Jordan Matthews, the tight end for the Carolina Panthers, has found love and support in his wife, Cheyna Matthews, a talented former professional soccer player. Her impressive athletic career took an intriguing turn when she made the bold decision to switch allegiance from the United States to represent Jamaica in international competitions. This courageous move showcased her dedication, passion, and strong sense of identity.

As a former star in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Cheyna Matthews’ skills on the field are undeniable, but her love story with Jordan Matthews and her journey of self-discovery is equally captivating. In this article, we’ll explore Cheyna Matthews’ fascinating life, from her soccer prowess to her marriage and her bold choice to represent Jamaica.

Who is Jordan Matthews’ wife Cheyna Lee Matthews?

When both Jordan Matthews and Cheyna Williams were at Vanderbilt University student-athletes, the game was on. Jordan was having lunch in the cafeteria as a junior on the football team. A freshman soccer player entered the room sporting a pair of Nike Shox, a little flooded sweatpants, and a Commodores soccer shirt. “That was Cheyna,” Jordan Matthews said. “And I kind of knew then that she was different.”

The two went on to forge a close connection from there. Even more reticent than Jordan, Cheyna saw how perceptive and outspoken he was, and he appreciated that they shared similar musical tastes. They grew close and were each other’s best friends. “We talk about all the time how we’re just so glad that we were able to start as best friends because now, it makes a lot of our relationship easier,” Cheyna Matthews said.

Jordan Matthews’ departure from Vanderbilt, where he finished as the SEC’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, presented their first challenge. Jordan would be joining the NFL. Cheyna was moving to Florida State when he was selected 42nd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the NFL. During their year apart, they spoke frequently via FaceTime.

The Washington Spirit selected Cheyna seventh overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft, and the team made its NWSL Championship debut that season. Cheyna had scored 24 goals in two seasons, helping the Seminoles capture their first national championship. Jordan attended Cheyna’s first professional game after wrapping off his third season with the Eagles.

“At that point, we’re only like two hours away from each other,” Jordan Matthews said. As his partner also said, “And everything went from there. After that, it was kind of like, ‘Yeah, let’s be serious about this…and the rest was history.”

They dated for nine months, during which time Cheyna Williams declined higher-paying opportunities to play professionally abroad to remain in the US and spend more time with Jordan. Since their seasons didn’t coincide, the pair could spend their off days together and prepare for theirs while the other was just beginning. On June 10, 2017, eight months ahead of the scheduled wedding, they eloped. “We didn’t even want people to know we were married until we had this big wedding, which we had to wait to have until our offseason,” Cheyna Matthews said.

That wedding was Jordan’s to arrange after the Eagles traded him to the Buffalo Bills in August 2017. The two professionals exchanged their own uniforms for conventional ones, dressing in all white for their wedding, mirroring the 1988 wedding looks of each of their parents. “We both really held the institution of marriage in high regard,” Jordan Matthews said. “Both of our parents are still together.” He further added, “We have a foundation that we know is like concrete. The best part of being married to Cheyna is we don’t come with opinions.”

The birth of their son Josiah marked the beginning of a new chapter for the couple, filled with both challenges and joy. Especially, Cheyna Matthews’ journey back to fitness after childbirth showcased her incredible resilience and dedication.

Jordan Matthews’ wife has balanced her career with motherhood really well

On June 3, against the Portland Thorns, Cheyna Matthews returned to the field following the birth of her second child in December 2020. The forward defeated Kansas City on August 8 and scored her first goal since then. After that, the forward made 17 appearances, four of which were starts. But how was it to get back to the field after being a mother?

“It kinda just happened,” Jordan Matthews says about Cheyna getting back into playing shape post-childbirth. “She would get up, have Josiah with her who is 100 percent dependent on her, make her own breakfast, drive 30 minutes across Philly to work out, and doing all this while having a baby with her. The whole time Cheyna is getting her body back Josiah is still right there. She’s carrying a kid on hips all day, cooking meals, and I get home at 6, and all that has happened. She’s amazing.”

How ordinary they make their lives sound, with a sense of serenity about their work, marriage, and futures, may be the most amazing thing about Jordan and Cheyna Matthews. How can they have such stressful lives and still be so at ease?

“People ask me that a lot,” Cheyna Matthews said once in an interview. “‘How are you able to play soccer and have a baby but also go home and make a meal and be up at night sometimes with Josiah?’ And honestly, I don’t even think about it. I’m so centered, so rooted, it doesn’t overwhelm me. So many things were thrown at me the last year or two that it seems like a natural thing to have organized chaos.”

That’s how Jordan and Cheyna Matthews embody the art of thriving amidst life’s beautiful chaos, weaving together their athletic passions, unwavering faith, and deep love to craft a life of harmony and purpose.