Ivy League schools produce diplomats, doctors, lawyers and presidents by the bushel. Professional soccer players, well, that's another story entirely.
There are success stories -- ageless Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch calls Princeton his alma mater, while Brown boasts Cory Gibbs and Jeff Larentowicz as members of its alumni mailing list -- but the path to a professional soccer career for an Ivy Leaguer often involves many hurdles and long odds. Despite the consistent success of the Brown and Harvard programs in recent years, no Ivy League player has heard his name called in the first round in the MLS SuperDraft.
It all begs the question of why Harvard forward Andre Akpan, a M.A.C. Hermann Trophy finalist widely expected to break that duck on Thursday, chose to ignore other offers from more prominent schools to join the Crimson. The answer, of course, ties into education.
"Coming out of high school, I wanted to come to a place where I was going to play good soccer and receive a good education," said Akpan, a Grand Prairie, Texas native. "I never thought about Ivy League schools, and then I started getting recruited. At the end of the day, I couldn't really pass up a chance to go to Harvard."
Playing soccer in Cambridge, Mass., exerts a unique set of demands on a college player, especially if he shows that he can step into the lineup immediately. The rigorous academic curriculum meshes with an accelerated level of on-field expectation to create a cocktail that forces the best Ivy League soccer players to mature quickly.
"Maybe I didn't develop (on the field) as I would have playing day-in and day-out against ACC players, but I got to grow quicker by being thrown in right away and having to lead at a young age," Akpan said.
Akpan met the challenge and turned heads in the process. After scoring 11 goals and logging 12 assists during his freshman year in 2006, Akpan emerged as a contender for the U.S. team heading to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in the summer of 2007. He scored a hat trick on his debut against Haiti in January and established himself as a legitimate option at the international level. Similar performances in qualifying matches and training sessions landed Akpan a spot on a squad that included current U.S. internationals and former MLS standouts Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley.
By the time Akpan returned to Cambridge and started the 2007 season, professional scouts were acutely aware that he wasn't the typical Ivy League prospect. Two more exemplary campaigns -- Akpan scored 24 goals combined in his sophomore and junior years and earned his first All-America berth in 2008 -- presented a question no other Ivy League soccer player had faced: whether to leave school early to join the professional ranks?
Akpan pondered his options and decided to finish out his degree.
"That was part of the reason why I went there," Akpan said. "It would have taken something really special for me to leave. I'm really glad with the decision I made."
The choice to stay increased Akpan's profile and bolstered his resume. Another stellar season -- 12 goals and six helpers -- earned Akpan a second All-American nod and a nomination as one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy. The extra year in school also ensured Akpan would leave Harvard as its all-time leader in assists and points and its joint leader atop the goalscoring charts. In addition to his personal exploits, Akpan led 10th-seeded Harvard -- now in its second season under former San Jose defender Jamie Clark -- to the round-of-16 in the College Cup.
After exceeding all realistic expectations at the college level, Akpan now faces a difficult transition to the pro game. The day-in, day-out rigors of playing Columbia and Dartmouth don't provide the level of competition other highly-rated MLS prospects face consistently in stronger conferences. The margin for error will shrink considerably, making the combination of fitness and industry important for a player who could dominate college games simply by stepping on the field.
"All of those parts of it (are important) because all of a sudden, his gifts are going to be matched by other players," said Clark, who played in 34 games during his 2 1/2 year (1999-2001) spell in San Jose. "He has to get his edge by being fit and being strong. He's taken that to heart because he knows it's going to be much more difficult."
Akpan will have to answer those questions with his performances in training camp and on the field, but his college coach holds no doubts about his potential at the next level.
"He rates out very highly across the board," Clark said. "He may not be a perfect 10 in any category, but he's very close all the way across. It's rare."
That word comes up frequently with Akpan. Rare talent, according to his coach. Rare success, according to the Ivy League stat sheet. Rare pedigree for a college player, according to his resume.
Whether Akpan comports with the common expectations and join the rarest ranks of them all -- an Ivy League first-rounder -- will be decided on Thursday. For now, Akpan isn't worried about the future or making history. He just wants the opportunity to live out his dream and play professional soccer.
"I try not to pay too much attention to that stuff, but it's hard not to because everyone's interested," Akpan said. "Whoever wants me the most is probably the best for me."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
