Kyle Hamilton is an American professional football safety for the Baltimore Ravens, known for his standout performances in the NFL after playing college football at Notre Dame. Reese Damm is the name associated with his reported high school sweetheart and relationship history. However, details about their current relationship status, when they began dating, and whether they are still together should not be treated as confirmed without reliable, up-to-date evidence.
Introduction
Kyle Hamilton’s relationship with Reese Damm is a story that began long before the Baltimore Ravens safety became one of the NFL’s recognizable defensive players. The couple started dating during their sophomore year of high school and continued their relationship through college football, Hamilton’s entry into the NFL, and his growing professional success.
Their relationship attracted widespread attention in April 2022, when Hamilton celebrated being selected by the Ravens in the first round of the NFL Draft with a distinctive handshake involving Damm. The moment offered fans a glimpse into their long-standing connection. Three years later, their relationship reached another milestone when Hamilton proposed to Damm in France in June 2025. The engagement was confirmed by the couple and reported by the Ravens’ official website and ESPN.
As of October 12, 2026, the latest reliable public information identified in this research confirms their engagement. A wedding or marriage announcement has not been verified in the sources reviewed, so it would be premature to describe Damm as Hamilton’s wife.
Here is what is publicly known about Reese Damm, their relationship timeline, the viral NFL Draft handshake, and the milestones that brought them to their engagement.
What Happened? Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm’s Relationship
Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm became a subject of public interest because their relationship began during their school years and continued as Hamilton moved toward a professional football career.
Hamilton discussed their early relationship in April 2022, shortly after the Ravens selected him with the 14th overall pick in the NFL Draft. In comments reported by Sports Illustrated, he explained that he and Damm started dating during their sophomore year of high school. He also said they developed their now-famous handshake during their junior year.
The handshake became a memorable part of Hamilton’s draft-night celebration. Rather than sharing a conventional hug or kiss when the cameras captured them together, the couple performed a coordinated sequence of hand movements that ended with a dab.
The moment quickly circulated online, drawing attention to Damm and the couple’s history.
However, their story did not begin with the viral video. The draft-night celebration was simply one of the first widely publicized moments that gave NFL fans a look at their relationship.
Their engagement in June 2025 later provided another major update. Hamilton proposed to Damm during a trip to France, and the couple shared photographs of the occasion on social media. The Baltimore Ravens published a report about the engagement on June 27, 2025, confirming the news.
Who Is Reese Damm?
Reese Damm is best known publicly as Kyle Hamilton’s longtime partner and fiancée. She has also been described in sports and entertainment coverage as a musician and singer-songwriter.
Although Hamilton’s professional football career places him regularly in the public eye, Damm has maintained a comparatively lower profile. Much of the available information about her comes from coverage of the couple’s relationship, her reported education, and her creative interests.
Reese Damm’s Background and Education
Published profiles identify Damm as having attended Marist School in the Atlanta area, the same school associated with Hamilton’s high school years.
Reports about her background also state that she attended the University of South Carolina and studied public relations and image management. These biographical details appear in secondary sports coverage rather than in the official Ravens announcement, so they should be understood in that context.
Her reported educational background is relevant because it suggests interests beyond her partner’s football career. However, there is limited independently verified public information about her academic history, employment, and private life.
Readers should be cautious about online biographies that provide extensive personal details without citing reliable sources.
Is Reese Damm a Musician?
Yes. Sports profiles have described Reese Damm as a musician and singer-songwriter.
Coverage of the couple has highlighted music as one of her interests, distinguishing her personal pursuits from Hamilton’s work in professional football.
Nevertheless, publicly available reporting does not establish a complete picture of her music career, including the extent of her discography, current professional commitments, or future projects. Those details should not be assumed without direct confirmation.
What can be said with greater confidence is that Damm has been publicly associated with music while maintaining a relationship with Hamilton that began during their teenage years.
Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm Relationship Timeline
The following timeline highlights the principal milestones supported by public reporting.
High school
Their relationship begins
Hamilton has said that he and Damm started dating during their sophomore year of high school. He also recalled developing their signature handshake the following year.
