DeJuan Jones

Updated November 13, 2023

DEJUAN JONES AT A GLANCE:

• 25-year-old defender owns 125 regular season appearances, including 111 starts, with six goals and 20 assists.
• In 2022, matched his career-best of 31 appearances, all starts, with one goal and seven assists over 2,740 minutes played.
• Shares the single-season club record for assists by a defender, seven, with teammate Brandon Bye, set in 2022 and matched 2023.
• Capped seven times by the United States Men’s National Team after earning his first international call-up in January 2023.
• Made United States Men’s Team National competitive debut in 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup making four appearances and tallying two assists.
• Left back has made eight additional starts in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• Led Michigan State to the College Cup Semifinal in 2018 and the College Cup Elite Eight in 2017.

MLS CAREER: Selected 11th overall by New England in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft…Owns 125 regular season appearances, including 111 starts, with six goals and 20 assists for his regular season career...Has made six additional appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs, all of them starts, with one assist over 565 postseason minutes…Also appeared in two matches during New England’s 2022 Concacaf Champions League campaign, logging 180 minutes…In 2023, made 25 appearances, starting 24, with a goal and seven assists…In 2022, matched career-high with 31 appearances, all of them starts, with one goal and seven assists…Set new career-best marks for starts, assists, and minutes played…Seven assists are a single-season club record for a defender, a mark shared with teammate Brandon Bye…In 2021, started in 29 of 31 appearances along with three goals and five assists across 2,546 minutes played…Made 18 appearances, including 13 selections to the Starting XI, in 2020…Totaled 1,468 minutes played as a rookie across appearances at left back, right back, and in the midfield.

2023: Made 25 appearances, starting in 24 matches, with a goal and seven assists…(3/4) vs. HOU: Tallied first assist of the season in home opener…(3/18) vs. NSH: Distributed second assist of the season in as many home games…(5/6) at TOR: Netted first goal of the campaign, earning selection to Team of the Matchday…(5/13) at MCF: Recorded third assist of the season…(5/27) vs. CHI: made 100^th MLS start…(5/31) at ATL: Tallied fourth assist of the season….(9/30) vs. CLT: Recorded fifth assist of the season, marking his third straight season with five or more helpers...(10/7) vs. ORL: Recorded third consecutive game with an assist, tying his single-season assist record by a defender…Postseason: Started in both of New England’s playoff matches.

2022: Appeared in 31 matches, all starts, with seven assists and one goal in 2,740 minutes played…Set a new single-season club record for assists by a defender, a mark shared with Brandon Bye…Set career-highs in starts, assists, and minutes played…Ranked tied for second on the team in assists and third in minutes played…Ranked among top MLS defenders in assists and chances created…(2/26) at POR: Made season debut with a 90-minute effort, registering his first assist of the season in his 70th career appearance to surpass 5,000 minutes played in his MLS career…(4/2) vs. NY: Started for the 60th time in his MLS career in a 90-minute outing…(4/9) at MCF: Recorded second assist of the season in a 90-minute effort…(4/16) vs. CLT: Collected his 75th appearance in MLS, starting and playing 90 minutes…(4/30) vs. MCF: Tallied his third assist of the season...(5/7) vs. CLB: Netted his first goal of the season, a game-tying goal...(5/28) vs. PHI: Surpassed 6,000 minutes played in MLS...(7/9) at NYC: Logged fifth assist of the season to match his career high…(7/30) vs. TOR: Suited up for 90th MLS appearance…Tallied two shots…(9/4) vs. NYC: Distributed one assist in 3-0 win…Surpassed previous career-high mark of five assists in a single season…Equaled single-season club record for assists by a defender…(9/10) at NYRB: Logged seventh assist of the season to set a new single-season record by a defender…Surpassed 7,500 MLS minutes played…Marked 85th MLS start…(9/13) at HOU: Started and played 77 minutes with two shots in the 3-1 loss…(10/9) at CHI: Collected 100th MLS appearance in the season finale, a 1-1 draw on the road.

2021: Appeared in 31 matches, starting all but two, contributing three goals and five assists… Registered career highs in all four categories…Finished the season with 18 shots, including 10 on target…Five assists were one shy of the club record for a defender in a single season…Ranked second on the team in minutes played (2,546), tied for third in appearances and tied for fifth in assists...Made one additional start in the MLS Cup Playoffs…(4/17) at CHI: Started and played 89 minutes in the season opener…Issued a red card for denial of obvious goal-scoring opportunity in second-half stoppage time…(4/24) vs. DC: Served one-game suspension for red card…(5/1) vs. ATL: Returned to the starting lineup and played 90 minutes in the 2-1 win…Marked 40th career appearance…(5/8) at NSH: Registered 30th career start…(5/12) at PHI: Notched first assist of the season on Teal Bunbury’s go-ahead goal in the 1-1 draw…(6/23) at NYRB: Netted first goal of the season in 3-2 win…(7/3) at CLB: Assisted the opening goal of the match, the first ever scored at Lower.com Field, in 2-2 draw…(7/31) at NYRB: Assisted Gustavo Bou’s game-tying goal in 3-2 road win…(8/8) vs. PHI: Earned MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week Honors for 90-minute performance in 2-1 victory...(8/14) at TOR: Collected fourth assist of the season…(8/18) vs. DC: Scored the game-winning goal, an unassisted tally, in 3-2 win…(8/21) vs. CIN: Started at right back for the first time in 2021…Surpassed 4,000 minutes played in MLS with full 90-minute outing…(9/18) vs. CLB: Logged 50th start in MLS in 1-1 draw…(9/29) at MTL: Netted the opening goal, an unassisted tally in the 10th minute…(10/24) at ORL: Made his second appearance off the bench…Assisted Adam Buksa’s game-tying goal in stoppage time…Played a 26-minute shift…(10/27) vs. COL: Returned to the Starting XI and helped New England’s backline collect a 1-0 shutout victory…(11/7) vs. MIA: Started and played all 90 minutes in the final match of the regular season…Postseason: (11/30) vs. NYC: Started in the 2-2 draw in the Eastern Conference Semifinal…Surpassed 500 career minutes played in the postseason.

