COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Crew announced on Thursday the signing of their second Home Grown player in former Ohio State and Crew Academy goalkeeper Matt Lampson.
Lampson ranks as one of the best ‘keepers in OSU history — he ranks second with 24 shutouts in three seasons with a .86 goals-against average and was named the the All-Big Ten First Team in 2010.
“This is a dream come true,” the 22-year-old said in a statement. “It has been amazing to me because I grew up a Crew fan and, as a youth player, your goal is always to play professionally and to be able to play for your hometown team. This is just an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to put on the Crew jersey and work with great guys like Will [Hesmer] and Andy [Gruenebaum] and Robert [Warzycha], and do whatever I can to help the team.”
The Hilliard, Ohio, native also has a riveting personal story, having survived late-stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
He was diagnosed just days after graduating from Columbus St. Charles Preparatory High School on June 10, 2007, and underwent months of extreme radiation and chemotherapy to combat the Stage 4 disease, which kills 1,300 Americans annually, according to the American Cancer Society.
“That’s a great story in itself,” Crew technical director Brian Bliss told MLSsoccer.com. “With that being a sidebar, he’s a good goalkeeper. He’s got a good size frame. He’s got a good wing span. He covers the goalmouth with his size. He’s got a commanding presence on aerial balls. For a guy his size he gets down and handles the low stuff pretty quickly. He plays the balls sent back to him with his feet pretty well.”
Lampson completed his treatments in February 2008 and was able to join the academy team a few months later. He red-shirted at Northern Illinois University for one season before transferring to Ohio State.
During his time at OSU, he has helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and he graduated on Sunday with a biology degree.
Lampson joins forward Aaron Horton as the team’s second Home Grown. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
