For NFL fans searching for cris collinsworth wife, the answer is Holly Collinsworth, formerly Holly Bankemper, an attorney who has been married to the longtime NBC Sports football analyst since 1989. While Cris Collinsworth has spent decades in the spotlight as a former Cincinnati Bengals receiver and one of the most recognizable voices in NFL broadcasting, Holly has built a professional life of her own while raising their four children.
Cris and Holly’s relationship began in Cincinnati during the 1980s, when Collinsworth was still playing professional football and Holly was preparing for a career in law. Their relationship eventually became a long-lasting marriage that has continued through major changes in Cris’s life, from his NFL playing days to his transition into television.
Today, the Collinsworth family remains closely connected to football, broadcasting, education, business, and athletics.
Who Is Holly Collinsworth?
Holly Collinsworth is an American attorney from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She was born Holly Bankemper and became Holly Collinsworth after marrying Cris Collinsworth.
Unlike her husband, Holly has generally maintained a relatively private public profile. Her career has centered on law rather than professional sports or television, although her family connections have naturally placed her near the football world for decades.
Holly attended the University of Kentucky for her undergraduate education. During her college years, she was also a cheerleader for the Kentucky Wildcats.
She later continued her education at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, earning her law degree in 1988. Cris Collinsworth eventually attended the same law school after completing his NFL career and earned his law degree in 1991.
That shared connection to the University of Cincinnati became one of several important links between the couple.
How Did Cris Collinsworth Meet Holly?
Cris Collinsworth and Holly met in Cincinnati during the 1980s.
At the time, Collinsworth was playing wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Holly was preparing to begin her legal education. According to accounts of their relationship, the two were introduced through mutual friends.
Their early relationship developed while Collinsworth was still an active NFL player. The Bengals receiver was already becoming a prominent figure in Cincinnati, having been selected by the team in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft.
Collinsworth played his entire eight-year NFL career with Cincinnati, making the city an important part of both his professional and personal life.
Holly’s own connection to Cincinnati became stronger as she attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
When Did Cris Collinsworth and Holly Get Married?
Cris Collinsworth and Holly Collinsworth married on June 3, 1989.
Their wedding came shortly after Collinsworth completed his NFL playing career with the Bengals. He retired following the 1988 season and soon began establishing himself as a television football analyst.
The timing meant Holly was alongside Collinsworth during one of the biggest transitions of his professional life.
Instead of leaving football behind completely, Collinsworth moved from the field to the broadcast booth. He began working in sports media in 1989 and eventually became a fixture on major NFL broadcasts.
Over the years, Holly remained a steady part of his family life while Cris’s broadcasting career expanded nationally.
Holly Collinsworth’s Career as an Attorney
Holly’s professional identity is closely connected to the legal field.
After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1988, she became a practicing attorney. She has been associated with legal work in Kentucky and has also worked in Florida.
Her legal career is particularly notable because she and Cris both pursued law degrees, although their professional paths developed differently.
Cris earned an accounting degree at the University of Florida before entering professional football. After retiring from the NFL, he returned to school and completed a law degree. Broadcasting ultimately became his primary profession.
Holly, meanwhile, maintained her connection to the legal profession.
She has also been associated with the Cincinnati legal community and community organizations in northern Kentucky.
Holly Collinsworth’s Connection to Fort Thomas
Fort Thomas, Kentucky, has been an important part of Holly Collinsworth’s life.
She grew up in Fort Thomas and attended Highlands High School. The community has remained connected to the Collinsworth family for many years.
Holly was later recognized as Highlands Alumnus of the Year, reflecting her continuing connection to the school and community.
Her involvement has extended beyond her legal career. She has participated in community and educational initiatives and has served on the board of the Fort Thomas Education Foundation.
The Collinsworth family’s connection to Fort Thomas also became particularly visible through their children’s education and athletic activities.
How Many Children Do Cris and Holly Collinsworth Have?
Cris and Holly Collinsworth have four children: Katie, Austin, Ashley, and Jac.
The family includes two sons and two daughters. All four children have developed their own professional or athletic interests, with several remaining connected to sports.
Cris’s career in football and broadcasting clearly influenced the environment in which the children grew up, but they have pursued different paths rather than simply following the same career.
Katie Collinsworth
Katie Collinsworth is one of Cris and Holly’s two daughters.
She has worked in television production and sports media, giving her a professional connection to the broadcasting industry in which her father has spent much of his post-playing career.
Growing up around professional football and television provided Katie with an unusual perspective on the sports media business.
Austin Collinsworth
Austin Collinsworth followed the athletic side of his father’s career.
He attended the University of Notre Dame and played football as a safety. He also served as a team captain during his senior season.
Austin’s college football career was affected by injuries, but he later moved into the business and analytics side of sports.
He earned a finance degree from Notre Dame and subsequently completed an MBA at the university’s Mendoza College of Business.
Austin later became associated with Pro Football Focus, the football analytics company in which his father has also had a significant business interest. He has served as the company’s chief operating officer.
His career demonstrates how the Collinsworth family’s football connection extends beyond broadcasting and into sports analytics and business.
Ashley Collinsworth
Ashley Collinsworth is the other daughter of Cris and Holly.
She pursued athletics at Harvard University, where she competed in track and field.
Her sporting background gave the family another connection to competitive athletics outside football.
Ashley has maintained a lower public profile than her father and brother Jac, but her collegiate athletic career remains an important part of the Collinsworth family’s story.
