A Tampa Bay Buccaneers player showed respect from one footballer to another.
Emeka Egbuka walked the tunnel ahead of the home matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 18 wearing Laney Egbuka's pink and white striped BK Häcken kit. She is a midfielder for the Swedish club and played college soccer for Notre Dame. The two athletes are married. She hails from Ohio, and he played college football at Ohio State.
The jersey must be good juju because the Tampa Bay receiver scored a touchdown when Jalon Daniels found him in the end zone at the top of the second quarter. The score and extra point put the Buccaneers up 10-0, and Emeka did a little dance to celebrate.
It was his second touchdown of the season. He had 21 catches for 192 yards heading into the matchup.
Emeka Egbuka arrives on gameday reppin' his wife Laney Egbuka & her BK Häcken jersey 👏
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 18, 2026
Laney is a defensive midfielder who played at Notre Dame & helped BK Häcken win the inaugural UEFA Women's Europa Cup in 2026 ⚽️🏆 pic.twitter.com/CkIQhVvhpq
Jalon Daniels ➡️ Emeka Egbuka for the TD!
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
PITvsTB on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/1OEBeO6BSW
Laney Egbuka has one assist in one appearance so far in the current Svenska Cupen. In the 2026 Damallsvenskan season, she scored two goals with four assists in 20 appearances, making 14 starts. She was part of the BK Häcken team that won the inaugural Women's Europa Cup in May by beating Hammarby 3-2.
There are several other athlete partnerships in sports today. This summer, USWNT and NWSL star Trinity Rodman supported her boyfriend, tennis player Ben Shelton, at the US Open all the way to the final match. Her U.S. teammates Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson are married to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson and Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, respectively.
Also in soccer, Lauren Holiday, who won two gold medals and a World Cup with the national team, is married to two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday. Kealia Watt, who has a lengthy soccer resume from high school to the pros, is married to former NFL star JJ Watt.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Torrent's Lexie Adzija is engaged to Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike. Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is married to Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens. Five-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson is dating Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka scores TD after wearing wife's soccer jersey
