Love and football: Benjamin St-Justes engagement part of his rookie-year celebration

June 10, 2024

The heads-up to record tipped Julia Hall off to her boyfriend’s grand plans.

Her intuition about the ultimate relationship question kicked in long before they found themselves in a photo shoot at a beach in the coastal city of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, in late June. Her boyfriend, Benjamin St-Juste, likes both sides of fashion photography. On this day, the striking, athletic couple posed for the camera. The Washington Football Team rookie and Montreal native had a friend from France, Tiffany Amisse, snapping pictures as other confidants watched.

Hall ran track at Michigan, where she met the “very French” St-Juste during the 2018 spring semester. Despite her “low expectations for college boys,” based on warnings from friends and her older sister, they clicked instantly, though Hall wasn’t initially sure what to make of his European-style double-cheek kiss at their introduction on campus.

There’s some discrepancy over their initial encounter — “Ben tells different stories about how we met,” she said — but she recalled the two of them casually watching a movie at her place, followed by a quasi-first date centered on a walk to Insomnia for cookies. From there, they talked for hours over FaceTime, even as she moved back home to the Denver suburbs for the summer. Their connection bloomed once the two reunited in Ann Arbor that fall.

Shortly thereafter, Hall’s feelings grew stronger. She was prepared to state her love for St-Juste when the 6-foot-3 cornerback with a keen sense of anticipation said the L-word first — “which was good,” Hall thought, relieved. She responded in kind, only to find out that wasn’t the first time St-Juste had declared his love to her.

Two weeks earlier, St-Juste whispered that phrase into her ear, but fear lowered the volume such that his declaration of amour went unheard.

It took a couple of weeks for him to muster the courage for a redo, “but it came at the perfect time,” Hall said.

It’s evident that St-Juste learns from his mistakes. After two preseason games and three weeks of training camp, St-Juste, who was drafted in the third round in April, has quickly moved into a prominent role in Washington’s defensive rotation. He plays with calm and urgency, a combination of his temperament and a renewed appreciation for life resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travel restrictions limited St-Juste’s opportunity to return home to Canada last year, and the worldwide shutdown derailed a trip to Barcelona, Spain, he and Hall planned to take. Then his final college season nearly disappeared. The Big Ten initially decided not to play last fall before relenting with a shortened schedule. Out of fear and frustration, the 23-year-old discovered a grander appreciation for the world and the people around him.

“It’s amazing to me,” St-Juste said. “The reason why I’m having so much fun and a great time is because (during) last year with COVID, I saw what it took away from me.”

In June, just weeks after Washington drafted him and days after his first practices, St-Juste’s focus shifted to locking down the woman he loved. He’d already asked her parents for permission to ask her to marry him. They were together overseas, overlooking the river Tagus with friends aware of his romantic next step.

Their bond grew stronger from their long talks despite their rigorous schedules as student-athletes and their geography. Beyond living in different countries, St-Juste transferred to Minnesota before the 2019 season. Hall, who was part of the team that set a school record in the 4×400 indoor relay, transferred to Georgia as a graduate student for the 2020-21 season and focused on marketing courses and running track for the SEC powerhouse.

During the height of the pandemic, St-Juste couldn’t get across the border to Montreal, so he shifted his base to her hometown. Their relationship also turned into a training partnership.

Benjamin St-Juste and Julia Hall. (Courtesy of Julia Hall)

It was a “really unique and special time,” Hall said. Their daily routine started with breakfast before they headed to the track, where Hall did her running workouts and St-Juste tasted humility.

When he wasn’t timing her splits, St-Juste tried keeping pace with the middle-distance runner. There’s an emphasis on try. After 200 meters, “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m kind of running out of breath’” trying to keep up, he said.

His modified workout included footwork drills on the field and in a sandpit, as well as attempts at improving his coordination by swatting tennis balls thrown by Hall. What she lacked in accuracy — “that’s not my sport” — she made up for in spirit. “I was still like, ‘OK, try it again and get to work,’” she said.

