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James Richard Garoppolo, better known to football fans worldwide as Jimmy Garoppolo, is an American football quarterback currently playing for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL).
Since coming out of Tom Brady’s shadows at the New England Patriots and stepping into the spotlight with the 49ers, Garoppolo has attracted a lot of media attention. There has been increased curiosity about his close-knit Italian family. His earnings have also come under scrutiny after he signed one of the biggest deals in NFL history. However, a lot of those attention has focused on his dating life, which so far is a lot less quiet than you would expect from a quarterback of his pedigree.
Jimmy Garoppolo Has So Far Been Linked with Only Two Women
Jimmy Garoppolo is neither married nor has children, and he tries as much as possible to keep his relationships away from the public. As a matter of fact, those close to him say he does not care for the glamour that comes with his quarterback role, including the array of high-profile relationships associated with it.
According to them, Jimmy simply wants to be a great teammate, win games, and be a good person. But even for a notoriously single person like him, there have been romantic links, involving model Alexandra King and porn star Kiara Mia.
His Brief Romance with Alexandra King in 2018
Initial rumors of a possible relationship between the model, Alexandra King, and Jimmy Garoppolo began in February 2018. They started after King called him her ‘valentine’ on Instagram, sparking rumors that they were an item. In true Jimmy fashion, he refused to acknowledge the rumors.
However, in March, Jimmy and King gave further credence to the tabloid gist when they were seen holding hands at Disneyland. After what was likely a date at the theme park, the couple was never seen together again until the end of June 2018 when paparazzi spotted them kissing in San Jose, California.
Despite their public appearances, Jimmy denied he was in a relationship. When he was asked about having a girlfriend, he said it was news to him. The comment seemingly ended suggestions they were dating, but it may not have been well-received by King. Months after his statement, King posted ‘Karma :)’ in an Instagram story after news of Jimmy’s ACL injury broke.
Porn Star Kiara Mia was His Next Rumored Girlfriend
In July 2018, a few weeks after his last appearance with Alexandra King, Jimmy Garoppolo was spotted on a date with a lady. His date was not just any lady but an adult film star from West Hollywood named Kiara Mia. The unexpected date, which happened on July 19, 2018, saw both parties sharing laughs and having a good time.
Eyewitnesses took pictures of the duo having a romantic dinner not long after the porn star posted a heads up for a date night on her Instagram page. Shortly after the photos went public, it went viral. The story also earned Mia more popularity on adult sites, with searches of her skyrocketing to more than 200,000 in barely 24 hours.
The pair never confirmed or denied being in a relationship. Still, Kiara admitted they are good friends despite suggesting they got intimate that night. And even though the San Francisco 49ers quarterback sent her flowers after the date, it appears he was being a gentleman appreciating a good evening.
Since Kiara, Jimmy has not been linked with anyone, except for one unconfirmed report in November 2019. The report alleged Jimmy was dating a VIP bottle service girl from Sacramento whom he got close to after following her on Instagram. Jimmy later unfollowed the mystery woman, who has the IG handle @shaybaevip, after the news broke and has not commented on the report.
Jimmy is Third of Four Garoppolo Sons Born to His Parents
As mentioned earlier, Jimmy Garoppolo comes from a closely-knit Italian family. Born on November 2, 1991, in Arlington Heights, he is the third of four sons born to his parents; Denise and Tony Garoppolo. The family’s closeness was evident when every single member was present at Jimmy’s celebratory press conference after he signed a 5-year contract worth $137.5 million with the San Francisco 49ers.
His paternal grandparents; Jane and Anthony Garoppolo, are first-generation Italian immigrants. His maternal ones are Harriet D. Seidel and Theodore J. Malec, and they are of German and Polish origins.
Tony Garoppolo
Jimmy’s father Tony is a retired electrician whose career spanned more than four decades. Throughout his career, he had a strong work ethic, one he instilled in all his children. According to an interview, Jimmy noted that his father was always out the door by 6:30 am every morning.
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Alongside his dedication to his work was a commitment to his children’s sports teams. He always finished work in time to coach their games. Tony often encouraged Jimmy to work hard, reminding him there is always someone working harder than him. This philosophy, combined with his talents, eventually got him to the NFL and he has become the face of the San Francisco 49ers.
