Saturday, on senior night after his team defeated Miami in its final home game of the season, Washington got his reward. In a whooping and shouting circle of his teammates, he kneeled and asked Chemaria Beatty, the woman of his dreams, to marry him. She said yes.
“She thought it was perfect,” Washington said. “That was what I really wanted and needed in my life, for her to be the woman I love.”
Paralleling his time on the football team, Washington had to work for Beatty’s affections. He first met her when he walked by the gospel choir practice room where she was singing. He joined the choir, too, and the two became friends.
It didn’t take long for Washington to realize he wanted more out of the relationship. But Beatty took longer to come around.
Washington stayed persistent and kept hoping. He was raised as a one-woman man, and he believed she was the woman for him. Eventually they began dating, and over a year later he found himself looking at wedding rings when teammate Kendrick Singleton caught him.
“He was like, ‘really?’” Washington said. “And I was like, ‘Really. It don’t hurt to look; I’m going to buy one one day.’”
That day came about a month ago when Washington started planning his proposal. He originally planned to propose after the Duke game, but Coach Larry Fedora suggested after the game on senior night instead.
Washington then went to work. He talked to teammates, stadium operations, the ticket office and both his and her families. All told, well over a hundred people were involved.
