Meet The Player: Jo Overstreet - International Federation of American Football

IFAF America

Meet The Player: Jo Overstreet

23 May 2022

Jo's perfect scene playing football would be her winning the game for her team.

Just picture it.

Her lining up at the line while her team is down by touchdown. It is go time. Game time.

The team gets in the huddle. The quarterback says 'Jo we need you right now'. As she is getting to the line, she looks up to the stands and points. The ball is thrown down the field and she scores as she is going. She does her little dance and kisses the sky.

"I'm big on faith, and I'm big in being in the moment. So anytime I do this, that means I'm in this moment, I'm enjoying this moment. All prayers to God," she said happily.
[video width="720" height="406" mp4="https://americanfootball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Jo-1.mp4" loop="true" autoplay="true"][/video]

Joann Overstreet is a wide receiver for Team USA. As a high-schooler, the native Texan practiced basketball, softball, track and field, and volleyball at Ellison High School in Killeen.

Jo's childhood

Jo's initial sports was Karate. As a child, she was very active, which propelled her parents to put her in all these sports above.

"So they decided just to put me in everything every season. I was in because they didn't want me running around the house," she jokingly said.

Her football journey did not start until she was 11. She would go outside and play with the boys. Noticing her talents, people around her suggested her to join the neighbourhood's team. Although her parents were against it at first, they ended up agreeing and putting her in the team, which was when Jo found her niche.

I was successful, very successful, she said. I was only with the guys at that time because there wasn’t any girls' teams. With the team, I played quarterback, safety and wild receiver, so I pretty much ran the team.

"We ended up winning city champs three years in a row. We were the best team in our city. I enjoyed it," she said.

Jo's career, stats, awards and medals

Jo won her first medal at 11 and the rest is history.

As an athlete, she

Won district high jump and participated in the state track meet in the high jump Texas
Named All-District by the Killeen Independent School District for all four sports and won school MVPs for basketball, softball, and volleyball
Played basketball at the University of Houston
Finished first in Conference USA standings in 2003-04 and made the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
Top scholar athlete of Conference USA and graduated with honors from the University of Houston
Played professional basketball in the U.K. for three years for Northumbria in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and the Solent Suns in Southampton, England
Was the MVP of the World Championship in Israel

[video width="720" height="1280" mp4="https://americanfootball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Jos-MVP.mp4"][/video]

"Honored to be named the MVP of the World Championship. Huge thank you to my teammates and coach because I couldn’t do it without them. They mean everything to me❤️ It was a true blessing to hear my name in the stands from teams from all over the WORLD. It was a life changing experience that I will never forget. My heart is full of joy thanks to All my new flag family across the World. THANK YOU ❤️🙏," she posted on her instagram account @jo.overstreet after winning MVP of the World Championship.

Jo is also grateful for her parents. Although at first they did not want it, mostly her dad, they remain her no. 1 support.

I know that sounds cliché, but my parents are my biggest influence. At first my dad was not confident in as a female going to play tackle, you know just typical dad being protective. My mom would go 'you can do it and no one can't stop you'. My parents have always said that whatever I believe I can do I can do it, whoever I think I am, I am. My family dynamic is to just go for what I want and live my life to the fullest. And that is how I live my life, she said.

Jo's hobbies and job

Jo took a step down from playing football while being in college where she played basket and softball. She then travel to the UK where basketball for three years. She has became a passionate PE teacher when she came back to the states.

But above of all, Jo loves being active. Her weekends involve training, going to the gym. On top of that she is an outdoorsy. She loves biking, hiking, In some ways , she incorporates her personality, hobbies and job.

Everything I do, I do it with passion. I work out with passion. I teach my kids with passion. I'm just passionate about life in general. I am a PE teacher, so I teach a lot of sports. I teach my kids that exercise is fun, she said.

Jo's on playing flag football and playing for Team USA

Even though she was doing all that, she knew something was missing.

