For most NFL players, international games are both an opportunity to play in front of foreign fans and a chance to spend time with their families. It’s become very common to see spouses, parents, and loved ones in the stands, especially when the game is held overseas.
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That said, for Cleveland Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel, Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London carried even more emotional weight, as it marked his first-ever NFL start.
But unlike most rookies making their debut, there were no familiar faces cheering for him from the stands. Neither his parents nor his fiancée, Zoe Caswell, was there to witness the milestone moment.
Speaking to the press a day before the matchup, Gabriel revealed the reason his parents couldn’t make the trip. “Fun fact: Need to get my dad a passport. So we’re learning about that,” he said with a grin.
Gabriel’s parents, who live in Hawaii, would’ve had to travel nearly halfway across the globe on short notice too, a logistical challenge that simply wasn’t feasible.
However, the absence of his fiancée was more surprising, especially given the significance of the occasion. Luckily for us, Caswell has since explained why she couldn’t attend the London game.
“POV: your fiancé is making his first NFL start in London and you’re working,” she wrote in the caption, showing herself sitting behind a desk with a half-smile. For context, Dillon Gabriel’s fiancée had recently started a new job at French beauty giants Sephora, in Cleveland, where the Browns are based.
Caswell, who recently earned her master’s degree in business from Grand Canyon University, said she took the job to meet new people and stay busy while Gabriel was away at practice. “I’ve lived in Cleveland for two months, and I’m home alone a lot because he’s at practice. So I went and got a job at Sephora,” she shared last week.
Dillion Gabriels fiancé couldn’t go to the game because she had to work! Do you know where she works at in Cleveland??
Sephora.
I really wish the best for the couple from Hawaii!!
— Yvette (@bougiesports) October 5, 2025
The couple’s story has been one of patience and partnership. Gabriel and Caswell have known each other since middle school in Hawaii, where they first met during a seventh-grade orientation class.
They began dating in high school, endured years of long-distance during Gabriel’s college career at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon, and finally got engaged in September 2024. Their wedding is set for summer 2026, where they plan both a Catholic ceremony and a traditional celebration.
And while his fiancée and family couldn’t be in attendance, Dillon Gabriel certainly made them proud from afar. The rookie finished his debut 19-of-33 passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 94.3 passer rating with no interceptions in the Browns’ 21-17 loss to the Vikings.
Even though it may not have been a fairytale ending on the scoreboard, for Gabriel, it was a performance that would have certainly made his family proud watching from the TV!
