Pages 18-35.indd - Duke University Athletics
Pages 18-35.indd - Duke University Athletics
Pages 18-35.indd - Duke University Athletics
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Blue Devils in the Pros<br />
Evan<br />
Whitfield<br />
Jordan<br />
Cila<br />
Defender Evan Whitfield was also taken in the<br />
fi rst round, when Chicago picked him with the 11th<br />
overall selection. He joined the Fire midway through<br />
the 1999 season after a stint of playing professional<br />
soccer for KAA Gent in Belgium. He played<br />
fi ve seasons with the Fire, helping them to three<br />
division championships and two Lamar Hunt U.S.<br />
Open Cup Championships. He started the 2005<br />
season as a member of Real Salt Lake where he<br />
fi nished his career. Whitfi eld was a three-time<br />
All-Region selection for the Blue Devils and<br />
four-time All-ACC pick.<br />
<strong>Duke</strong> had another player drafted<br />
with the second overall pick in 2001. Ali<br />
Curtis, a two-time player of the year recipient<br />
at <strong>Duke</strong>, was chosen by the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Curtis was named the ACC<br />
Player of the Year and was awarded the Hermann Trophy in his junior year. As<br />
a senior, he became the all-time leading scorer at <strong>Duke</strong> with 53 goals, and was<br />
given the Missouri Athletic Club Award. Curtis was a two-time All-America and<br />
four time All-Region selection. He played three years of Major League Soccer.<br />
He played his fi rst season with Tampa Bay and then moved on to D.C. United<br />
where he had his best season in 2002 with fi ve goals and one assist. He started<br />
the 2003 season with D.C. United before he was traded to<br />
Dallas where he fi nished his career. In his rookie season<br />
with Tampa Bay, he was honored with the Mutiny’s 2001<br />
New York Life Humanitarian of the Year award and was<br />
a fi nalist for the 2001 MLS New York Life Humanitarian<br />
of the Year award.<br />
Also drafted in 2001 was Robert Russell, a<br />
former All-America at <strong>Duke</strong>. Russell was drafted by Los<br />
Angeles in the second round with the 22nd overall pick.<br />
He instead decided to sign with Sogndal in the Premiere<br />
League in Norway. He was later acquired by Rosenborg<br />
of the Norway Premiere League and led them to a<br />
Premier League Championship to earn the right to play<br />
in the UEFA Champions League in 2004 against Arsenal<br />
and PSV Eindhoven. In the summer of 2006, he signed<br />
with Viborg FF of Denmark's top-fl ight Superligaen. At<br />
<strong>Duke</strong> he was a four-time All-ACC selection and was named<br />
to the All-South region team in 2000.<br />
There have been two other <strong>Duke</strong> players drafted by MLS teams. Josh<br />
Kevin<br />
Sakuda<br />
Henderson was taken in the fourth round of the 2000<br />
SuperDraft by Los Angeles and Kevin Sakuda was<br />
picked up in the third round of the 2002 SuperDraft with<br />
the 39th overall pick by San Jose. Henderson was a<br />
two-time All-ACC selection and ranks in the top ten<br />
in career assists at <strong>Duke</strong>. Sakuda played for the<br />
San Diego Sockers and Cleveland Storm of the<br />
MISL and is now in his fourth season with the Seattle<br />
Sounders of the United Soccer League First Division. In<br />
college he was an All-Region choice in 1999 and helped<br />
lead the Blue Devils to their fi rst-ever ACC Tournament<br />
Championship.<br />
Four former <strong>Duke</strong> players are currently<br />
on MLS rosters. Heaps is still with<br />
New England, while Kreis is playing for<br />
Real Salt Lake. Jordan Cila, who was<br />
a four-year letterwinner for the Blue Devils from 2000-<br />
03, is currently playing for the New York Red Bulls<br />
along with Blake Camp. Cila was a two-time All-ACC<br />
selection and is fi fth on the career assists list at <strong>Duke</strong>. He<br />
