After a long night of dancing and talking, Eric Williams made it home from his first date with Chelsea Jensen. He got out his cell phone and proceeded to text his best friend three words, “She’s the one.” His friend was skeptical, but Eric was sure of it. He knew from the very beginning.
Williams, who graduated from Legacy in 2010, had recently received a friend request from Jensen, a 2011 graduate from Legacy. At first, he was unsure of who she was, but after a quick conversation he was reminded of their first meeting on the Legacy football field during a Relay For Life event in high school. A few conversations later, Williams asked her on a date, which she agreed to.
“We knew each other, but we hadn’t talked in years,” Eric said. “I joined the Army right out of high school, so we hadn’t really connected yet.”
Now, years later, Williams hoped to begin a new chapter where their relationship first began – the Legacy football field. He decided to visit with Mr. Contreras, to ask permission to use the football field to propose to Chelsea, but he says that even if he had to go up to the official Mansfield ISD building in order to ask permission, he would have.
“With all the stories, with all the memories I made [at Legacy], it’s more than I believe anybody else would be able to make there,” Williams said. “It’s not just some random field, it’s where we met.”
On the night of October 27, 2015, Eric took Chelsea to the Botanic Gardens in Fort Worth. They took a few pictures and then went to dinner, where afterwards he blindfolded her and drove her to the Legacy football field, unbeknownst to Chelsea.
Eric escorted her out, still blindfolded, as his friend played the guitar and their combined friends and family stood waiting. They trekked across the football field and arrived at the canopy Eric had single-handedly set up earlier that day, which was strung with twinkling lights that shined in the darkness, and Eric got down on one knee.
“I knew from the very first date,” Eric said. “Chelsea, will you marry me?”
Eric presented her with the engagement ring that Chelsea’s mother had given to Eric to pass down. Chelsea quickly said yes and they shared a kiss as their family and friends said their congratulations.
“Our relationship is perfect for us, we work together as a team and support each other when times get hard,” Chelsea said. “It’s time that we get to celebrate our love with the people we love.”
