Maryland Love Connection: Chris and Annesia Rhodes
Matt Levine, Maryland Media Relations
12/14/2021
Chris and Annesia Rhodes live the American dream in their Ellicott City home with their four daughters Reese, Olivia, Belle, and newborn Savannah.
The Rhodes’ love for each other started in their college days when they were student-athletes at the University of Maryland back in the fall of 2007. Chris was a defensive lineman for the football team, and Annesia was a forward on the women’s soccer team. It was the chaotic lifestyle of being a student-athlete that allowed them to be together.
“It would have been really hard to date someone that wasn't an athlete,” Annesia said. “Just because of the time commitment and everything that goes into it. I don't think people that don't play sports really understand everything that goes into it. So I can't really imagine ever having dated someone that wasn't another athlete.”
Maryland's very important to us. It'll always be an important part of our life. So we try to find any way we can to still be supportive of the athletic department.Annesia Rhodes
Chris agreed, but it wasn’t just Annesia’s schedule and availability that attracted him to the soccer star.
The pair had a mutual friend that introduced them and throughout the first few months of their freshman year, their relationship quickly began to evolve.
Even though it took a few months for the relationship to blossom, Chris knew that it was love at first sight.
“I just knew she was the one,” Chris said about the woman who would become the mother of his children.
The pair became virtually inseparable, hanging out in their respective dorms, getting to know each other even more by the day, and spending as much time together as possible despite their rigorous schedules.
The former Annesia Faulkner, came to Maryland as a two-sport star at St. Vincent Pallotti, in Laurel, Maryland, where she was the 2006 Baltimore Sun women’s soccer player of the year, first team all-Met selection by the Sun and Washington Post, and a 1,000 point scorer for her basketball team.
Chris was also a local star, playing at River Hill High School in Columbia, Maryland, where he was a standout football player.
It was a mutual friend – a fellow Terp – who introduced them and made the connection. Erika Theisen (now Erika Copeland) was a teammate of Annesia’s on the women’s soccer team, who was also a graduate of Chris’ alma mater, River Hill.
“I'll never forget that Terps vs. Boston College night football game our freshman year (in 2007), just anxiously waiting for Chris to get back and meet Nesa,” said Erika, who recounted the first time the couple met. “The rest is history. They are both the most down-to-earth and genuine people, and together make one amazing couple with the most adorable girl gang you'll ever see!”
Whether it was trips to the Pita Pit on Baltimore Avenue, or simple meals at the dining hall, Chris and Annesia were dating just like any other college students, they just so happened to also be star athletes.
While Chris switched from the defensive line to the offensive line and Annesia battled injuries, the greatest constant in their lives was each other.
When the pair graduated, they remained together and knew that they were in it for the long haul.
“I mean buying your first house. We were in our mid to low 20s,” Chris said. “It was exciting and scary at the same time; having a mortgage. (You have) got to pay bills. We felt like adults at that point.”
I just knew she was the one.Chris Rhodes
Life has moved fast for the Rhodes as their relationship blossomed upon graduation from Maryland in 2011. The two bought a house in 2013; married in 2014 and welcomed their first daughter, Reese, in 2015. They would go on to add to their “Girl Gang” as Annesia calls them with Olivia (four years old), Belle (two years old) and Savannah who was born less than a month ago on Nov. 17, 2021.
The Rhodes live in Ellicott City where Chris is putting his degree in agriculture business to work as he’s taken over the family farm and growing it into something even bigger.
Staying local was a big priority for the two of them, as they can stay close to their roots and be in proximity to the school that both of them love so much. To this day both of them are beaming with Maryland pride and support the Terps as often as they can.
“It's hard to get down to College Park as often as we would like but … Maryland's very important to us,” Annesia said. “It'll always be an important part of our life. So we try to find any way we can to still be supportive of the athletic department."
Chris feels the same way, and whether it’s watching on TV or going to games in person, the Rhodes family will always show support for their home. That love is now being passed onto their children, as the quartet of girls are becoming big Terp fans.
“My wife's always gotten them dressed in Maryland gear,” Chris said. “Saturdays and the falls for sure. We enjoy going to basketball games and stuff like that. Football games are a little tough with what I do as far as work, so I always look forward to basketball because the winters are a slow time for me.”
The Rhodes’ athletic prowess has seemed to have been passed down to their daughters, as Reese is showing signs that she wants to follow in Annesia’s footsteps. Six years old is a prime age to begin playing youth sports, and Reese is ready to take up the mantle.
“All that's ramping up, mainly with our oldest daughter,” Annesia said. “I spent my childhood on a soccer field, I don't know why I didn't expect to spend my adulthood on a soccer field as well.”
Both Chris and Annesia represented the University of Maryland well, valuing the athletic side as well as the academic side of the experience.
The pair was able to parlay their athletic ability into a great education that set them up for future success, as well as introducing them to the love of their lives. It’s for that reason alone that the University of Maryland will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of the Rhodes family.
“We're very proud of what we both did,” Chris said. “She went there [and] started as a freshman. I didn’t play a whole lot there but played a little bit at the end. We made it through and got our degrees.”
Everything the two of them have done together has led them to where they are now, and everything would be different had it not been for the University of Maryland. It’s why in the Rhodes household, you’re only allowed to root for one team.
“I tell [my daughters] that the only school they're allowed to cheer for is Maryland,” Annesia said with a laugh.
