Andrew S. On 'The Bachelorette' Has A Deep Connection To The Franchise

- The Bachelor -
Andrew S. On 'The Bachelorette' Has A Deep Connection To The Franchise

He might not be Bridgerton's Duke of Hastings (and, let's face it, his British accent could use some work), but Andrew S. is definitely a charmer on this season of The Bachelorette. That said, for a front runner, we haven't really learned anything about him. He's been lucky to connect with Katie during cocktail parties and even picked up a rose during a Week 2 group date, but even though his connection with Katie seems strong, I still have a lot of questions. Like, does he actually live in Austria? What does it mean to play football in Europe (where "football" normally means soccer)? And how does he wear all those turtlenecks without feeling like he's choking?

We've learned two main things about Andrew S. on The Bachelorette so far: 1) he is committed to the bit (that "British" accent went on way too long, but I gotta respect that level of dedication), and 2) he and Katie bonded over their similar upbringings. Now, based on a clip from the June 28 episode, we know that he also enjoys Taco Bell — or "T Bell" as he calls it (I may be Taco Bell illiterate, but is that actually a thing?) — and feels like Katie really understands him. But there's gotta be more to Andrew S.'s story. And for that, we're heading to social media.

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Where Is Andrew S. Really From?

Ok, Andrew's Bachelorette introduction was a little confusing. On his official Bachelorette bio, Andrew's hometown is listed as Vienna, Austria, but that's really only half the story. He actually splits his time between Vienna and Chicago — he reportedly grew up in Lake Villa — so, I'm guessing his hometown date is not going to involve international travel. He also went to college at Winona State University in Minnesota, so consider him more midwestern than European.

Does Andrew S. Play Professional Football?

For those of us not familiar with the world of sports ball, the idea of playing American football in Europe seems impossible. But, it's actually a pretty successful industry. Andrew S. has played for the Dacia Vienna Vikings since 2019. In 2020, per American Football International, they played through a pandemic, winning a best-of-five tournament against the only other team playing through COVID, the Graz Giants.

Andrew actually had to miss part of the 2021 season because he was on The Bachelorette, but the team was supportive of his journey to find love, even sharing a celebratory post on Instagram when his casting was announced. Now that filming is over, Andrew's back in Austria now. "Football is my first love, it's something that's always going to have a place in my heart," he told reporters via. American Football International. "Being able to come back here and breathe football air, it's been like coming back home, almost relaxing. It's my safe haven, my zen."

How Did Andrew S. Get On The Bachelorette?

Andrew S. was reportedly nominated to be a contestant on The Bachelorette by his cousin, who just so happens to be Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise alum, Clay Harbor. The two football players seem pretty close based on Andrew's sparse Instagram. I mean, who can deny the connection between these two shirtless cousins and their bazillion abs?

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I hope Andrew gets to hometowns so that we can get a Clay cameo. Though, TBH, I'll settle for his mom, who looks absolutely adorable in a Thanksgiving pic he shared last year.

Did Clay Spoil Andrew's Bachelorette Journey?

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Clay has been cheering on his cousin from the sidelines, poking fun at the turtleneck Andrew chose for his Bachelorette portrait and hyping him up on social media. But, on June 14, just two weeks into the season, he launched a "Andrew S. for Bachelor" campaign. I'm going to assume that he sent this out as a live-tweet after Andrew's bonding moment with Katie where they talked about their childhoods, but it feels like more than just a snappy comment to me. Are you trying to tell us something, Clay?

Look, you've gotta be single to be the Bachelor, that's all I'm saying.

Other Fun Facts

Andrew S. is pretty low-key on social media, but going through his tagged photos on Insta, I was able to find a few fun tidbits:

  • He's a Slytherin: He appears to have dressed up as Draco Malfoy during a Harry Potter-themed night with his friends. (Note: it's the second pic in this carrousel.)
  • He's a dog guy: Andrew posted a photo on Insta in May declaring himself a "dog uncle." TBH, the dog is very, very cute, so I don't think Katie will hold this against him just yet.
  • He's close with his mom: Based on his Insta, it really looks like he has a close bond with his mom. They even took a "mom son trip" in June of 2020 to San Francisco. Posting a selfie from the trip, he included the hashtag "#productofaStrongBlackWoman" in his caption, and IDK why but that hashtag paired with her smiling face makes me very happy. Again, I just wanna say, I really hope Andrew gets to hometowns because I want to meet this woman!
  • He weighed 10 pounds at birth: Andrew celebrated his birthday in January of 2019 with a birthday post to himself (lol), thanking his mom for "birthing me a 10 lbs baby." (And if you're thinking that he must have been a cute baby, I think you are probably correct because he also shared these photos of him from Kindergarten, and OMG, he's adorable.)
  • His celebrity crush: Based on his Twitter, Andrew's definitely a Zendaya fan. And, really, who can blame him?

As far as I can tell, Andrew's biggest red flag is that he might actually think Taco Bell is real Mexican food, but if it gets him the rose, who cares?

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Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin

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