The Transformation Of Joe Burrow's Girlfriend, Olivia Holzmacher
Joe Burrow has made quite an impression on sports fanatics since he was the Cincinnati Bengals' No.1 overall draft pick at the 2020 NFL Draft. However, there is no denying that his good looks have garnered a lot of fandom from those who might not be the most prominent sports watchers. Want to know just how much people might be paying way more attention to his charm than his play on the field? "Joe Cool" was named one of People Magazine's Sexiest Professional Men in Sports in 2023.
We hate to break the news, but Burrow is a taken man. Although you won't find his girlfriend, Olivia Holzmacher, all over his Instagram (give it a good scroll, and you'll find one photo of the pair), the couple have been together way before Burrow became an NFL superstar. Holzmacher has supported Burrow for years, having rooted for the athlete since his time at Ohio State University, where the two initially met.
So, who exactly is Olivia Holzmacher, and why haven't we heard more about the woman who has been by Burrow's side through his most significant accomplishments? Take a look below.
She's an Ohio native and attended OSU, where she met Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's girlfriend, Olivia Holzmacher, is a true Ohioan, and proudly calls herself a Buckeye. According to her LinkedIn, Holzmacher grew up in greater Cincinnati and attended Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, from 2011 to 2015. After graduating high school, Holzmacher attended Ohio State University, where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She earned her degree in data analytics and social sciences in 2019.
At Ohio State, Holzmacher would meet Joe Burrow, who committed to playing football in 2015. The athlete and Holzmacher began dating in August 2017, and she made it known on Instagram that same month. Wearing an Ohio State t-shirt with Burrow in his football uniform at the school stadium, she captioned her photo, "10/10 ... 1 being the best.
In 2018, Burrow transferred from Ohio State to Louisiana State University, where he was named starting quarterback. The athlete had graduated in three years while attending OSU and had two years remaining eligibility to play football. Despite the move to the southern state, he and Holzmacher continued a long-distance relationship.
She has a pretty normal job
Before the 2023 NFL season began, quarterback Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals. This made him the league's highest-paid player by average annual salary. ($55 million per year). However, that didn't mean that Olivia Holzmacher would quit her 9 to 5 because her boyfriend just became mega-wealthy.
Although Holzmacher has a superstar quarterback around her arms, she continues to work a regular gig as a data analyst. According to her LinkedIn, Holzmacher is a senior process specialist and analyst at Kroger in Cincinnati, Ohio. She describes her role in the company as someone who "builds dashboards and visualizations for Kroger's e-commerce pickup and delivery services" and "provides insight to operational metrics and customer experiences." Before her job as a senior analyst, Holzmacher worked at Lifetime Fitness as a facility operations team member and supervisor. During her high school years, Holzmacher also volunteered at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati.
She's supported Burrow throughout his college career
Olivia Holzmacher does not avidly post on Instagram, but when she posts photos, it usually celebrates her boyfriend's many accomplishments.
Holzmacher has been there for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow through many of the high points of his life, including when he transferred to LSU from his in-state school to start as quarterback. Burrow played for two seasons with the LSU Tigers and had an outstanding 2019 season. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy, which goes to the most outstanding player in college football, and won the 2020 National Championship game. On Instagram, Holzmacher shared a mirror selfie with Burrow when he was awarded the Heisman. She captioned it, "I'm so proud of you. The best weekend ever!"
Just months after winning the championship, Burrow's life changed forever when the Cincinnati Bengals took the star quarterback with the first overall pick at the 2020 NFL Draft. Holzmacher praised Burrow with a touching Instagram post that featured several highlights of Burrow's football career. "Tonight a new chapter starts for you!" She wrote. Holzmacher added, "Thankful to be by your side joe and to be part of the best past three seasons. I've had the best experiences and met the best people along the way. So excited for what the future holds. Tonight will be once in a lifetime night for you."
She cheered Burrow on during Super Bowl LVI
Olivia Holzmacher is one proud girlfriend! The OSU alumna has shared several photos at Cincinnati Bengals games ever since Joe Burrow's rookie season in 2020. The first photo she shared at a Bengals game on Instagram was a cardboard cutout of herself placed in what looked like a reserved seat in September. Her seat was next to Burrow's parents, Robin and Jim Burrow.
Since then, Holzmacher has also posted photos with many of her friends at Bengals games. She cheered on the team with the wife of former Bengals football player Ricardo Allen, Grace Allen, during a matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The data analyst also rooted for Burrow and the gang alongside Morgan Wilson, the wife of Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson in another picture.
In 2022, in his second season with the team, Burrow took the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI. Of course, Holzmacher was in attendance, even though the Los Angeles Rams defeated the team. Still, it was a fantastic journey for a second-year quarterback. "Super Bowl LVI. Such an experience this weekend. Entirely proud. Thank you Cinncinati," Holzmacher wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo in the stands during the big game.
Her Bengals fashion game is always on point
Since Taylor Swift began attending Kansas City Chiefs games during the 2023 season to root for her beau, Travis Kelce, Swifties have been obsessed with what the pop star has been wearing. She's donned a cool Chiefs varsity jacket, a vintage '90s sweatshirt, and let's not forget her famous red lip, which matches perfectly with the team's colors. However, lesser-known girlfriends of athletes, aka Olivia Holzmacher, have done the same, and we think her style is just as eye-catching.
Holzmacher has shared plenty of snaps on Instagram wearing black, orange, and white, the Bengals' official colors. She's rocked an orange bomber jacket with the number nine on the back, which is Burrow's jersey number, matched with a friend in a Bengals jersey, and was decked out all in white while wearing a large diamond No.9 necklace.
During an October 2022 game, Holzmacher showed off her Bengals pride wearing a black outfit with prints of tigers all over. She captioned her Instagram photo, "Don't call me out if I wear the tiger suit again!"
Are Joe and Olivia engaged?
In August 2023, Joe Burrow and Olivia Holzmacher made headlines that they had possibly gotten engaged. Having dated for about six years at that point, it wasn't impossible that Burrow slipped a ring on his college sweetheart's finger.
During an episode of "The Pat McAfee Show" that summer, former Cincinnati Bengals player Adam "Pacman" Jones suggested that his former quarterback and his girlfriend were about to walk the aisle. "I think life is great for Burrow. Just got engaged, too," Jones revealed. When asked who asked for their hand in marriage, Jones said, "I have no idea in hell who asked who." His colleagues met his comments with a round of applause, but neither Burrow nor Holzmacher ever confirmed the news. So, just how Jones knew about a reported engagement is unclear.
No photos of Holzmacher wearing a ring have been spotted on her Instagram, but the couple did enjoy a vacation to New York City in June 2023. Holzmacher shared a montage of their trip, which included staying at a hotel with incredible city views, taking the subway, shopping, and getting New York pizza.