University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jordan Brown
November 16, 2022 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jordan Brown was bundled up in a thick, puffy jacket on Tuesday morning, having just wrapped up practice with the rest of her Georgia soccer teammates. It was cold and wet outside as the No. 7-seeded Bulldogs prepared for Thursday's NCAA tournament second-round game against perennial power North Carolina, a No. 2 seed.
Shortly after practice, Georgia headed up to Chapel Hill. Before she left, Brown, a freshman goalkeeper from Las Vegas, sat down for a Quick Chat. Brown has started the Bulldogs' past seven games, earning five shutouts, including last Friday's 2-0 win over Samford in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
During our Chat, Brown talked about her start in the sport, what is was like growing up in Las Vegas, her favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What does it feel like to still be practicing on a cold and rainy November morning?
Brown: It's exciting. We worked so hard for this — we worked hard all season to get to this point. The fitness, the team chemistry, the game plans, all that, and I think it's exciting and it shows that we truly want this. We want to be here, we want to compete with the best — I love it, it's fun.
Frierson: Were you able to get to sleep last Friday night? Or were you so excited about posting a shutout in your first NCAA tournament game that you were too jazzed to sleep?
Brown: [Laughs] I was excited, even more so because my mom and my godmom were there, and my cousin. It was a really special night. [Laughs] We went to go have dinner (afterward), have fun, talk about the game and stuff, and it was a good night — really special.
Frierson: Do you have a game in your life to compare it to, in terms of the stakes, the stage, anything like that?
Brown: That's a good question. Club and high school, I would compare it to (the Elite Clubs National League) Champions League, as far as being a win-or-go-home situation. It was that same intensity from both sides.
It was also like some recent games, too, because we wanted to win so we could get ourselves in a good spot in the SEC tournament, and then, of course, the SEC tournament is also win-or-go-home.
Frierson: How did you get started playing soccer? Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were young?
Brown: I tried volleyball for a week [laughs], but it didn't work out.
Frierson: You gave it a whole week?
Brown: [Laughs] Yeah! We had just moved to Vegas when I was around 5 or 6, and in kindergarten some of my new friends were talking about how they played soccer and that I should come out and try out. I was like, why not? I wanted to have something to do after school.
I went out and I loved it, and here I am.
Frierson: When did you start playing in goal?
Brown: It happened when I was around, I want to say 8 years old. One practice, after practice, I was just kicking around with my dad, doing punts, and my coach saw. He was like, "We're going to put you in goal just to try it."
A fun fact is: one of my first saves was a P.K. (penalty kick), and ever since I've just been in goal. And I love it.
Frierson: I don't know that there's anything else in sports quite like a penalty kick, other than hockey's version. What is it like in those moments when it's purely one-on-one?
Brown: My heart's always racing. In P.K. situations, technically the keeper's not supposed to save it.
Frierson: The odds are heavily against you.
Brown: Right, so the pressure's more toward the shooter. My mom (during penalty kicks at the end of tie games), she's always like, "Just stop one. The aim is to stop one." And then when I get that one, I'm feeling good about it.
It's exciting. I like P.K.'s. It's a good moment, it's a good feeling when you can help your team out.
Frierson: What was it like growing up in Las Vegas?
Brown: It was fun. I love Vegas, and I would definitely consider it one of my homes. I would say the only bad part is the summer, the summer heat, but I loved the rest of it. I made life-long friends there and I have a lot of great memories from my time there: soccer memories, family memories, friends. And I think it made me who I am today.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Brown: I would say Alexis (Parker), for sure. She always cracks me up. (Lauren) Swoopes is also really funny. Me and Kenzie (Solomon), we have good laughs. There are a lot of funny people on this team, but I would say those three crack me up the most.
Frierson: When you have a first half like you did against Samford, where you're not particularly busy, what are you doing while the ball is regularly on the other side of the field?
Brown: In halves like that, I try to communicate as much as possible, just to kind of keep myself in it and awake. Because you never know what can happen — it can be a small little mistake and I have to come up and save the game. I just try to communicate and stay engaged, and sometimes I like to move around. It's just being aware of what's going on and being ready.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up soon, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Brown: I like mac and cheese — mac and cheese or Hawaiian rolls. You can never go wrong with Hawaiian rolls. I love Hawaiian rolls, but my favorite Thanksgiving dish is definitely mac and cheese.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Jordan Brown was bundled up in a thick, puffy jacket on Tuesday morning, having just wrapped up practice with the rest of her Georgia soccer teammates. It was cold and wet outside as the No. 7-seeded Bulldogs prepared for Thursday's NCAA tournament second-round game against perennial power North Carolina, a No. 2 seed.
