Get to know Kenny Pickett’s wife.
The Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback married Amy Paternoster on June 24, 2023, at a “fairytale celebration” in New Jersey.
“It makes me a better person,” Pickett told PEOPLE privately, who proposed to his bride in January 2022 before the Steelers chose him in April.
Although the couple started dating in 2021, they have known each other for several years. In fact, since Paternoster was an athlete in his own right, it was the sport that brought the NFL player and his current wife together in the first place.
“When I first started dating Amy, I knew I wanted to marry her,” Pickett added. “Now that that day has come, it’s really special to spend the rest of your life with the person who means the world to you.”
Love filled the air at the wedding ceremony – not only from Pickett and Paternoster, but also from the 275 guests who attended. “We’re very close with friends who have been with us throughout our lives, so we definitely wanted everyone out there to celebrate that,” Paternoster told PEOPLE.
In addition to the love and support from family and friends, there was another element interspersed with the reception that meant so much to the married couple: everything about the Steelers. Team spirit also filled the air between the wedding attendant and a Steelers ice sculpture.
Read on for everything there is to know about Pickett’s wife, Amy Paternoster.
He has known Kenny since he was a child.
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
Although Pickett and Paternoster have been dating since 2021, they go way back. The Steelers quarterback and his wife grew up in the same town near the Jersey shore, so it wasn’t uncommon for paths to cross paths, especially since the two athletes frequently used the same gym.
“Pickett told PEOPLE, “Because Amy played football and I played football, we worked at the same place growing up. We started training here when I was 12, and Amy could have been 10, so I knew she was growing up from here.”
Their shared love of sports not only brought the two together, but also introduced them to a large group of friends. “Because we both grew up in the world of sports, he has made some great friendships like me, especially with Kenny of Pittsburgh and football,” Paternoster added.
played football at Princeton University
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
While Pickett and Paternoster were very young when they first met, the two reunited years later – only after they parted ways for college, where they were both Division I athletes.
“We never spoke, and then he went to Princeton and I went to Pitt. We came home during college break and we saw each other at a party and we got along well,” Pickett told PEOPLE.
The NFL star played football for the University of Pittsburgh where he was a senior Heisman Trophy finalist and was later selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Paternoster played football at Princeton University, where he was awarded the Academic All-Ivy in 2021.
Before college, Paternoster saw several football successes. She was named New Jersey Girl’s Footballer of the Year at Gatorade, the first person in her town to receive the honor. Additionally, he was an All-American selection by United Soccer Coaches and was selected to the All-State First Team twice.
He graduated from the Department of Economics and Finance.
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
Paternoster graduated with honors from Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a certificate in finance. As a full-time college athlete, he has also balanced sports with his studies, having also done prestigious internships.
Prior to graduation, he interned in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and the Fund of Funds Private Equity at Ardian. Now Paternoster works full time as a private equity partner at PNC Riverarch Capital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He and Kenny got married in front of an NFL chaplain.
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
In addition to family and friends, Paternoster married Pickett in front of another special person in their life: Steelers pastor Kent Chevalier. The NFL chaplain, who has served Pittsburgh since 1999, presided over the couple’s nuptials.
After serving 22 years as a pastor at the local church, Chevalier, a Pittsburgh native led by Pastor Kent (PK), was invited to become an NFL Chaplain through the ministry in 2019 by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Action Athletes.
He is very supportive of Kenny, as he is for himself.
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
The couple has backed each other since they started dating in 2021. In addition to seeing each other in person amid their busy schedules, they also shared their support for each other on social media.
Paternoster wrote on Instagram in 2021, “First time watching the ACC Coastal Championship, Seniors Day and @kennypicett02 game in person!! I love to congratulate you, I’m always so proud 🥺💙”. The player hugging Pickett on the football field.
Paternoster was next to her then-boyfriend when his name was first mentioned by the Steelers at Draft Day in 2022.
Amy Paternoster/ Instagram
“Words can’t describe how proud I am of you nor how happy I am to see all your dreams come true. No one deserves this more! I can’t wait to see all the great things you haven’t accomplished yet..Let’s go home!!!
Pickett never hesitates to share his love and admiration for Paternoster on his social media.
“Happy birthday to my favorite person in the world!! I am immensely grateful to you every day and it will be the greatest honor I can wish to spend the rest of my life with you… I love you!!❤️” she wrote on Instagram to celebrate her then fiancee’s special day in February 2023. .
In January, he thought about the first anniversary of their engagement. “One year ago today I asked you to marry me and it’s gotten better every day since!! A lifetime to go ❤️” Pickett sweetly penned to his current wife.