2020: Made 18 regular season appearances, with 13 starts, and totaled 1,134 minutes played in second MLS campaign…Started all four postseason games at left back en route to the Eastern Conference Final, contributing one game-winning assist…Also played seven minutes as a substitute in MLS is Back Round of 16 match on July 25 at Philadelphia…(2/29) vs. MTL: Started and played 82 minutes at left back in season opener...(7/21) at TOR: Started at left back in clean-sheet performance…(9/27) at DC: Started and played all 90 minutes in shutout win…(10/3) vs. NSH: Notched another clean sheet with 90-minute outing at left back…(10/7) vs. TOR: Recorded career-best three shots, all on target…(10/11) at NYC: Eclipsed 2,000 minutes played in MLS…Postseason: (11/20) vs. MTL: Recorded first MLS Cup Playoffs assist, the game winner on Gustavo Bou’s 95th-minute strike, in the Play-In Round…(11/24) at PHI: Played 90 minutes and helped secure clean sheet in 2-0 win in Round One…(11/29) at ORL: Started at left back in 3-1 Conference Semifinal win…(12/6) at CLB: Started and played 85 minutes in Eastern Conference Final.

2019: Made 20 regular season appearances, with 14 starts, in rookie season after being selected 11th-overall in the first round of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft…Totaled 1,296 minutes played, featuring at left back, left midfield, and right wingback…Added one postseason start, playing 90 minutes at left back…Also played 72 minutes in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round win at New York on June 11…Signed MLS contract on Feb. 25 ahead of the start of the MLS season…Re-signed by New England following the season on Nov. 15, 2019…(3/24) vs. CIN: Made professional debut as a second-half substitute…Played 12 minutes at right wing back…(3/30) vs. MIN: Tallied first career assist in first professional start in the 2-1 win…Played 90 minutes in left midfield…Recorded two shots including one on target…(4/27) at SKC: Scored first career goal, cleaning up a rebound following a saved penalty attempt…Started and played 88 minutes in left midfield in the 4-4 draw…(5/4) at PHI: Started and played 45 minutes in left midfield…Registered one shot on target…(5/18) at MTL: Named to bench of MLSsoccer.com's Team of the Week after playing 55 minutes as a substitute in a 0-0 draw…Registered two shots, one shot on target, one chance created, 46 touches, and an 88.2 pass completion percentage…(5/25) vs. DC: Played 90 minutes in first career start at left back in the 1-1 draw…Led team with nine possessions gained…(6/2) at LA: Made a second consecutive start at left back and played 90 minutes in the 2-1 win…(6/29) vs. HOU: Started and played 90 minutes at left back in the 2-1 win…(7/17) vs. VAN: Played 90 minutes at left back in the 4-0 victory…(8/24) vs. CHI: Played 90 minutes at left back in the 2-1 win…Marked first start since July 17…(8/31) vs. TOR: Played 90 minutes at left back for a second straight match in the 1-1 draw…(9/21) vs. RSL: Recorded two shots and helped the team to a clean sheet in the scoreless draw…Postseason: (10/19) at ATL: Played 90 minutes at left back in MLS postseason debut.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER: Received his first international call-up as one of 19 players selected by Gregg Berhalter for the United States Men’s National Team’s January Camp in Phoenix, Arizona…Named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup…Made competitive debut for the USMNT at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, logging four appearances and tallying two assists.

COLLEGE CAREER (MICHIGAN STATE): Played four seasons at Michigan State and emerged as a regular starter during junior and senior seasons…Finished collegiate career with 16 goals and 14 assists across 75 appearances…Recognized with Second Team All-Big Ten Conference selections in 2017 and 2018…As a senior in 2018, registered five goals and five assists in 22 appearances—all starts…Led team to the 2018 College Cup Semifinal…Finished second among Michigan State players in scoring as a junior after submitting single-season career highs in goals (seven) and assists (six)…Helped the Spartans to the 2017 College Cup Elite Eight…Tallied two goals and two assists in 14 appearances, with one start, as a sophomore in 2016…Made 19 appearances in freshman campaign, logging seven starts with two goals and one assist.

Personal: Born in Lansing, Mich. …Active member of Black Players for Change…Appeared in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd on May 19, 2015 and was named Michigan's Gatorade Player of the Year...A three-year varsity letter winner at East Lansing High School from 2012-14...Also a three-year All-Conference, All-Area, All-District and All-Region honoree...Two-time Lansing State Journal player of the year...All-State Dream Team following junior season...As a senior, participated in the High School All-America Game, was named Mr. Soccer of Michigan, and recognized as an All-American…Recognized by the State of Michigan House of Representatives as Mr. Soccer and for contributions to back-to-back state championships...Played club soccer with TNT Dynamite...Led TNT Dynamite to 2011 and 2012 State Cup Finalist and 2013 State Cup Semi-Finalist places...2014 National Super Y Champion with Force FC…Awarded the golden boot for tournament...Father, Demetrius, played football and was a team captain at Western Michigan.