Bryan Lions Soccer Producing Pros

As I mentioned in my last blog concerning the Covenant move to drop to Div. lll, the Bryan College Men's Soccer Program has made tremendous strides the last two decades. They've won Conference Championships, have produced many All-Conference performers, some NCCAA(National Christian College Athletic Ass.) and NAIA All-Americans, several NCCAA and NAIA Scholar Athletes as well as several Academic All-Americans. In 2000, they were one game away from making it to the NAIA National Tournament and this past Fall, they won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season Title.

Now, they are beginning to produce players capable of playing at the next level. One of these players is Russel Courtney, who graduated from Bryan in 2004. Courtney has recently signed with Chattanooga FC of the NPSL (National Premiere Soccer League). While on the pitch for the Lions, Courtney was a terrific defensive player who usually played Sweeper. Courtney was an AAC All-Conference Player, an NCCAA All-Region Player, and was named NCCAA National Player of the Year his Senior Year in 2004. "Playing soccer for Bryan prepared me for playing beyond the college level because of coaching, work ethic, and the level of competition during college." Said Courtney.

Joining Courtney on the Chattanooga FC team is Moises Drummond. Drummond, who is an Attacking Midfielder, had a stellar career at Bryan netting 62 goals and 45 assists. He was an NCCAA All-American, as well as making All-Conference from 1998-2000. He was named TVAC (Now the AAC) Player of the Year. After Graduation, Drummond played for the
Greenville Lions of the USL (United Socer Leagues) in 2001. He has taught school and coached Soccer at Soddy-Daisey High School the past 8 years, but still has enough in the tank to make a go of it for Chattanooga FC.

The next former Bryan Lion we will look at is Jorge Vallejo. While on the pitch for the Lions, the Midfielder from Bogota, Colombia was named to the AAC All-Conference First Team and All-Region Team. His attacking style was so impressive that it caught the eyes of scouts from the Southern California Seahorses of the PDL (Premiere Developmental League). Vallejo played for the Seahorses for one season after graduation. Here's what Jorge Vallejo had to say about his time at Bryan: "My time at Bryan was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was I able to earn an academic degree, but I was also able to further my experience in soccer. Playing at Bryan allowed me to grow my soccer skills and experience by exposing me to different soccer styles, including European, African, Brazilian, and North American. This experience made it easy for me to transition to a pro league where you compete with people from different countries. At Bryan I learned that life is much more than about soccer, but about the people that you can reach for Christ. It is all about Christ. God has blessed me with the talent of soccer and I now have the blessing to use the professional arena to share my faith to many, not only by words, but by the way I express myself on the field. Bryan gave me the spiritual tools to be able to accomplish this."

After playing for the Seahorses, Vallejo signed a contract with the Philadelphia Kixx of the NISL (formerly the MISL, the Major Indoor Soccer League). Vallejo also works with the Philadelphia Chapter of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) where he reaches out to the youth of the Philadelphia area.

There are other former Bryan players who are playing or have played professionally, like Scott Davidson and Ryan Simon, who both signed with the Nashville Metros of the PDL, and former Lion Defender Nate McCown, who signed a pro contract to play in South Africa. Current Bryan Assistant Coach Joey Johnson played with the Myrtle Beach Sea Dogs and the Charlotte Eagles of the USL.

These examples indicate the the Bryan Soccer Program is a solid program where players face stiff competition that will prepare them for the next level. I believe in a few years that Bryan will produce an MLS player. That will strengthen the program's reputation for sure. Information in this article was gleaned from www.bryanlions.com.