Eagles' Zach Ertz Surprises Wife Julie With National Soccer Hall of Fame Selection

Zach Ertz surprised his wife, Julie, with news that she was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Class of 2027, Caroline Connor of PhiladelphiaEagles.com reported.

The surprise came Thursday at the Philadelphia Eagles' training complex, where Julie expected a family movie night. Their sons Madden, Kace and Kyren and Zach Ertz's mother, Lisa, also attended.

"I had no idea," Julie Ertz said. "I'm bawling my eyes out; I was so caught off guard. He's not a surprise kind of guy, so this is crazy."

Djorn Bucholz, the Hall's executive director, gave her a 2027 induction coin after Madden handed her a scarf.

"(The National Soccer Hall of Fame) reached out to me about two months ago to try and figure out the best way to do it," Zach Ertz said. "I kind of was out of ideas, but I wanted to get the family together, not in the craziness of the house, and make it a little special."

The family had held movie days at the facility in the past, so the plan gave him an easy cover story. The Eagles are 2-7 and fourth in the NFC East.

Julie made the Hall on her first try through the player ballot, and her induction ceremony is set for April 16, 2027, in Frisco, Texas.

Julie won World Cups in 2015 and 2019 and scored 20 goals in 123 national team appearances.

U.S. Soccer chose Julie as its Female Player of the Year twice, in 2017 and 2019. She played club soccer for the Chicago Red Stars and retired from the sport in 2023.

The 2027 class also includes Megan Rapinoe, Jozy Altidore, David Beckham, indoor soccer player Tatu and manager Lothar Osiander.

"I just think it shows you how sweet of a team that was," Julie Ertz said of her 2019 World Cup teammates. "Such a generational, incredibly talented team it was and why it was such an honor to be a part of it too."

Zach Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowler, was drafted 35th overall by the Eagles in 2013 and later played for the Arizona Cardinals. He also played for the Washington Commanders before returning to Philadelphia in September.

Zach Ertz has 3 catches for 22 yards and 0 touchdowns this season.

"I saw the journey, the day-to-day," Zach Ertz said. "People see this end result of her going into the Hall of Fame, but the reality was it was built over 10 years of giving everything she had to be at her best for her team and her teammates."

Ertz most recently played in a 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.