San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk never envisioned himself as a dog person — in fact, it was quite the opposite.
“I had a cat growing up my whole life,” Juszczyk, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with Purina’s For the Win sweepstakes. “We got her when I was 5 and I even took her to Baltimore my rookie year when I got drafted. I just never really had dogs around the house like that.”
That all changed when Juszczyk married his wife, Kristin, in 2019 and she showed him pictures of Samoyeds — the white, fluffy dogs that would soon become a cornerstone of the Juszczyks’ lives.
“I saw these things and instantly fell in love,” Juszczyk recalled. “I was like, ‘We need to get one of these.’”
The couple ultimately decided to take the plunge and get their first Samoyed in 2020. They just needed to figure out what to call the pup.
“We started thinking about names and my wife threw out Mozzarella, and that was the easiest decision of my life,” Juszczyk said. “As soon as I heard that, I said, ‘Boy or girl, Mozzarella is going to be the name.’”
Why Mozzarella? “My wife is Italian,” Juszczyk explained. “The whole family is Sicilian. There’s a lot of mozzarella cheese being eaten in that family.”
Mozzarella ended up being a girl, who would keep the Juszczyks busy until they made the call to give her a little sister in March 2023.
“When we were getting our second dog, it was like, ‘Alright, we represented the Italian heritage in our family, now let’s represent the Polish heritage,’” Juszczyk said. “My family is from Poland and one of my favorite foods in the entire world are pierogies. We call her Rogi for short.”
Less than five years after never even considering becoming a dog owner, Juszczyk admitted that now he can’t imagine his life without them.
“They’re my absolute best friends,” the NFL star gushed. “I’m on the floor wrestling with them every day. I can’t stop kissing their snouts. It’s disgusting.”
Mozzarella and Pierogi — who, of course, have their own Instagram account — might get some company in the future, according to a hint dropped by Juszczyk.
“I love the food names for dogs,” he said. “They’re so fitting for the two of them. The next dog will probably be something in the same realm.”
In the meantime, the Juszczyks have partnered with Purina’s For the Win sweepstakes, which allows dog owners and their canine friends to compete in a series of challenges.
Through August 31, dog owners will get a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and other weekly prizes, including Walmart gift cards and $500 worth of popular Beggin’ treats and Busy Bones. New challenges are released every other Monday on Purina’s social media channels.
“We’re an athletic, competitive family. My wife included,” Juszczyk said. “Things get pretty heated on the ping pong table. Everything we do, we’re always competing. Purina has given us an opportunity to extend that competition to our dogs.”
For more information on the Purina for the Win Challenges and Purina for the Win Sweepstakes, including rules and a chance to win gift cards, coupons, and the grand prize, visit Purinaforthewin.com.
