Allison Kuch Praises Taylor Swift for Shaping a More 'Positive' WAG Narrative: 'Moving Away from Old Stereotypes' (Exclusive)

Allison Kuch isn’t bothered by being called a WAG. In fact, she believes the term has become more positive in recent years.

The 29-year-old content creator, who is married to NFL player and free agent Isaac Rochell, recently opened up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about why she believes the narrative surrounding wives and girlfriends of athletes has shifted for the better, especially since she and Rochell began 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), the Indianapolis Colts (2021), the Cleveland Browns, and the Las Vegas Raiders. In November 2023, he was released by the Raiders, as he shared in a post on X.

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

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

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

"You have to draw lines," he tells PEOPLE. "You see social media creators all the time hit these walls in their content creation where they've expressed that they want to take a step back because they've shared too much or people have been too negative with them because they've shared too much."

However, with more positive sports relationships in the spotlight — such as Swift's relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — he now feels more comfortable posting about his life outside of being 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 during his bye week, being a great boyfriend, and still having an incredible football season with the best team in the NFL. It’s really refreshing to see.”

“Taylor Swift is also a great representative of the awesome women that make up the NFL. She's sharp, she's legit," he adds.

Kuch, who considers herself a big Swiftie adds, "I love any excuse people can find to be more interested in sports, like being a Taylor Swift fan and wanting to watch more football. I'm all here for, I think sports can be for anybody and everyone."

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

“At the end of the day, I’m still helping him follow his dreams,” Kuch explains. “I’m following him around the city, and I feel like a lot of people have this misconception that I’m not allowed to feel like, 'Oh, dang, we have to move away from our family.' That hurts my feelings. People expect you to stay positive about it, but hopefully, I’ve helped shift that narrative too.”