Allison Kuch is not embarrassed to be called a WAG. In fact, she believes the term has become more positive in recent years.

The 29-year-old content creator, married to an NFL player and free agent Isaac Rochellrecently spoke to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about why she thinks the narrative surrounding athletes’ wives and girlfriends has changed for the better, especially since she and Rochell started dating in college.

The couple first met as sophomores while Rochell attended the University of Notre Dame and Kuch attended Michigan State University. After years of dating and long distance, they eloped in December 2020 before holding an official ceremony in April 2021.

Throughout their relationship, Rochell has played for the Los Angeles Chargers (2017-2020), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. In November 2023, he was released by the Raiders, while sharing a post on.

“I think women in and around sports are valued more now, and we have so many incredible women to thank for that,” Kuch, who now shares 11-month-old daughter Scottie Bee with Rochell, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I mean, Taylor Swift, Simone Biles, Brittany Mahomes – these women are doing incredible things beyond just being a “wife.”

“The narrative is moving in a much more positive direction, moving away from the old stereotype of ‘Oh, you married him for his money,'” she says, adding: “I hope I’ve also played a role in changing of this.”

For Rochell, WAG’s more positive narrative helped him feel more comfortable sharing aspects of his personal life in the sports world on social media. He admits to PEOPLE that talking about his personal life hasn’t always been well-received, as he’s frequently been criticized for posting about his relationship instead of just focusing on football.

“You have to draw lines,” he tells PEOPLE. “You see social media creators run into these walls all the time in their content creation where they express that they want to take a step back because they’ve shared too much or people have been too negative towards them because ‘They shared too much.’

However, with more positive sports relationships in the spotlight — like Swift’s relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce – he now feels more comfortable talking about his life outside of his life as an athlete.

“I’m here for it,” Rochell says of Kelce and Swift’s blossoming romance. “The Chiefs are undefeated right now, and Travis Kelce just had his best game of the season. Fans criticize me all the time for doing things outside of football, but then you see Travis, very present in pop culture, flying to New York on his week off, being a great boyfriend and still living a Amazing football season with the best team. in the NFL. It’s really refreshing to see.

“Taylor Swift is also a great representative of the amazing women who make up the NFL. She is intelligent, she is legitimate,” he adds.

Kuch, who considers herself a big Swiftie, adds: “I love any excuse people can come up with to be more interested in sports, like being a Taylor Swift fan and wanting to watch more football. I’m here for, I think sport can be for everyone and for everyone.”

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Having been in a relationship with Rochell for almost 11 years, Kuch says that at this point, nothing really surprises her about being married to a professional athlete. However, one thing she is learning to deal with right now is Rochell’s status as a free agent.

“At the end of the day, I continue to help him achieve his dreams,” Kuch says. “I follow him all over town and I feel like a lot of people have the misconception that I’m not allowed to be like, ‘Oh, gee, we need to get away from our family.’ This hurts me. People expect you to stay positive about it, but hopefully I’ve helped change that narrative as well.