I knew I was not done with sports, so I was like I could stay involved in sports and play a little bit.

So she joined her local flag team first as a way to kind of stay in shape, but it became serious when the team started blowing out every local team.

It started to get boring. So we were like, well, let's travel. So then we went to Mexico and we loved it. So, you know, from there we just been playing and playing and playing. Then I had a tryout with Team USA and I was able to get in.

For TWG22, Jo has a lot of expectations for her and the team. However, she mostly excited for the all the opportunities that she and her teammates will be able to showcase what girls can do in the game of football

"It's gonna be the first time we have an opportunity on that stage as female football players to show the world what we can do, so I'm excited to do that," she concluded.

Jo's perfect scene playing football would be her winning the game for her team.

Just picture it.

Her lining up at the line while her team is down by touchdown. It is go time. Game time.

The team gets in the huddle. The quarterback says 'Jo we need you right now'. As she is getting to the line, she looks up to the stands and points. The ball is thrown down the field and she scores as she is going. She does her little dance and kisses the sky.

"I'm big on faith, and I'm big in being in the moment. So anytime I do this, that means I'm in this moment, I'm enjoying this moment. All prayers to God," she said happily.

Joann Overstreet is a wide receiver for Team USA. As a high-schooler, the native Texan practiced basketball, softball, track and field, and volleyball at Ellison High School in Killeen.

Jo's childhood

Jo's initial sports was Karate. As a child, she was very active, which propelled her parents to put her in all these sports above.

"So they decided just to put me in everything every season. I was in because they didn't want me running around the house," she jokingly said.

I was successful, very successful, she said. I was only with the guys at that time because there wasn’t any girls' teams. With the team, I played quarterback, safety and wild receiver, so I pretty much ran the team.

"We ended up winning city champs three years in a row. We were the best team in our city. I enjoyed it," she said.

Jo's career, stats, awards and medals

Jo won her first medal at 11 and the rest is history.

As an athlete, she

Won district high jump and participated in the state track meet in the high jump Texas

Named All-District by the Killeen Independent School District for all four sports and won school MVPs for basketball, softball, and volleyball

Played basketball at the University of Houston

Finished first in Conference USA standings in 2003-04 and made the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

Top scholar athlete of Conference USA and graduated with honors from the University of Houston

Played professional basketball in the U.K. for three years for Northumbria in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and the Solent Suns in Southampton, England

Was the MVP of the World Championship in Israel

Jo is also grateful for her parents. Although at first they did not want it, mostly her dad, they remain her no. 1 support.

Jo's hobbies and job

Jo took a step down from playing football while being in college where she played basket and softball. She then travel to the UK where basketball for three years. She has became a passionate PE teacher when she came back to the states.

But above of all, Jo loves being active. Her weekends involve training, going to the gym. On top of that she is an outdoorsy. She loves biking, hiking, In some ways , she incorporates her personality, hobbies and job.

Everything I do, I do it with passion. I work out with passion. I teach my kids with passion. I'm just passionate about life in general. I am a PE teacher, so I teach a lot of sports. I teach my kids that exercise is fun, she said.

Jo's on playing flag football and playing for Team USA

Even though she was doing all that, she knew something was missing.

I knew I was not done with sports, so I was like I could stay involved in sports and play a little bit.

So she joined her local flag team first as a way to kind of stay in shape, but it became serious when the team started blowing out every local team.

It started to get boring. So we were like, well, let's travel. So then we went to Mexico and we loved it. So, you know, from there we just been playing and playing and playing. Then I had a tryout with Team USA and I was able to get in.

For TWG22, Jo has a lot of expectations for her and the team. However, she mostly excited for the all the opportunities that she and her teammates will be able to showcase what girls can do in the game of football

"It's gonna be the first time we have an opportunity on that stage as female football players to show the world what we can do, so I'm excited to do that," she concluded.

All the videos and photos were taken from @jo.overstreet.