Former professional soccer player Jaelene Daniels discusses choosing faith over fame

Throughout her career, former professional soccer player and U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) member Jaelene Daniels has had to make multiple decisions to trust in God in the face of uncertain circumstances. She shared her journey of fear, standing firm in faith, and believing in God’s purpose for her life with Liberty University students during Friday morning’s Convocation in the Vines Center.

Prior to Daniels’ appearance onstage, students were led in worship by Christian music artist Michael W. Smith, executive director of Liberty’s Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music in the School of Music, and the Liberty Worship Collective.

Joined onstage by her husband, Matthew, Daniels started the conversation with Liberty’s Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge by detailing a harrowing health issue that almost ended her professional career before it started. As a junior on the Texas Tech University women’s soccer team, Daniels felt a chronic pain in her left leg, but she and her coaches brushed it off as just another lingering ache that athletes often experience. The pain continued to worsen until, after a bus ride back to campus from a road game, Daniels was not able to put any weight on her leg.

Her doctor suggested an ultrasound of the leg, which revealed that a blood clot had formed in her calf and reached her groin. The fact that the clot hadn’t yet traveled to her lungs or heart, the doctor said, was beyond belief. Upon examination, the vein was 85 percent closed — too narrow to fit a tool into — and Daniels would require a stent in her leg, a lifetime of taking blood thinners, and an end to her athletic career if the vein remained constricted by the time of her surgery the next morning.

Daniels’ mother, who she described as the spiritual leader of the household, prayed with her the entire night.

“She was so steadfast in her faith that God could do something,” Daniels said of her mother. “I remember sitting in the hospital praying this prayer: ‘Lord, I know I’ve just been one foot in and one foot out with you, but if you help me out of this situation, I’ll find out what it means to fully pursue you.’”

The next morning, the doctor walked in with a stunned expression.

“He said, ‘I don’t believe in God and I don’t believe in miracles, but your vein was 90 percent open, we got all of the blood clot out, you’ll be on blood thinners for three months, and I don’t foresee this being an issue in the future.’”

Daniels was drafted seventh overall by the Western New York Flash in the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft, playing most of her seven-year career with the North Carolina Courage, and she was called up to the national team on multiple occasions.

In 2017, Daniels was invited to the national team’s camp with the opportunity to play in two “friendly” games, but she confronted an issue that contradicted her personal beliefs. The team had announced that they would be wearing rainbow “gay pride” jerseys. She met with the chaplain of the Courage, who suggested she pray and fast alongside three people who Daniels trusted in and who shared her conviction. For three days, Daniels gathered with her mother, sister, and mentor.

“Over the course of those three days, I felt (God) and His Spirit, through confirmation in His Word and time in prayer, saying that He didn’t want me to wear it,” Daniels said.

She called the USWNT coach and informed her of her decision, and the coach informed her that declining to play in the games would rescind the offer to attend camp. The news of Daniels’ choice spread throughout international soccer, bringing her more criticism and “noise” than she expected.

“It was a day-by-day process with the Lord of asking how I would get through this,” she said. “It was a decision that I felt He led me to, and in that decision-making, I kept being brought back to the hospital bed and that prayer that I prayed. His Spirit kept leading me back to that moment and saying, ‘I’m here with you, and this is what it looks like to follow Me. You’re not alone.’ That really was my anchor through those few months of just noise.”

Five years later, while playing for the Courage, her team unveiled a Pride jersey of their own for a Pride-themed game on July 29, 2022. Once again, Daniels decided to sit out of the game out of her personal convictions. Daniels was not optioned for a second year with the Courage.

The fallout after the second decision was helped by her relationship with Matthew, who Jaelene started dating in 2018. Matthew admitted that he has felt a persistent anger about the situation, but he has witnessed his wife’s prayerful approach, which he said has helped him see things differently.

“I was really proud of my wife. I was angry, and the Lord delivered me (from that) a lot during that time,” he said. “I’m honestly overwhelmed at how God has redeemed this situation, and we’ve believed since the beginning that we don’t know how God is going to use (these experiences), and week after week we hear stories like hers. It’s crazy how God has turned this around for good and for His glory.”

Speaking directly to the thousands of Liberty students around her, Daniels urged them to “commit your plans to the Lord.”

“God is so faithful. I truly feel so privileged to sit here and tell a story, and I encourage you to build that conviction now… so that when you’re in those moments when your conviction is called upon, you’re not wondering (what to do),” she said. “Especially with your generation, with the voice that you have and the things you’re going to walk through, being prepared to step into any atmosphere where your faith is going to be challenged. You have no idea the lives on the other side of that who may come to know Jesus in a tangible way because you made a small or big sacrifice. Trust the Lord and build that relationship with Him now.”