Pages 18-35.indd - Duke University Athletics

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