When Britney Smith, a senior psychology major, walked to the Old Well on the first day of class to meet Sean Tapley, the last thing she expected was to see her boyfriend of three years wearing a suit.
Encouraged by the cheers of their friends and students on their way to class, Tapley, a wide receiver for the football team, knelt down on one knee and proposed at the same place where the couple first met.
Since the proposal, Smith and Tapley’s engagement has been the subject of many social media posts and conversations across campus.
“I was in class the other day and someone was like, ‘Did you hear that football player proposed to his girlfriend?’” Smith said.
As a player for UNC’s football team, Tapley is accustomed to attention and pressure.
He said he was not nervous about the proposal, but talking to her dad for permission beforehand was a different story.
“(That) was one of the most difficult things I ever did in my life,” he said.
After the proposal, Tapley took Smith to Maggiano’s — her favorite restaurant.
Upon their return to campus, their song — “Endless Love” by Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross — and a tub of Smith’s favorite ice cream greeted them at his apartment, courtesy of their mutual friends.
Smith and Tapley met the summer before their freshman year in 2010, and began dating that November.
“When I first saw her…I saw a light shine,” Tapley said.
“We like to eat. We like to laugh…Our relationship is very special. She’s beautiful. She’s my other half.”
Although Smith said they had discussed marriage over the past year, she had no idea when or how the proposal would happen.
“I was really shocked, because I never thought I would be proposed to like that,” she said.
“That’s something you see in the movies. I feel like the luckiest girl right now.”
Jaslyn Piggott, a mutual friend who helped Tapley plan the proposal, said keeping it a secret from Smith posed a challenge.
“Britney always finds stuff out,” she said. “You can’t get things past her.”
Alyssa Townsend, who also helped Tapley, said the proposal was a great way to start the year.
“It was just so precious seeing her reaction,” she said.
“I’m so happy for her. I really am.”
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
