Mali Walton is a retired American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who played professionally in the National Professional Soccer League and USL A-League. He won the 1998, 2000 and 2001 USL A-League and the

1999 U.S. Open Cup The 1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June to October 1999, open to all soccer teams in the United States. It was the first Open Cup tournament to be named after Lamar Hunt. The Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League (1995–2004), A-League ...

championships with the

Rochester Rhinos Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos to ...

. Walton attended Michigan’s

Oakland University Oakland University is a public research university in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1957 through a donation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, it was initially known as Michigan State University-Oakland, operating under the Mi ...

where he was a 1992-94 All American soccer player. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology. In 2002, Oakland University inducted Walton into its Athletic Hall of Fame. On May 31, 1995, Walton turned professional with the

Detroit Neon The Detroit Safari (founded as the Detroit Neon) was a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League that played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their owners, the Palace Sports Group were awarded a franchise on November 4, 1993. Their star player ...

of the

Continental Indoor Soccer League The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997. History In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice Pre ...

. In the fall of 1995, he moved to the

Tampa Bay Terror The Tampa Bay Terror is the name of an indoor soccer team based in the Tampa Bay, Florida area that competed in the defunct National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The team existed for two seasons before folding: 1995–1996 and 1996–1997. ...

of the National Professional Soccer League. He spent two winter, indoor seasons with the Terror. In 1996, Walton began his outdoor career with the

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL-1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

of the USISL Select League. In 1997, Walton moved to the

of the USL A-League. He played only six games for Rochester that season, going on loan to the

Mid Michigan Bucks Flint City Bucks is an American soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club was founded in 1995 as the Mid-Michigan Bucks, play ...

of the

USISL PDSL USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syst ...

for two games. Walton would go on to play six seasons with the Rhinos, winning the 1998, 2000 and 2001 league championships and the

with them. While playing outdoors with the Rhinos, Walton continued with his indoor career. From 1997 to 1999, he played for the Philadelphia KiXX and from 1999 to 2001 with the Buffalo Blizzard, both in the NPSL. In 2001, the Baltimore Blast acquired the rights to Walton in the NPSL Dispersal Draft. Walton refused to play for the Blast and on August 27, 2003, the Blast sent the rights to Walton’s contract to the St. Louis Steamers. Walton signed with the Steamers and played for them until the team ceased operations in 2006. In 2003, Walton finished his outdoor career with the Indiana Blast.Indian Blast: Christian Night
/ref> In 2008, he returned to indoor soccer with the

St. Louis Illusion The St. Louis Illusion were an American indoor soccer, arena soccer team founded in 2008. The team disbanded in 2010. The team was a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro), the first division of arena (indoor) soccer i ...

of the

Premier Arena Soccer League The Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) is an indoor soccer league with mostly semi-professional teams; along with a number of amateur teams across North America. The PASL was previously known as the Federation of Sports Arenas (FSA). The PASL logo ...

, playing a handful of games over two seasons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, