Standing On His Principles: Machiah Lee’s Story Of Growth And Grit

In the bright lights and thunderous roar of an Arena Football One game, Machiah Lee doesn’t just cover receivers. He embodies something deeper. This past weekend against the Kentucky Barrels, the Washington Wolfpack defensive back was named AF1 Defensive Player of the Week. Lee’s impact extended far beyond the stat sheet. It was a performance rooted in the same quiet fire that has carried him from Spanaway and Tacoma to this moment. It’s a belief that hard work, unshakable principles, and heart always pays off.

Where The Love For The Game Began

That belief was planted early.

“I started falling in love with the game at a young age,” Lee recalls. His uncle was a big part of his childhood and offered football as an alternative way to get out and explore life. The lesson was simple but profound.

He told me, “As much effort as you put into the game, as much as you put into it, as much heart as you pour into it, it’s gonna pour back into you, right?”

Football became more than a sport. It became proof that there is more to life. He’s been able to experience travel, relationships, and connections with people he may have never met otherwise. 

“That’s always where I get that joy from,” Lee says of those early days running around with friends.

Bethel High School: Hard Work And Friday Night Lights

At Bethel High School in Spanaway, Lee had found his calling on the defensive side of the ball. While most chased the glamour of playing receiver, he saw an opening. 

“Everybody was going to these camps trying to be a receiver,” he thought. “I decided I’m just going to learn how to back pedal. I felt like, especially with my skill set, I could really make an impact at the next level with that.”

Bethel wasn’t a powerhouse at the time, but Lee helped restore pride to the program. What he took from those years wasn’t just technique. It was a relentless work ethic forged in a place described by Lee as somewhere “nobody’s gonna give you anything. Nothing’s handed to you.” 

He became a leader, demanding the same effort from teammates that he gave himself. Nothing compared to Friday Night Lights for Lee. 

“It’s the purest form of football,” Lee says. “Everybody is just out there having fun. There’s no agenda. It’s just like playing with your friends.”

Western Oregon: Learning To Be A Man

That foundation traveled with him to Western Oregon University. As a true freshman under head coach Aaron Ferguson, aka “Coach Ferg”, Lee was forced to grow up fast. He told me he arrived with some anger issues, and was a “feisty kid.” Coach Ferg changed that. 

“He really mellowed me out and taught me how to be a man on and off the field.”

Lee also credits veteran defensive back Derek Parnell with turning him into a technician. 

“That’s where I learned how to train. If I’m by myself, I know the drills to do to get better.” Western Oregon didn’t just shape a player. It prepared a professional.

The Long Road To Professional Football

The road after college tested every ounce of that preparation. Pro days and camps with NFL, CFL, and XFL teams came and went without a roster spot. In his first shot at the AF1 with the Billings Outlaws, Lee was the last cut of training camp. He was a rookie told he was good enough, but veteran experience in the secondary was desired. He was frustrated at first. 

“I’m good enough,” he told himself. Time and perspective changed that view. He now understands the difference between outdoor and arena football and how much knowledge matters. 

“At year three, it’s a big difference with how I’m playing now compared to my first year and my second year,” Lee said. "I’ve just got so much more knowledge for the game, and I’m more comfortable.”

Still, the doubt after getting cut never won out. He kept pushing. I asked him what drove him to keep pushing forward. His answer was resilience. 

“I’m from Bethel High School in Tacoma. I went to a D2 college, Western Oregon. I’m not even supposed to be in the situation I’m in,” Lee says. “But I feel like the hard work and preparation that I put in, and the belief that I have in myself, kept me going. Getting this far, you gotta believe in yourself. Especially being told no so many times.”

That belief brought him home in a way. When Coach JR Wells reached out to Lee a day before he had a job interview, the answer was immediate. Lee was ready to be a Washington Wolfpack and compete. Lee never faltered. He always knew he would keep working to compete. 

“I’m doing myself a disfavor if I don’t at least try to keep going and see where I could take it.”

This Season: A New Standard And A True Brotherhood

Three years into his AF1 career with the Wolfpack, everything has clicked. Last season, Lee was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year. This season, under a huge culture shift led by Coach JR, the team has transformed. 

“The standard’s the standard,” Lee repeats. It’s a phrase Coach JR Wells emphasizes constantly. “In anything you do in life, you gotta have a standard. As long as you’ve got your principles, stand on that.”

The current Wolfpack roster reflects that philosophy. There are no egos, and it’s a true brotherhood. 

“We come to training, we work. We joke, we have fun,” Lee says. “Training’s harder than the games. So by game time, it’s easier.” Lee also describes exactly what Coach JR has told me about how he’s put together “we” guys, not “me” guys. “There’s nobody like, ‘Oh, I’m better than this guy,’” Lee says.

The result? A team playing with joy and purpose in front of the league’s most passionate fans. “We got the best fans in the league. When we were getting smacked, they were still showing out.”

Lee’s recent Defensive Player of the Week honor felt like a personal goal met, yet he refuses to claim it alone. 

“It’s indicative to the team, right? Like, I can’t get that award if we don’t win. If my man Deshon doesn’t take that last play to the crib, if Bam's (Byron Edwards) not helping me in the back, everything.” Individual accolades, he insists, are proof the group is doing something right.

Life Beyond The Pads

Off the field, the same principles guide him. A newborn baby girl has become his greatest source of joy and daily motivation. He’s also back at his alma mater, coaching at Bethel High School in his second year, pouring into the next generation the same way others poured into him. 

“Every time I’m on the field, man, I really play for those guys,” Lee said. We are in the trenches over there, we are really battling and fighting other guys, and trying to get a common goal. Right after the season’s done, I’m going right then with them boys and getting them right, trying to get them a state championship, and bring it back.”

When asked what fans might not know, Lee smiles and offers that his favorite place to eat is Denny’s. “Especially the back-end spots, where it might be a little sketchy, that’s the best Denny’s.”

Standing On His Principles

To young players from Washington chasing the same dream, his advice is direct: “Have belief in yourself. Remember that L’s aren’t losses, they’re just lessons. So learn from it, adapt, and always take the next step forward.”

Looking ahead, Lee hopes his story leaves a clear legacy. One that shows he represented where he’s from, stood on his principles, never wavered, and always did whatever it took to win.

For Machiah Lee, the pads are just the uniform. The real story is the man underneath them. A man who keeps showing up, keeps believing, and keeps raising the standard for himself, his teammates, and the city and state that he calls home.