Clemson's Elizabeth Jobe started playing soccer when she was 10, was playing at the national level by 14 and came back from two torn ACLs to star for Clemson. Jobe is not only a soccer star, she is an academic star as well. She holds a nearly perfect GPA in animal and veterinary science, and was just named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team.
How did you get started playing soccer?
I was 10 years old when I started playing, so it was a little later than most girls. I just really wanted to play a sport that I thought was really physical and involved a lot of exercise. My parents tried me out in soccer and since I was really good at it, I liked it. So I kept playing - I actually played on a boys' team for a few years. Once I got to be 14 or 15, I went back to the girls and just kept playing, couldn't stop.
Can you talk about your experiences on the US National Team?
The first time I went to national camp was when I was 14. They have an under-14 and under-15 national camp. That was my first experience. I went out to California to the old Olympic training center and had a blast. I loved it. We were out there for a little over a week. I had aspired to play with the National Team since I started playing soccer, so that was a huge step for me. When I was under-16, I was on the National Team - the U-16 is the first national team that is named. At that point, you don't really travel out of the country at all, so we played some teams in the country. We played the region teams a lot - for example, in Boca Raton, Fla., they have a regional event. I remember going to that and playing. I tore my ACL at the end of that season, so I didn't get to make the Under-17 national team. I was brought back in to a region team event when I came to college in January (2004), which was at the Olympic Training Center in Los Angeles. I graduated from high school early (in December) and came to college early, so I was able to play (without interfering with the college season). There were probably 50-something girls at the region event, and I was the only girl (from that event) that they asked to stay and train with the national team. I stayed there for another week with the national team and made the Under-19 team. That entire spring, I felt like I was in school a week, then back out in Los Angeles training for a week, then back in school for a week. It was really tough, but I got to go to Mexico in addition to all the games we played across the United States. Then I tore my ACL again - my other one - so I haven't been back with the national team since then.
What is your greatest accomplishment as an athlete?
I would say when I was chosen as the one player out of the region team to play with the national team again. That was a big step for me. Overall, though, it's tough. In college, it would be leading the team to the Elite Eight last year and scoring the game-winning penalty kicks in the NCAA tournament. In club soccer, I think when our team went to nationals and I scored three goals in one game to send us to the semifinals. That was a huge game for me too.
What do you still hope to accomplish?
(laughs) Since I have had nine knee surgeries now, I'm not planning on playing professional soccer, even though I really wanted to. I don't have as many soccer aspirations now, except for this season - I want to help turn the season around, make the ACC tournament, potentially win that, and go as far as we can in the NCAA tournament. In life, I definitely want to start my own emergency animal hospital, a 24-hour hospital. I really want to live in the Northwest, somewhere in Montana or Wyoming, and have a huge ranch with horses and cattle and have a vet office out there for large and small animals.
How did you become interested in animal and veterinary science?
Ever since I was very little, if my parents couldn't find me, I would be outside in the dog house with the dog. I've always just loved animals and I don't think I ever really made a conscious choice, "Oh I want to be a vet!" I just always knew I would work with animals, and since I love science and I wanted to work with medicine, vet science was the perfect match for me.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
Two things. One thing is just a quote that someone told me one time - "Don't give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about." I live by that, especially since what you're passionate about, you think about every day. The other thing is to just let things go sometimes. That what my parents have told me my whole life, and that's the best advice that helps me get through stressful times.
Who is your most influential role model?
That's tough - I've had so many role models, but I'll say definitely my parents. They molded me into the person I am.
What is your most memorable moment in sports?
Definitely the Sweet 16 last year. I shot the last penalty kick to beat Stanford to go to the Elite Eight, but it gets better. A fan took off all his clothes, stripped completely naked. He hopped the fence, ran straight out on to the field when I was about to take my penalty kick - he was completely naked! - and kicked the ball off the penalty spot, kept running across the field, hopped the other fence, and just disappeared in to the night. It was crazy, and this was right before I had to shoot the last penalty kick, so that was definitely my most memorable.
Is there anything in particular that you're taking away from your career at Clemson?
I feel like I'm taking everything away. Everything I've learned in college is going to be so important for me in veterinary medicine. We have a great AVS (animal & veterinary science) program here, so I feel like I definitely needed that to be a good vet. We have a lot of large animal production here in Clemson, so I would have had no large animal experience if I didn't come here. In general, especially from soccer, I learned so much about managing a stressful lifestyle, a hectic schedule, how to get schoolwork done, and be successful. I think that's the biggest possible lesson I could have learned here, and soccer has definitely taught me a lot about persevering.
What is it like playing every day in a conference like the ACC?
Tough! It's so tough, especially since we've played seven overtimes - that's almost two full extra games. Every game is gut-wrenching, you never know what's going to happen. Any day, any team will win, and that's a credit to our conference because it's so good. I wouldn't want to play in any other conference because I've gotten so much better since I've been here and have had such valuable experience playing these awesome teams.
Why did you choose Clemson?
It's actually a really cute story. Besides the fact that I wanted to be a vet major and not many schools offer pre-vet, before I tore my ACL, I was talking to a couple of schools. I was so worried when I tore my ACL (during my) junior year of high school. That's when a lot of people are committing to college. (Usually) when that happens, a lot of coaches (think), "Well, I'm not sure about you any more." So, my mom and I talked about it and prayed about it, and she said, "Maybe you should just look for a key word or a phrase that one of the coaches will say to you to let you know that maybe that's where you should go. Maybe you just need one of them to tell you that they believe in you." Not 15 minutes later, Todd Bramble called me and said something like, "I heard about everything that happened to you, and I just want you to know that I really believe in you and I know you're going to come back from this." It was crazy. I got chills, and pretty much decided then that I needed to go to Clemson. It was (already) in my top two or three, so that made (it easy to) commit.
What are your plans for after graduation?
Definitely more school. I graduate in December, so I'll have eight months off. I'm going to work at an emergency vet hospital near here in Anderson. I'm planning on going to vet school in August, and I've applied to Washington State, Auburn, Tennessee, and the University of Georgia. Hopefully I can get into Georgia, because that would be in-state for me. If I don't get in to vet school, then I plan on staying here in Clemson and getting my master's and re-applying to vet school. Either way, the plan is definitely vet school.
Elizabeth Jobe and Tigers return to the field tomorrow (11/3) as they host Duke at 7 p.m. in the final regular season game of 2007.
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