Former NFL player and ‘Bachelorette’ contestant Clayton Echard named new ‘Bachelor,’ reveals he finds love
“Claynos” will live to see another day — and another show.
Clayton Echard will be the man of the hour (or two) for the upcoming season of “The Bachelor.”
The former NFL player and contestant of the current season of “The Bachelorette” has been tapped to be the object of affection for the 26th season of the popular ABC dating competition.
Nicknamed “Claynos” by his friends in the house due partly to his sculpted physique, Echard made it to Michelle Young’s top eight suitors before getting eliminated on the 18th season of “The Bachelorette.”
“I just wanna find love so badly. And have a family. And start that chapter of my life,” he said during his emotional exit last week.
“I want it more than anything else. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get that, whatever it takes,” Echard said in what the network described as “one of the most emotional and heart-wrenching moments in “Bachelor” history.”
According to ABC, he had the perfect example of what marriage and love can be since his parents have been married for 29 years, and their relationship is precisely the kind he so desperately wants for himself.
A first Look at the new season was unveiled on Tuesday night’s episode of “The Bachelorette.”
During a Wednesday appearance on “Good Morning America,” he revealed that his run as the Bachelor was a success.
“I did find love,” he said about the season, which has presumably already wrapped production. “I was a little skeptical going into the whole journey, but I’m so pleasantly surprised that things worked out much different than I thought. Again, I’m just so excited to watch it back and have everyone else watch it as well.”
The 28-year-old medical sales rep from Missouri had a brief stint in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 after playing football in college. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science and minors in business and Spanish from the University of Missouri.
Echard is now pursuing his MBA with plans to start his own business one day.
Season 26 of “The Bachelor” premieres Jan 3 on ABC.
