The Bachelor officially kicked off its 25th season Monday night, and fans flocked to their TVs to see the show’s star, Matt James, and the group of women vying for his roses and attention. But there was something else fans noticed as the show progressed: Matt’s Texans football jersey.
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“Oh look, Matt James wearing a Kevin Johnson Texans jersey #thebachelor,” one person tweeted. In a blink-and-you-would’ve-missed-it moment, Matt popped up wearing a Kevin Johnson Texans jersey in a quick three-second throwback clip that showed him working with kids in New York City. So, what’s the deal?
© @mattjames919Matt James on the premiere of the The Bachelor
According to news publication Chron, it turns out Matt has a close tie to the team, and specifically, Kevin. The two reportedly happen to be close friends, and spent five years as college roommates at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, according to the site.
They also played football together at Wake Forest for four seasons. Kevin was considered to be “Wake Forest’s best cornerback” and Matt was one of the team’s best receivers.
© @mattjames919Matt James playing college football at Wake Forest University
Kevin played for the Texans in 2015 and now plays for the Cleveland Browns.
© @simbakevMatt James's friend Kevin Johnson in his Cleveland Browns jersey
As for the Bachelor, Matt’s appearance on the reality show marked two firsts for the show - the first time the Bachelor has had an African American star and the first time a Bachelor had never appeared on the show before as a contestant.
And while there are over 40 women hoping to land Matt’s final rose, fans of the show are already rooting for Abigail Heringer, a 25-year-old financial manager. She was an immediate hit with fans and plenty of people hit Twitter to praise her after she received the first rose from Matt.
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© The BachelorBachelor contestant Abigail Heringer
One person wrote: "I. Love. Her. Abigail is the sweetest most genuine and authentic person here." Another tweeted: "Abigail is my quick favorite already," while a third person wrote: "We must protect Abigail at all costs."
The reality show contestant also made history on the show as the first contestant to ever appear in The Bachelor with a cochlear implant. She and her sister, Rachel, were both born with congenital hearing loss, and had cochlear implantation surgery aged two.
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