How it all came to be...
At the age of 23, DJ Countess has established himself as the premier young goalkeeper in the United States. He has already enjoyed a very accomplished National Team career, starting a total of 72 games for the U-17'S, U-20'S and U-23'S. His 4-year MLS career has had its share of ups and downs, but now after being re-united with his former U-17 mentors, Coaches John Ellinger and Peter Mellor, DJ appears poised to prove all of his naysayers wrong and become the elite professional keeper that so many people believe he can be.
DJ's soccer story begins when he was a young boy in Sacramento, CA. When DJ was growing up he had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player and excelled on the mound as a starting pitcher. He showed so much promise early on in his career that he appeared to be headed on track to becoming a pro. His parents enrolled him in a competitive soccer league primarily so he could stay in shape for baseball.
DJ started out playing in the midfield and instantly loved the speed and excitement of the game. His athleticism shined through and DJ quickly became one of the best players on the field. Playing keeper never crossed DJ's mind, until one day at the age of 12 the keeper on DJ's team went down and the coach asked for a volunteer to fill in. DJ stepped up and played an excellent game between the pipes.
"I have been there ever since," says Countess.
His ascension to the heights of the game was very rapid. He continued to play baseball in high school, but it was very apparent that DJ's future was in soccer. As a senior, DJ's passion and athleticism attracted the attention of several big name schools. DJ ultimately selected to stay in his home state of California and attend UCLA. He continued to improve his game as he took the jump to the next level. He had an outstanding season as a freshman, posting a 1.02 goals-against average, good for second in the Pac 10.
Upon completing his freshman year, DJ joined Major League Soccer's Project 40 program. In August of that year DJ was selected by the MetroStars in a weighted lottery. During his rookie year he served as the primary backup to starter Tim Howard, the current goalie for Manchester United of the English Premier league. After being traded to the Dallas Burn prior to the start of the 2002 season, DJ won the starting job and started off with a great game, making six saves and earning a 1-1 tie for his team against the Kansas City Wizards. Unfortunately, shortly following his stellar debut DJ suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to miss the remainder of the season. He bounced back nicely in 2003, starting in 24 out of 30 games for the Burn. He was named the Burn's Defender of the Year after posting a1.97 goals-against average and tallying a total of 115 saves. DJ also tied an MLS record that year by facing a total of 10 penalty kicks and set the league record by saving four. Following his 2003 performance DJ was traded to the Chicago Fire, where he spent the 2004 season as the primary backup to starter Henry Ring.
RSL selected DJ with the second pick in the 2005 expansion draft and immediately named him the team's starting goalkeeper. The expectations for DJ are high this year as it appears that his preparation will finally meet with the correct opportunity. Armed with the confidence of a coach with whom he is familiar, DJ is planning big things this year with RSL.
"With Coach Ellinger leading the way, I am fully confident that I have a great chance to make this year my personal best in the MLS. I understand my role with the team and I believe that with the help of a stellar defense we can accomplish our team goals. People view us as an expansion team, but we have the talent and the leadership to compete on a very high level this year. I know that there is a lot of pressure on me personally, but I feel that I am up to the challenge."
Coach Ellinger's Call...
"I know that DJ has the talent to be an elite goalkeeper in this league. I have known him for a long time and I am very familiar with his game. He possesses incredible ability. He has to stay confident and believe In himself and it's my job to make sure that he remains consistently motivated. Much of our success this year will depend on his performance, but I would not have put him in the net if I didn't believe he was able to handle the challenge. I have seen maturation in DJ's personality and I believe his maturity will lead to bigger and better things on the field. I hope that he can become the player that I know he is capable of becoming, I feel that the time for him is now and the place for him is Salt Lake."
Field Vision: Forward Clint Mathis says...
"DJ has experienced some real ups and downs in his career, but he is still a young kid with a ton of potential and I believe that he has a chance to be a very special player if he keeps his head on straight. I have known DJ for a long time and I know that he wants to be a superstar player. It will help that (Coach Ellinger) is here to lead the way for him. I know that they have a wonderful relationship and that DJ really trusts him. This is an exciting time for DJ because he is the man here. There is no pressure to compete for a job, it has been entrusted to him. It is all going to be up to him, but if he puts in the work I know he can be great."
Things you need to know...
Family:
Parents: Dell and Linda Countess
Siblings: 1 sister, Crista
Favorite athlete:
Lance Armstrong
Nickname:
Delvin
Hobbies:
Wakeboarding, surfing, pingpong and golf
Most memorable moment:
The moment he realized his dream of becoming a professional athlete
Favorite music:
Hip-Hop
Favorite movie:
Dumb and Dumber
Favorite food:
Mexican
Favorite book:
The Life of John Wooden
Favorite TV show:
Cops
