Jaelin Howell
A dominant defensive midfielder whose college career was one of the most decorated ever, anchoring two national championship teams.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American soccer player·Birthday: November 21·Generation Z
Biography
Jaelin Howell plays soccer with a commanding physicality that belies her precise tactical mind. The daughter of a former NFL player, she brought an athlete's pedigree to the pitch, developing into a relentless ball-winner and shield for the defense. At Florida State University, she became the engine of a dynasty. As a sophomore, she scored the championship-winning penalty kick in 2018. As a senior captain, she led a historic team to an undefeated national title in 2021, a season of sheer dominance. Her unprecedented back-to-back Hermann Trophy wins, soccer's Heisman, cemented her as the best college player of her era. Transitioning to the professional NWSL and the U.S. Women's National Team, Howell brings that same blend of grit and grace, tasked with controlling the game's tempo from its deepest trenches.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Jaelin was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jaelin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Jaelin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became only the second player in history to win the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top college soccer player, in consecutive seasons (2020, 2021).
- Led Florida State University to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship in both 2018 and 2021, serving as team captain for the latter victory.
- Was selected second overall by Racing Louisville FC in the 2022 NWSL Draft, a testament to her projected professional impact.
Did You Know?
Her father, John Howell, was a safety who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
She played club soccer for the prestigious Real Colorado, the same academy that produced Mallory Pugh.
She interned with the ACC Network during her time at Florida State.
“Win the ball, keep the ball, and set the tone from the middle of the park.”
