that she does not like to describe herself as nervous.
Instead, she focuses on the possibility of what can happen when Mariota has control of the football.
That outlook says quite a bit about the role she has played in his life. NFL quarterbacks face enormous pressure, particularly during difficult games or stretches of their careers. Mariota has experienced changes in teams, coaches and expectations throughout his professional journey.
Cook’s approach has appeared to be one of encouragement rather than adding to that pressure.
Her support is also part of a much bigger relationship that developed long before Mariota became an NFL quarterback.
Marcus Mariota Proposed in 2020
After several years together, Mariota and Cook took the next major step in their relationship.
In June 2020, reports emerged that Mariota had proposed to Cook. The engagement came after years together, beginning with their meeting at Oregon in 2014.
By that point, they had already experienced major changes together. Mariota had gone from college football star to first-round NFL draft pick, while Cook had completed her studies and worked as a soccer coach.
Their engagement marked the beginning of another chapter for the couple.
Rather than rushing into a highly public celebration, they continued to keep much of their personal life private.
They Got Married in Hawaii in 2021
Mariota and Cook married in Hawaii in 2021.
The wedding brought together family, friends and people who had been part of their journey. Around 100 guests attended the ceremony, including former Tennessee Titans teammate Logan Ryan.
Ryan later shared photos from the wedding and celebrated the couple, wishing them lasting happiness.
For Mariota, the wedding represented more than just a celebration. It was the continuation of a relationship that had started when he and Cook were young college athletes.
The fact that they had known each other for several years before marrying made the occasion especially meaningful.
Their wedding also reflected their connection to Hawaii, a place that has long been important in Mariota’s life.
The Couple Welcomed Their Daughter Makaia
Mariota and Cook became parents in December 2022 when they welcomed their daughter, Makaia.
Becoming parents added a new dimension to their relationship. The couple have shared occasional glimpses of their family life, although they have generally kept their daughter away from excessive public attention.
Mariota has made it clear through social media posts that family time is important to him.
In April 2023, he shared photos showing Cook and their daughter enjoying time together at the beach with the family’s two dogs. The images offered fans a rare look at the quarterback away from football.
The family also celebrated Christmas together in 2022, with Mariota sharing a photograph of everyone wearing matching pajamas.
These small family moments have provided a different picture of Mariota. On the football field, he is an NFL quarterback dealing with pressure and expectations. At home, he is a husband and father enjoying time with the people closest to him.
Kiyomi Cook Keeps a Low Profile
Despite being married to a well-known NFL player, Cook has largely maintained a private lifestyle.
She does not appear to seek the same level of public attention that often surrounds celebrity spouses. Instead, her public presence has mainly come through occasional photographs with Mariota and their family.
That privacy seems to be important to both of them.
Mariota has also generally kept his family life separate from the most public parts of his football career. While fans may see occasional family photographs, the couple do not appear to share every detail of their personal lives.
For Cook, that has allowed her to maintain an identity beyond being known simply as Marcus Mariota’s wife.
Her background as a soccer player, her education and her work as a coach are all important parts of her story.
Their Relationship Started With Sports
There is an interesting similarity between Mariota and Cook’s paths.
Both were college athletes at Oregon. Mariota pursued football while Cook played soccer. Both understood the discipline and time commitment required to compete at a high level.
That shared athletic background may have helped them understand one another from the beginning.
Mariota eventually became a top NFL prospect, while Cook continued her own connection with soccer through coaching and further education.
Their relationship has therefore developed alongside two individual careers rather than one person simply following the other.
That is part of what makes their story different from many celebrity relationships.
Family Comes First for Mariota
Football has been a huge part of Mariota’s life, but his family has remained an important source of support.
Cook has been with him since before the NFL Draft, meaning she knew him during his college years and witnessed his transition into professional football.
She was there during the early days of his NFL career and later became his wife and the mother of his child.
Their relationship has lasted through different stages of Mariota’s career, from his time with the Tennessee Titans to later opportunities in the NFL.
For a professional athlete whose career can change quickly, having a stable personal life can be valuable.
Mariota’s occasional family posts also show that he enjoys stepping away from the football world when he can. Beach days, holidays and time with his wife and daughter offer a quieter side of his life.
Marcus Mariota and Kiyomi Cook Today
Today, Marcus Mariota and Kiyomi Cook are best known as a private married couple raising their daughter, Makaia.
Their relationship has now moved far beyond the college romance that began in Oregon in 2014. They have built a marriage, welcomed a child and continued to support one another through the ups and downs of Mariota’s football career.
Cook remains one of the people closest to Mariota and has publicly shown strong belief in his abilities. Her comments about trusting him when he has the football in his hands offer a simple but powerful look at how she views her husband.
While the couple do not reveal every detail of their personal lives, the parts they have shared show a relationship grounded in years of knowing each other, mutual support and family.
From two college athletes at Oregon to husband and wife with a young daughter, Marcus Mariota and Kiyomi Cook have built their life largely away from the noise that can surround professional sports.
And for Mariota, that quiet family life appears to be just as important as everything happening on the football field.