Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

The real legacy of Jennifer Rockwood — according to her players

deseret.com · 3h · first reportShare

Holding her son, Michele Vasconcelos (née Murphy) cried as she recalled the day she sat in Jennifer Rockwood ’s office in Provo and the BYU women’s soccer head coach offered her a scholarship. She cried that day, too. The Sandy, Utah, native and Alta High School star had dreamed of playing at BYU for Rockwood. Her time at BYU would bring her plenty of accolades for her performance on the pitch, including the 2016 WCC Player of the Year and getting drafted 11th overall in the 2017 NWSL draft, but those aren’t the reasons she lists for why she’s grateful for Rockwood for offering her that scholarship. “It completely changed my life. I got to get an education. I met my husband there,” she told the Deseret News. “I will always, always love BYU soccer and love Jen Rockwood.” Ten years after her senior season, Vasconcelos’ relationship with Rockwood and BYU soccer has come full circle. The day after our interview, Vasconcelos returned to Provo to watch her daughter, Scarlet, participate in a