Allison Kucharczyk, known as Allison Kuch, and her husband Isaac Rochell are among the National Football League’s (NFL) favorite couples. They started dating in 2014 while attending the University of Notre Dame and the two got married six years later, welcoming their first child together—a little girl named Scottie—in December 2023.
Now the couple is gearing up for Scottie’s first birthday and the holiday season—which just so happens to be one of the duo’s favorite times of year. Between spending time with their families, whipping up some delicious recipes and playing all kinds of board games, TikTok star Allison Kuch and Rochell, who has played professionally for the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers, love it all. But the one thing they’re not so fond of? Doing the dishes.
To learn Rochell’s best dishwashing tip, how Kuch really feels about being a woman in sports and what they’re both excited to show their daughter this holiday season, keep reading!
First for Women: Now that you’re parents, how does this holiday season look different from your previous ones? Is there anything you are particularly excited about?
Allison Kuch: It’s like night and day, because now that we have a daughter, we get to experience the holidays through a different light. And I’m really looking forward to that.
Isaac Rochell: It kind of rejuvenates your excitement, too. Showing a kid something for the first time, and they get excited, so we get excited. Our daughter is in front of a Christmas tree. I can only imagine she’s going to be so excited. So I just can’t wait to show her things.
AK: There are so many activities that come with the holidays. And so there’s a lot of family time, a lot of friend time, a lot of activities. I love it. I love the holidays.
IR: We’ve been saying that the traditional family —having a kid—brings everybody together, and I think that’s what we’re excited to introduce to her. Just that tradition of family.
AK: I’m really looking forward to Christmas morning because I love Christmas morning.
FFW: With the holidays comes cooking. What are your favorite recipes to make during the season?
AK: We love all the unhealthy ones, anything, and all the messy ones, too. We love sweet potato casserole and stuffing. We’re a big casserole family.
IR: I love mashed potatoes with good gravy. Gravy matters.
FFW: But with cooking comes a lot of dishes. What’s your best holiday dishwashing advice?
AK: We love hosting, and I think with hosting, we like to be efficient and we like to spend all of our time with our guests, having fun, having drinks and playing board games. So [partnering with] Finish [dishwasher tabs] is so seamless because we get to spend less time in the kitchen and more time hanging out with our friends and family.
IR: Plus, not every guest is willing to clean up, so Finish can be the ultimate guest.
FFW: Allison, let’s talk about your podcast. How has that journey been for you?
AK: It’s been so fun. It’s definitely been a learning process. I finally get to talk about something that I love in a different form, so it’s been a great new journey.
FFW: You are also very active on social media—the Allison Kuch Instagram and TikTok communities are strong. Are you enjoying being a content creator?
AK: There are ups and downs when it comes to content creation. Initially, I started sharing, like, a day in the life, and then I started sharing my passions.
I feel like now I’m in the space where I love sharing what I’m passionate about, whether that be parenthood, pregnancy, being a mom or opening a package. It’s also fun being able to work with companies that align with my lifestyle.
FFW: As a woman in sports, what do you want other women to know?
AK: I feel like I’m a pioneer in a way, because I don’t think there’s been a space like this before, especially for somebody who’s been married to professional athletes before. So, I see two sides to sports now, but it’s been so fun and it’s been really rewarding, having women come up to me and say, “Oh, I know more sports than my boyfriend.’ I think it’s really rewarding, especially hearing people’s feedback.
FFW: Issac, with the football season in full swing, what is your current health and wellness routine, and has it changed since becoming a dad?
IR: I think for me, it’s just lowering the expectation. I’m going to work out and get better every day, but now I have to think about things like maybe I didn’t sleep a lot last night because Scottie was up or whatever it may be, just like lowering the expectation that sometimes I’ll have to work out at 8:00 AM, not 6:00.
AK: You’ve also been incorporating working out and fitness with her, because she loves walks.
FFW: As an NFL player, how has being a girl dad been for you?
IR: It’s been so fun. I’ve been around nothing but men my entire life; in the locker room, my coaches, everybody’s a man. And I was excited to explore the relationship with a daughter and have somebody I could love unconditionally.
AK: We always talked before we had her about who’s a bad cop and who’s a good cop. And I feel like we’re both good cops. There’s nothing that she could do that’s wrong.
IR: I always say if I spoil her too much, it’s going to be somebody else’s problem.
FFW: What’s next for both of you?
IR: For us, it’s having time and space. For the last four years, we’ve been moving every single year. So, I think, like, taking advantage of being in one spot.
AK: We’ve spent all this time moving or adjusting to your new city. I think now we are going to be able to use that time, once Issac retires, to focus on our passions and really find what we love.
IR: Once we have that time and space, it will be, like, “What makes us tick?” and “What makes us excited?”
