MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo Men's Soccer center back,
Will Mashburn, holds on to a steady belief that with perseverance and mental fortitude, anything is possible.
As detailed in the Featured Falcons story produced by Montevallo's Mass Communications department, Mashburn talks about overcoming health challenges and returning to the soccer field stronger than ever.
After beginning his collegiate career at Erskine College and then playing semi-professionally, Mashburn looked to forge a fresh start as a key contributor on the Montevallo men's soccer team. After arriving on the Bricks, those plans were altered, as he was diagnosed with leukemia in August of 2023.
Mashburn dealt with the initial stages of sickness in September and spent several weeks in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy and treatments. After going through his final procedures in the hospital, the first thing he wanted to do was work out and get back into training. Mashburn did not let outpatient chemo deter him from getting back in shape, as he went to the gym and performed workouts with his chemo pump around his chest.
Mashburn continued to put in the work and was initially set to return to the soccer field in January of 2025, but he ultimately received clearance to play ahead of the 2024 season. In his first official season at Montevallo, he played in 13 games and tallied a total of 195 minutes. Mashburn was credited with his first point as a Falcon on Oct. 25, 2024, recording an assist in a 5-0 win over Union on Senior Day.
Prior to this season, Mashburn earned a spot in leadership, being named to the Montevallo Men's Soccer 2025 Players Union.
The Cumming, Ga., native has played in and started all four games so far, tallying a total of 351 minutes. Mashburn got off to a strong start, scoring a last-second goal against Francis Marion to secure a season-opening draw on the road. Mashburn came up huge once again for his team a week later in a completely different way. The center back anchored a Falcon defense that shut out the nationally fourth-ranked Anderson Trojans, a high-powered offensive squad that averaged four goals per game.
With the season back in full swing, Mashburn is already impacting his team and hopes to encourage those learning his story.
"When people see my story, I want them to know that the mind is much stronger than you think. There [are] lots of negative things that can be thrown your way, but how you manipulate what's thrown at you and then how you react to it, is how you control the outcome of your life… I am a testament to that."
The Montevallo men's soccer team returns to action on Monday, Sept. 22, as the Falcons close non-conference play at Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tenn.