Jac Collinsworth
Jac Collinsworth is perhaps the most visible of Cris’s children in sports broadcasting.
Born in 1995, Jac attended the University of Notre Dame and developed an early interest in sports media.
He gained experience covering Notre Dame athletics and became involved in television production and digital sports coverage. He also worked on NBC’s Olympic coverage before joining the network more prominently.
Jac joined NBC Sports as an on-air commentator in 2020 and has worked across several major sports assignments.
His career has created a unique father-and-son connection in national sports broadcasting.
Cris and Holly Collinsworth’s Family Today
Cris Collinsworth and Holly have now been married for more than three decades.
According to NBC Sports, the couple has four adult children and five grandchildren. Their family has therefore grown well beyond the household they created during Cris’s early broadcasting career.
The family’s connection to football remains particularly strong. Cris continues to work as a leading NFL analyst, while Jac has established his own position in sports media.
Austin’s career has also remained connected to football through sports analytics.
This combination has made the Collinsworth family unusual in American sports: one generation has included an NFL player and broadcaster, while the next has included a broadcaster, football player, sports executive, and collegiate athlete.
Cris Collinsworth’s NFL Career
Cris Collinsworth became famous before his broadcasting career began.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft after his standout career at the University of Florida.
He played eight seasons in Cincinnati from 1981 through 1988.
During that period, Collinsworth became one of the Bengals’ leading receivers. He was selected to three Pro Bowls and played in two Super Bowls with Cincinnati.
His NFL career ended with 417 receptions, 6,698 receiving yards, and 36 receiving touchdowns. He also recorded four 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Although his playing career lasted less than a decade, it established the football credibility that later became central to his broadcasting career.
From NFL Receiver to Broadcaster
Collinsworth moved into sports broadcasting soon after retiring from football.
He began with HBO’s Inside the NFL before developing a much larger television career.
He later worked with NBC and FOX, becoming part of several high-profile NFL broadcasting teams.
His return to NBC ultimately led to his long-running role on Sunday Night Football.
In August 2026, Collinsworth began his 18th season in the Sunday Night Football booth. NBC has also noted that he reached his 500th game as an analyst in November 2025.
He served as the game analyst for Super Bowl LX in February 2026, marking his sixth Super Bowl in that role.
His continued presence on NFL broadcasts means his personal life, including his marriage to Holly, remains a subject of interest among football viewers.
Holly Collinsworth and Cris’s Public Life
Holly has generally avoided the constant media attention that comes with Cris’s profession.
Cris appears on national television during NFL games, participates in major sports events, and is frequently discussed by football media. Holly’s career and personal life have largely remained outside that daily spotlight.
That distinction has allowed her to maintain her own professional identity as an attorney.
Nevertheless, she has occasionally appeared alongside Cris at public events, including sports-related gatherings.
The couple’s long marriage has also become part of the broader story surrounding Collinsworth’s career.
Community and Philanthropic Activities
Cris and Holly have also been involved in charitable and community activities.
The couple founded the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund, an organization associated with breast cancer awareness and programs supporting children and education.
The organization has been connected to initiatives such as breast cancer screening and chess programs.
Holly’s involvement in community activities complements her legal career and family responsibilities.
Her participation in educational organizations has also reinforced the family’s longstanding connection to northern Kentucky.
Are Cris and Holly Collinsworth Still Married?
Yes. Cris Collinsworth and Holly Collinsworth remain married.
They have been together since their wedding in 1989 and have raised four children together.
Their marriage has continued through virtually every major phase of Cris’s public career, including his NFL playing days, his transition into broadcasting, his work at FOX and NBC, and his continuing role on Sunday Night Football.
For fans searching for cris collinsworth wife, Holly remains the person most closely associated with his personal life.
What Does Holly Collinsworth Do Now?
Holly Collinsworth continues to be identified with her career as an attorney and her community involvement.
Because she does not have the same public-facing career as Cris, there are fewer regular media updates about her professional activities.
Her public biography is nevertheless substantial. It includes her Kentucky upbringing, university education, law degree, legal career, marriage to Cris, four children, and involvement in community organizations.
She has maintained a comparatively private lifestyle while remaining connected to the Collinsworth family’s activities.
The Collinsworth Family’s Continuing Sports Legacy
The Collinsworth family’s connection to sports has continued into a second generation.
Cris established himself first as a professional football player and later as a national broadcaster.
Austin pursued college football and then moved into sports business and analytics.
Jac entered broadcasting and has worked for NBC Sports.
Ashley competed in collegiate track and field, while Katie developed experience in television production.
Holly’s legal career provides a different professional path within the family, showing that the Collinsworth household has never been limited to football alone.
Final Thoughts
Holly Collinsworth has played an important role in the personal story behind one of the NFL’s longest-running broadcasting careers.
She met Cris Collinsworth in Cincinnati while he was playing for the Bengals and she was beginning her path toward a legal career. The two married in 1989 and went on to raise four children.
While Cris became a familiar face and voice on national football broadcasts, Holly developed her own career as an attorney and remained active in her Kentucky community.
Their four children have taken different directions, including sports broadcasting, football, sports analytics, athletics, and television production. Today, the family includes five grandchildren and remains closely associated with both sports and community life.
Cris continues to be a prominent part of NBC’s NFL coverage, while Holly has maintained a quieter public presence. Together, their decades-long marriage and growing family form an important part of the story behind the broadcaster fans see on television each football season.