We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristin, thanks for joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?
As a feminine-presenting young Black woman working in a corporate environment, I am often misunderstood and mischaracterized, particularly when people learn that I also play full-tackle football on the weekends. Many struggle to reconcile the image they see in front of them—professional attire, polished demeanor, traditionally feminine presentation—with the toughness, grit, and physicality that come with being an athlete in a contact sport. When people think of a football player, they don’t picture someone who looks like me, and that disconnect often leads to surprise, disbelief, or even dismissal. Yet, living in that in-between space is part of my truth: I embody both worlds fully, and I challenge the assumptions that people project onto me simply by being myself.
Experience has taught me to remain authentic and not to let the comfort of others determine how I feel. I am more than ok with existing outside of the expectations of others and surpassing their limited expectations. I can be a successful corporate professional as well as a dominant offensive tackle. The limit is the sky.
Kristin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Kristin Jones, and I am a 37-year-old Trinidadian-American originally from Queens, New York. My journey began at a specialized arts high school, where creativity and discipline first shaped how I approach challenges. From there, I attended Northeastern University in Boston, where I majored in history, a subject that deepened my appreciation for context, perspective, and the resilience of people over time. In 2014, I relocated to the D.C. area with the goal of advancing my professional career. Around that time, a friend introduced me to the D.C. Divas, and although neither of us had ever played full-tackle football before, we attended tryouts together. To our surprise and excitement, we were both invited to join the team.
During my first season as a Diva, I was placed on the offensive line, where I had to learn the game from the ground up. With the guidance of coaches and teammates, I developed into a versatile offensive lineman, playing nearly every position on the line except center. That season ended with us winning a national championship, an unforgettable moment that affirmed my decision to take a chance on something new. Over the past decade with the Divas, I have been fortunate to compete in another championship game and contribute to multiple conference titles, experiences that have pushed me to grow not only as an athlete but as a person.
Off the field, I work at a financial tech firm in global capital market sales, where I partner with Fortune 500 companies to complete compliance and transactional SEC filings. My role is highly client-facing, requiring me to engage daily with C-suite executives and deliver solutions under pressure. I love both sides of my life—the corporate professional and the football player—because each one demands a different part of me. Football has sharpened my discipline, resilience, and ability to thrive under pressure, which makes me a stronger professional. At the same time, my career has taught me poise, communication, and strategic thinking, qualities that ground me on the field. Together, these dual paths challenge me, stretch my abilities, and ultimately make me better in both arenas.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2019, I tore my ACL during football practice, which led to a life-threatening blood clot in my lungs that put me in the ICU for a week. Forced to pause both my football career and professional work, I faced the difficult decision of whether to continue playing. After consulting with doctors, I chose to fight back. Through intense physical therapy and training (6-8 hours a week for months), I not only returned that same season but played in five of our eight regular-season games, even making a key defensive stop in the final game. Following ACL surgery after the season ended, I trained relentlessly and was ready for camp within six months, half the time it usually takes to rehab from the procedure. Despite COVID canceling the 2020 season, I kept preparing, and in the 2021 I was named First Team All-American for the WFA Pro. This journey taught me that setbacks don’t define you—faith, hard work, and perseverance do. I believe physical challenges are not excuses, but opportunities to push beyond limits and reach your goals.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
One of the most rewarding parts of playing professional women’s football is inspiring young girls who once thought the sport was only for boys/men. Seeing their excitement reminds me that I am playing not only for myself, but for them as well. I hope to instill in them that they can pursue any path—including athletics—while also building professional careers. Although women’s football isn’t yet compensated at the level of men’s sports, maintaining careers outside the game shows the importance of being multifaceted and dynamic. A conversation with my young niece reinforced this lesson when I asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she first said “A gymnast!” then said “No, a Doctor!”. I suggested to her that she could do both, then reminded her that I play football and work professionally, proving you don’t have to choose just one identity. I love being an example to young girls that they are capable of doing many things and don’t have to fit into a single box.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Kristinchanelj
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-jones-68b86618/
