Most students don’t expect their high school teacher to play semi-professional tackle football. Then again, Makayla “Mak” Warr Brown isn’t one to follow the expected path.

By day, Warr Brown teaches business and marketing courses at West Jordan High School, helping students develop entrepreneurial ideas, build websites and prepare for the future. Outside the classroom, she is a member of the Utah Falconz, one of the Women’s National Football Conference’s established franchises.

The Utah Falconz was founded in 2014 and won two Independent Women’s Football League championships before joining the Women’s National Football Conference as a founding member in 2019. Since then, the Falconz have made four playoff appearances, won a division title in 2023 and reached the IX Cup championship game multiple times.

Warr Brown’s path to playing football was anything but traditional.

Growing up, she played softball, swam competitively and participated in cheerleading. After injuries ended her softball career at Southern Virginia University, she discovered women’s tackle football through former college teammate Lainie Thompson, of the Falconz.

“I always played sports growing up, but never football,” Warr Brown said. “Most women don’t play football, but I like breaking the mold a bit. It sounded fun, like an adventure.”

Determined to give the sport a try, she moved to Utah in 2022, joined Jordan School District, where she teaches entrepreneurship, financial literacy, sports marketing and digital marketing.  Her classroom emphasizes hands-on learning where students create business prototypes or design sporting venues and marketing campaigns.

At the same time, she immersed herself in a sport she had never played before. Learning football proved to be challenging.

“Once I started, it was a humbling experience. I had a decent understanding of the sport itself and the rules, but playing it is a whole other ball game,” she said.

Warr Brown started on the offensive line before moving to defensive end and linebacker. Coaches and teammates helped her understand the game, even using coffee creamers after practice to diagram blocking schemes.

A quote she frequently shares with students is “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

That philosophy is being tested.

In 2024, Warr Brown suffered an ACL injury during a game against the Oregon Ravens. What initially seemed like a routine recovery turned into nearly two years of surgeries, setbacks and rehab once doctors discovered additional damage and a failed reconstruction.

Despite missing the past two seasons, she remains involved with the Falconz, serving on the board and helping with marketing efforts while still attending practices.

The injury has reshaped her perspective and her perseverance.

“I’ve learned it’s mentally harder than it is physically hard to recover; it’s hard to be on the sidelines when you want to be out on the field,” she said. “But it’s something I need to accept and I’ve found another way to help the team.”

Her mindset carries into the classroom, where she encourages students to learn from mistakes, adapt and keep moving forward.

“I learned I am capable of doing hard things and they are too,” she said.

Whether she’s helping students launch mock businesses, coaching a West Jordan High girls flag football club or supporting the Falconz from the sidelines, Warr Brown continues to make an impact.

“The best part of teaching is clearly the students; they absolutely make my day,” she said. “They motivate me and inspire me.”

The Falconz, where her wife Jessie also plays, became her second home.

“It's an awesome atmosphere with all the girls on the team, we’ve become a family and have that connection,” she said.

While her recovery continues, Warr Brown hopes football is still part of her future.

“I would love to get back out there,” she said. “But regardless, I’ll be involved with the team, even if I’m not playing.”