They lifted weights and worked on their core muscles. They shared an appreciation for staying fit and the need for proper rest. As competitive athletes, the couple discussed the pressure of sports. “I appreciate that he could understand (my situation), and I’m sure he appreciates that I understand his,” Hall said.

Hall was concluding her time at Georgia as St-Juste was learning his career would begin in Washington. They live together in Reston, Va., near Washington’s facility, with a dog named Beau, a Jack Russell terrier-beagle mix. As she began working for a New York-based marketing company, he entered the NFL.

St-Juste shined throughout Washington’s offseason program and after returning for training camp, with the momentous trip to Portugal in between. Despite being a rookie, St-Juste is poised for a large role as Washington’s third cornerback behind William Jackson III and Kendall Fuller. Those three, along with safeties Landon Collins and Kam Curl, may form Washington’s go-to secondary.

“He’s always working and we’re excited for him,” Fuller said.

While many are learning about the rangy cornerback, Hall owns a master’s degree in St-Juste. Having watched many of his games — after all, she calls him her “best friend” — she has a good read for his body language.

She recalled how St-Juste appeared amped up in his first game after transferring to Minnesota in 2019. She watched his preseason debut at New England on Aug. 12 with other players’ significant others at a get-together hosted by Jennifer Leno, the wife of Washington’s starting left tackle, Charles Leno Jr. From that perch, Hall “felt like (St-Juste) looked relaxed and confident,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wow, he’s starting off strong,’ so that made me really happy to see.”

With Fuller and Jackson resting, and Hall in the stands wearing a black tank top with “St-Juste” across the back, the rookie started Friday’s preseason home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Big Ten all-academic selection last season — St-Juste earned his degree in sociology — used his smarts to combat wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who was drafted fifth in April.

Washington’s defense faced third-and-5 from its 19-yard line in the first quarter. Chase ran a slant route earlier in the game that St-Juste played to the outside. Seeing Chase as the lone receiver at the bottom of the formation, St-Juste altered his approach.

“I understood their scheme and formation they were doing, so I went more inside,” St-Juste said. “That’s how I made the play.”

The pass went his way and fell incomplete. St-Juste’s head coach took notice.

“I thought Benjamin St-Juste had a good night,” Ron Rivera said after the 17-13 win. “I thought he did some really good things, and that was a big step for him.”

Life is about growth, and the Montreal native took big strides this year. That included the moment in Lisbon that he told his friends was coming, the one the woman he adores sensed.

As the photo session neared its final shot, Benjamin, who had been speaking with the photographer in French, said a phrase Hall finally could understand: “Start recording.”

“I was like, ‘Oh, I think this is happening,’” Hall said. St-Juste dropped to one knee and told Hall he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The celebration began. Following a year filled with confusion and change, clarity and joy washed over the happy couple, albeit with one tiny fumble.

“He never (initially) actually said words like, ‘Will you marry me?’” Hall said. They realized the faux pas once the shock wore off. By then, he’d slipped the ring onto her finger and she had excitedly said yes. They smiled, hugged and kissed their way through the night as the picture-taking continued.

Back stateside, the couple have been exploring Arlington and the Georgetown waterfront by taking long walks with Beau, and there’s still time for movies even as they’ve entered the workforce. St-Juste learned to “cherish” his life amid a fraught last 17 months. He seeks to overcome a bad practice session or life’s challenges by setting a daily goal of “trying to get 1 percent better” through a positive mindset. “As long as you do that, you’re going to keep getting better,” he said.

For St-Juste, being in a committed relationship only helps.

“I can only speak for myself, but it kept me (away) from a lot of trouble,” St-Juste said. “We kind of feed off each other in terms of energy. Having a good woman by your side really helps you to stay focused and keep getting better in life.”

Washington sees a bright future with its rookie cornerback, who learned from unpredictable times the importance of embracing each day. He’ll do so with his favorite workout and life partner by his side.

“Watching Ben play was honestly surreal,” Hall said after Friday’s game. “Actually seeing him in person playing in an NFL game and do so well — I’m just so proud and happy for him, and excited for what’s to come.”

(Top photo: Courtesy of Tiffany Amisse / @tiffanynflphoto)

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