2022
The NFL Draft handshake goes viral
The Baltimore Ravens selected Hamilton 14th overall on April 28, 2022. During the draft celebrations, he and Damm performed their coordinated handshake, which attracted widespread media attention.
June 23, 2025
Hamilton proposes in France
Hamilton proposed to Damm during a trip to France. Their engagement became public on June 27, 2025, through their social media announcement and subsequent reporting.
October 2026
Engagement remains the latest verified milestone
The reliable public sources reviewed for this article confirm the engagement. A subsequent wedding announcement has not been independently verified.
The Viral Handshake That Introduced Reese Damm to NFL Fans
One of the most memorable moments in Kyle Hamilton’s personal life came during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Ravens selected Hamilton with the 14th overall pick after his college career at the University of Notre Dame. As he celebrated the achievement, cameras captured him and Damm performing their elaborate handshake.
The interaction stood out because it was personal rather than staged around a conventional draft-night celebration.
Hamilton later explained that the handshake had been part of their relationship for years. In his account, the couple created it while they were still in high school. The Ravens also shared footage of the moment on their official social media account, helping it reach a wider audience.
For football fans, the clip became a memorable detail from Hamilton’s draft night. For people interested in celebrity relationships, it also provided a rare public glimpse into a relationship that had begun long before he entered the NFL.
The handshake should not be mistaken for the start of their public relationship. By the time the video went viral, the pair had reportedly been together for approximately six years.
Kyle Hamilton’s Football Career and the Couple’s Shared Timeline
Understanding Hamilton’s career helps explain why the couple’s relationship has attracted attention.
Hamilton established himself as a standout defensive back at Notre Dame. The university’s official athletics website confirmed that the Ravens selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, making him the 14th overall pick.
His transition to professional football marked a significant change in his public profile.
Before the draft, much of the attention surrounding Hamilton came from his college performances. After joining Baltimore, he became a more prominent figure in NFL coverage, and interest in his personal life increased alongside his professional visibility.
Damm’s presence during the draft celebration connected these two chapters. Their relationship had started during high school, continued through Hamilton’s college years, and remained part of his life as he entered the professional game.
In June 2025, the couple announced their engagement, marking a new chapter after years together. The engagement was reported by ESPN and the Ravens themselves, making it more firmly established than unverified claims circulating on social media.
It is important, however, not to assume that every aspect of their private lives is publicly documented. The available evidence establishes key milestones but does not provide a complete account of their relationship away from public events.
Kyle Hamilton’s Proposal to Reese Damm in France
The couple’s engagement was announced in late June 2025.
Hamilton proposed on June 23, 2025, during a trip to Èze, a coastal commune in southern France near Monaco, according to ESPN’s report on the announcement. The couple subsequently shared photographs of the proposal on social media.
The engagement announcement attracted attention from football fans and sports media because of the length of their relationship.
Rather than being a relationship that began after Hamilton achieved professional success, their partnership had developed during their school years. By the time of the proposal, they had been together for nearly seven years, based on reporting about their relationship timeline.
The announcement was also acknowledged by members of the Ravens organization and Hamilton’s teammates. Coverage of the engagement reported congratulatory responses from players, including Derrick Henry, Malaki Starks, and Zay Flowers.
The couple’s public announcement is the clearest verified milestone in their relationship after the viral 2022 handshake.
Are Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm Married?
As of October 12, 2026, the sources reviewed for this article do not establish that Hamilton and Damm have married.
Their engagement is confirmed. A wedding date, ceremony, or marriage announcement should not be presented as fact unless the couple, their representatives, or a reliable publication confirms it.
This distinction matters because online searches sometimes combine engagement announcements, wedding speculation, and older relationship profiles. An engagement does not establish that a wedding has already taken place.
For now, the most accurate description supported by the available reporting is that Damm is Hamilton’s fiancée.
What the Baltimore Ravens and Other Sources Have Confirmed
The most useful evidence comes from reporting that can be traced to the couple’s own announcement and Hamilton’s public comments.
The Baltimore Ravens: The team published an engagement report on June 27, 2025, identifying Damm as Hamilton’s longtime girlfriend and confirming that he had proposed in France. The team also previously shared the viral handshake footage.