Shortly after practice, Georgia headed up to Chapel Hill. Before she left, Brown, a freshman goalkeeper from Las Vegas, sat down for a Quick Chat. Brown has started the Bulldogs' past seven games, earning five shutouts, including last Friday's 2-0 win over Samford in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
During our Chat, Brown talked about her start in the sport, what is was like growing up in Las Vegas, her favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What does it feel like to still be practicing on a cold and rainy November morning?
Brown: It's exciting. We worked so hard for this — we worked hard all season to get to this point. The fitness, the team chemistry, the game plans, all that, and I think it's exciting and it shows that we truly want this. We want to be here, we want to compete with the best — I love it, it's fun.
Frierson: Were you able to get to sleep last Friday night? Or were you so excited about posting a shutout in your first NCAA tournament game that you were too jazzed to sleep?
Brown: [Laughs] I was excited, even more so because my mom and my godmom were there, and my cousin. It was a really special night. [Laughs] We went to go have dinner (afterward), have fun, talk about the game and stuff, and it was a good night — really special.
Frierson: Do you have a game in your life to compare it to, in terms of the stakes, the stage, anything like that?
Brown: That's a good question. Club and high school, I would compare it to (the Elite Clubs National League) Champions League, as far as being a win-or-go-home situation. It was that same intensity from both sides.
It was also like some recent games, too, because we wanted to win so we could get ourselves in a good spot in the SEC tournament, and then, of course, the SEC tournament is also win-or-go-home.
Frierson: How did you get started playing soccer? Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were young?
Brown: I tried volleyball for a week [laughs], but it didn't work out.
Frierson: You gave it a whole week?
Brown: [Laughs] Yeah! We had just moved to Vegas when I was around 5 or 6, and in kindergarten some of my new friends were talking about how they played soccer and that I should come out and try out. I was like, why not? I wanted to have something to do after school.
I went out and I loved it, and here I am.
Frierson: When did you start playing in goal?
Brown: It happened when I was around, I want to say 8 years old. One practice, after practice, I was just kicking around with my dad, doing punts, and my coach saw. He was like, "We're going to put you in goal just to try it."
A fun fact is: one of my first saves was a P.K. (penalty kick), and ever since I've just been in goal. And I love it.
Frierson: I don't know that there's anything else in sports quite like a penalty kick, other than hockey's version. What is it like in those moments when it's purely one-on-one?
Brown: My heart's always racing. In P.K. situations, technically the keeper's not supposed to save it.
Frierson: The odds are heavily against you.
Brown: Right, so the pressure's more toward the shooter. My mom (during penalty kicks at the end of tie games), she's always like, "Just stop one. The aim is to stop one." And then when I get that one, I'm feeling good about it.
It's exciting. I like P.K.'s. It's a good moment, it's a good feeling when you can help your team out.
Frierson: What was it like growing up in Las Vegas?
Brown: It was fun. I love Vegas, and I would definitely consider it one of my homes. I would say the only bad part is the summer, the summer heat, but I loved the rest of it. I made life-long friends there and I have a lot of great memories from my time there: soccer memories, family memories, friends. And I think it made me who I am today.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Brown: I would say Alexis (Parker), for sure. She always cracks me up. (Lauren) Swoopes is also really funny. Me and Kenzie (Solomon), we have good laughs. There are a lot of funny people on this team, but I would say those three crack me up the most.
Frierson: When you have a first half like you did against Samford, where you're not particularly busy, what are you doing while the ball is regularly on the other side of the field?
Brown: In halves like that, I try to communicate as much as possible, just to kind of keep myself in it and awake. Because you never know what can happen — it can be a small little mistake and I have to come up and save the game. I just try to communicate and stay engaged, and sometimes I like to move around. It's just being aware of what's going on and being ready.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up soon, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Brown: I like mac and cheese — mac and cheese or Hawaiian rolls. You can never go wrong with Hawaiian rolls. I love Hawaiian rolls, but my favorite Thanksgiving dish is definitely mac and cheese.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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