Holly Bankemper Biography

Holly Bankemper moved from Fort Thomas, Kentucky to Cincinnati to pursue a law degree at the College of Law under the University of Cincinnati; however, the decision not only shaped her professional career, but her personal life as well. Soon after relocating there, she met her future husband Cris Collinsworth, who also later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the same college, but graduated three years after her, in 1991. Cris was already a recognizable face in American football when the two met, and his fame has only increased after he became a sports broadcaster, but she has managed to avoid the spotlight throughout their long successful marriage. Bankemper does not like to share her personal life with the public on social media, but pictures of her alongside other family members can be found on their respective profiles from time to time.

Holly Bankemper was born on November 23, 1964 in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She has a brother and a sister. She attended Highlands High School at the Fort Thomas Independent School District in her hometown and then went on to pursue a law course at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She completed her graduation from there in 1988.

Holly Bankemper met her future husband, Cris Collinsworth, for the first time at The Precinct, a popular restaurant/nightclub in Cincinnati, which he was the part owner of. She was a former University of Kentucky cheerleader who was about to enter law school at the University of Cincinnati, while he was playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. Cris later mentioned that as an NFL player, he had the opportunity to date several "great-looking women" until he met Holly. She had stopped by the restaurant with a friend for dinner one night when some of Cris' friends introduced them and convinced them to go on a date. They even told him that she was a 30-year-old divorcee with two kids, but he nevertheless showed up for the date and was pleasantly surprised.

According to a report in 'USA Today', Cris proposed to her in 1988, during an MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati. He wanted the proposal to be broadcast on the Jumbotron, and had approached commentator Al Michaels with the request, but Michaels had rejected the request, which came in the form of a blessing as Cris now recalls that "even if she said yes, she would have hated it her entire life." The two finally got married on June 3, 1989, in front of family and friends, which included a number of sportsmen, as well as Jerry Springer, who was the mayor of Cincinnati at the time. The couple later moved to her hometown, Fort Thomas, Kentucky, where they have built a colonial-style house on a hill overlooking the Ohio River in Ft. Thomas.

Holly and Cris have four children together, two sons Austin and Jac, and two daughters Ashley and Katie. Austin Collinsworth was a successful high school football player, playing as a safety, and later became his varsity’s captain at the University of Notre Dame. However, in 2014, during his senior year, he hurt his shoulder and had to undergo surgery, which ended his football career. Later that year, he earned his master's degree in Finance and went on to become the Vice President of Digital Distribution for the app Pro Football Focus. Ashley Collinsworth, who earned a degree in psychology from Harvard University in 2015, ran track and field in school and college, while her supportive father coached the teams she was on. Katie Collinsworth works as a manager in business marketing at Golf Channel’s 'GolfNow'. Jac Collinsworth, who previously worked for NBC network during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, currently serves as a features reporter on ESPN's 'Sunday NFL Countdown'.