ESPN: ESPN reported the engagement on June 28, 2025, explaining that the couple had been dating since high school and describing the significance of their 2022 draft-night handshake.
Sports Illustrated: Its April 2022 coverage included Hamilton’s explanation of when the relationship began and how the couple developed their handshake.
Notre Dame Athletics: The university’s official athletics website confirms Hamilton’s college football background and his selection by Baltimore in the 2022 draft. This helps establish the professional timeline surrounding the relationship’s public milestones.
Together, these sources support the central facts of the story: the relationship began in high school, the handshake became a viral moment in 2022, and the couple became engaged in June 2025.
They do not establish every detail about Damm’s private life or confirm a later marriage.
Why Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm’s Relationship Attracts Attention
The public interest in Kyle Hamilton’s girlfriend is closely connected to his NFL career, but the relationship has a distinct story of its own.
First, the couple’s history predates Hamilton’s professional fame. Their relationship reportedly began while they were still in high school, before he became an NFL first-round draft selection.
Second, the 2022 handshake provided a memorable visual moment that fans could easily recognize and share. Unlike a routine red-carpet appearance, it reflected an established ritual that Hamilton said had been part of their relationship for years.
Third, the 2025 engagement created a clear new milestone for a couple whose relationship had already received attention from football audiences.
These details explain why searches for “Kyle Hamilton girlfriend” and “Reese Damm” continue to appear in coverage of the Ravens safety’s personal life.
However, public interest does not justify speculation about their private arrangements, future wedding plans, finances, or family life. The strongest account remains one based on the milestones the couple has publicly shared.
What Happens Next?
The next major relationship update would be a confirmed wedding announcement or another significant milestone shared by Hamilton and Damm.
As of October 12, 2026, no such later development could be established from the reliable sources reviewed for this article. That does not mean a private wedding has or has not occurred; it means the available evidence is insufficient to make that claim.
Readers looking for updates should prioritize the couple’s public social media announcements, official Baltimore Ravens coverage, and established sports news organizations.
Until a new development is confirmed, the central facts remain straightforward: Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm began dating in high school, gained wider public attention through their 2022 NFL Draft handshake, and announced their engagement in June 2025.
Their story is a reminder that the personal milestones of professional athletes can attract considerable attention, even when the people involved choose to keep much of their private lives out of the spotlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Kyle Hamilton’s girlfriend?
Kyle Hamilton’s longtime partner is Reese Damm. The couple began dating in high school and announced their engagement in June 2025. The Baltimore Ravens confirmed the engagement in their official coverage.
2. Is Reese Damm Kyle Hamilton’s wife?
Reese Damm is publicly identified as Kyle Hamilton’s fiancée following their June 2025 engagement. A subsequent marriage has not been verified in the reliable sources reviewed for this article as of October 12, 2026.
3. How long have Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm been together?
Hamilton said in 2022 that he and Damm began dating during their sophomore year of high school. Their relationship had therefore lasted approximately six years by the time of the 2022 NFL Draft. They announced their engagement in June 2025.
4. When did Kyle Hamilton propose to Reese Damm?
Hamilton proposed to Damm on June 23, 2025, during a trip to France. Their engagement became public on June 27, when the couple shared the news and the Ravens reported the announcement.
5. Where did Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm meet?
Public reporting identifies the couple as high school sweethearts associated with Marist School in the Atlanta area. Hamilton confirmed that they began dating during their sophomore year of high school.
6. Why did Kyle Hamilton and Reese Damm go viral in 2022?
They attracted attention during the 2022 NFL Draft when they performed a distinctive multi-step handshake after the Baltimore Ravens selected Hamilton 14th overall. Hamilton later explained that they had developed the handshake during high school.
7. What does Reese Damm do for a living?
Sports and entertainment profiles have described Damm as a musician and singer-songwriter. Other reports have discussed her education in public relations and image management. A complete, independently verified account of her current professional activities is not established by the official engagement announcement.
8. Does Reese Damm have a public relationship with Kyle Hamilton on social media?
The couple has publicly shared important relationship milestones, including their June 2025 engagement. Their shared announcement was reported by ESPN and the Baltimore Ravens. Details beyond what they have chosen to share publicly should not be assumed.
