Jamia Fields was the hero of the 2014 Women's College Cup, scoring the lone goal in Florida State's 1-0 win over Virginia in the national championship game. The Seminoles return to the NCAA's title weekend this year, but instead of playing the role of star forward, Fields is back as a proud alumnus.
Making the trip from her California home, Fields -- now a member of the Orlando Pride, a National Women's Soccer League expansion team -- will be cheering on her former teammates from the stands. She took some time before the 'Noles faced the Duke Blue Devils in the semifinals to chat with us about supporting the team from the sidelines, life as a professional soccer player and one of her more recognizable teammates.
espnW: What's it like being here as a fan after being such a crucial part of the team's title run last year?
Fields: It's definitely different. Walking up here in the parking lot through all the fans is definitely a lot different than coming out of the locker room, but I'm ready to support my friends here! I'm a proud alumni so I'm just excited to be here.
espnW: Have you given your former teammates any advice or pep talks today?
Fields: Yes, at least five, or maybe 10 of them. They are all my best friends so I talked to them! I also have a best friend on Penn State, so I talked to her too. She used to play at Florida State, so I'm really excited to be here to support both sides.
espnW: What specifically did you say to your old teammates today?
Fields: Just that we've been on this stage before. We go to Florida State, a big-time university, to play at these tournaments, to play in these games, so just go out there and do what we do -- come out and fight hard.
espnW: What would back-to-back national championships mean for Florida State?
Fields: It would mean a lot, definitely. Getting our first national championship last year, to come out and do it twice would be amazing. That would definitely be good for them.
espnW: How many other alumni are here this weekend that you know of?
Fields: I don't know too many alumni here this weekend. I did see one other girl, who I didn't play with, she's here. I just came. I wanted to support my team, support my best friends.
espnW: Was there any chance you wouldn't be here this weekend?
Fields: I just knew, I just felt it in me that I had to be here this weekend to support my friends. I just had to find a way to be here.
espnW: Do you think there will be any point where you'll have to hold yourself back from running out there and playing?
Fields: Yeah, I may try and jump over the gate. I would definitely love to be out there instead of in the stands, but I'm excited for the new chapter in my life. I had a good first season and I'm just excited for what's next. But it's really cool to be out here and be on the other side.
espnW: What's the biggest difference between being a college soccer player and a professional soccer player?
Fields: It's definitely a lot faster in the NWSL, more physical. But I think playing at such a high level [at FSU] helped prepare me for the next level.
espnW: You're playing for the Orlando Pride this upcoming season. How excited are you to be playing back in Florida?
Fields: I'm definitely excited to be back in Florida. I mean, if I'm not in California, I want to be in Florida. It was definitely a blessing to be selected to play for the Orlando Pride, I heard Tom [Sermanni] is a great coach and I'll be playing alongside a lot of great players, so I'm really excited.
espnW: And finally, how often do you get asked if you know [fellow Pride player] Alex Morgan?
Fields: Yeah, they don't even care about me, they just are like, "You know Alex Morgan? You're going to play with her?" It's going be good exposure for me I guess. But no, she's from California, so she's reppin' us well. She's from 20 minutes away from me. When people ask me if I know her or if I'm going to play with her, I get excited about it. She's a great player.