spent his fi rst season in the MLS with Colorado in 2004<br />
where he helped them into the playoffs. In 21 games he<br />
scored four goals and had two assists. Last season he<br />
played for Real Salt Lake, scoring three goals and adding<br />
an assist in 12 contests. Camp, a two-time All-America<br />
choice at <strong>Duke</strong>, was drafted in the fourth round with the<br />
41st pick of the 2006 MLS Draft. Camp led the Blue<br />
Blake<br />
Camp<br />
Where Are They Now?<br />
Blake Camp - New York Red Bulls of the MLS<br />
Graziano Giglio - D.D.S., PC<br />
Mike Jeffries - Associate Head Coach, <strong>Duke</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Bob Jenkins - U.S. Soccer’s Director of Coaching Education<br />
and Youth Development<br />
Tom Kain - Global Futbol Marketing Director, Nike<br />
John Kerr - Men's Soccer Head Coach, Harvard<br />
Danny Kramer - Rochester Raging Rhinos of USL First Division<br />
Ken Lolla - Head Coach, Louisville; USSF U-15 National Team Coach<br />
David McDaniel - President of Construction, ContraVest, Inc.<br />
Thomas Natelli - President & CEO of Natelli Communities<br />
Kevin Sakuda - Seattle Sounders of the MISL<br />
David Strauch - Account Manager of Heidtman Steel Geoffrey Metals<br />
Chris Sturdy - Managing Director, The Bank of New York<br />
(Listed above are just some of the outstanding jobs<br />
<strong>Duke</strong> soccer alumni have notched since graduation)<br />
Devils to the 2005 ACC Tournament Championship and<br />
the 2004 College Cup. He fi nished his career with 24<br />
Danny<br />
Kramer<br />
goals and 22 assists and was a three-time All-ACC<br />
selection.<br />
Danny Kramer, a 2005 team captain, is also<br />
playing professionally. He signed with the Rochester<br />
Raging Rhinos after graduation and fi nished<br />
his <strong>Duke</strong> career with 19 goals and 17 assists.<br />
Other former <strong>Duke</strong> players who have been affi<br />
liated with the MLS are Doug Hamilton, Mike Jeffries,<br />
Mark Noonan and Trevor Perea. Hamilton<br />
is currently the president and general manager<br />
of the Los Angeles Galaxy and is a former <strong>Duke</strong><br />
assistant coach. Jeffries was the head coach<br />
for the Dallas Burn in 2001 and 2002. He<br />
guided the team to the playoffs in his fi rst<br />
season with the club. Noonan was the Vice President of Marketing for<br />
the MLS. Perea played one season in the league. He signed a contract in 2003<br />
with the Columbus Crew and fi nished the year with D.C. United.<br />
Before the creation of the MLS, Tom Kain played professional soccer in<br />
West Germany and for the Kansas City Comets of the MISL. He moved on to<br />
later become the Global Futbol Marketing Director for Nike. Kain became the<br />
third <strong>Duke</strong> player to be awarded the Hermann Trophy as the National Player of<br />
the Year in 1985. He was also the fi rst four-time All-America for the Blue Devils.<br />
Kain played for the US National Team and was one of two <strong>Duke</strong> players to play<br />
in the Olympics. He was the fi rst soccer player to be elected into the <strong>Duke</strong> Hall<br />
of Fame. He is the all-time leader<br />
in points and assists and is second<br />
in career goals.<br />
<strong>Duke</strong> Head Coach John<br />
Rennie has established one of the<br />
top men’s soccer programs in the<br />
country and continues to bring in<br />
some of the nation’s most talented<br />
high school players every year.<br />
<strong>Duke</strong> continues to be one of the<br />
elite teams in college soccer and<br />
one of the elite academic schools<br />
as well. All of the former Blue Devils<br />
student athletes who have gone<br />
on to have successful professional<br />
careers after graduation are a<br />
tribute to the program Rennie has<br />
established in his 27 years at the<br />
helm.<br />
Tom Kain<br />
23