Denise Garoppolo
While Tony was out of the door by 6:30 am every morning, Jimmy Garoppolo’s mother Denise was who looked after him and his brothers while making sure that everything was well at home. Other being a homemaker, it is not clear if she had any other job although an unverified Linkedin profile suggests she might also be a chef at Mindful Meals.
Mike Garoppolo
Jimmy’s older brother Mike is also involved in football. He played as a linebacker at Western Illinois before becoming a physical education and health teacher at Niles North High School. He later became the Niles North football team coach for two seasons after serving as the assistant coach for the previous four seasons.
Mike was also the defensive coordinator on two Vikings teams that made it to the playoffs. However, following Jimmy’s move to California, he resigned with Niles North football as a coach to stay close to his brother.
Tony Garoppolo Jr.
Jimmy’s second older brother, Tony Garoppolo Jr, is an architect who also works out of San Francisco. He moved to the city in 2018 after his brother joined the 49ers. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where he earned a master’s degree in architecture.
Tony Jr began his career as an intern at Group A Architects. He has gone on to work for firms like Chipman Design Architecture, Interactive Design Architects, and Wright Heerema Architects. He was working at Epstein Architecture in Chicago, Illinois, before he relocated to San Francisco, where he serves as Senior Design Professional.
Billy Garoppolo
The youngest Garoppolo is a college student who attended and graduated from Rolling Meadows High School like his brothers. He was in college when he got the news of his brother’s trade to San Francisco. He drove home to join his family before they all flew to the Bay Area in celebration.
Jimmy Garoppolo Has Earned $89.2 Million in Career Earnings
For the first three years of his NFL career, Jimmy Garoppolo cut his teeth as an understudy to Tom Brady. While he was part of the Patriots’ successes at the Super Bowl, he had minimal on-field contributions, reflecting in his pay. After the Patriots drafted him in 2014, he signed a four-year $3.483 million deal.
The contract earned him a signing bonus of $853,744 and a first-year salary of $420,000. Over the next three years, he earned $578,359, $686,718, and $820,077. He also earned $50,000 and $75,000 in workout bonuses in 2016 and 2017. At the start of the 2017 season, the Patriots traded him to the San Francisco 49ers.
After his rookie contract expired and he impressed as a starting quarterback for the 49ers, he signed one of the biggest contracts in NFL history. Jimmy Garoppolo signed a five year, $137.5 million deal with the team on February 8, 2018. The deal included a $7 million signing bonus, $74.1 million in guaranteed money, and an average annual salary of $27.5 million. With the contract, Jimmy became the highest-paid athlete in the sport’s history.
The record-breaking contract means that in 2018, he earned a base salary of $6.2 million and a signing bonus of $7 million. He also received a roster bonus of $28,150,000 and a workout bonus of $600,000, which he will earn throughout the contract’s run. He will also make a yearly roster bonus of $800,000 from 2019 to 2022.
So far, with a salary of $17.2 million in 2019 and $23.8 million in 2020, he has earned $43.8 million out of his mega $137.5 million contract. In all, Jimmy Garoppolo has made $89.2 million in career earnings as of 2020 and will earn an additional $93.7 million over the next three seasons.
He Earns a Few Extra Bucks from Endorsements and Merchandizing
Unlike other established quarterbacks, Jimmy Garoppolo is yet to become the marketing behemoth that attracts millions in annual income from endorsements. Still, he is building his way there, with deals with Bike, New Era and Bose. He also has a Nike deal that put him under the Jordan brand. According to Forbes, his endorsements rake in an additional $200,000 annually.
Aside from his endorsements, Jimmy also makes money from merchandising. The young quarterback has a fashion store where he sells all kinds of Jimmy Garoppolo-branded fashion items and accessories. His store sells t-shirts, hoodies, face masks, mugs, among others. Being a private enterprise, the revenue of his official store remains unknown. However, Jimmy has amassed a net worth of $43 million between his endorsements and career earnings. Not bad for the son for an electrician.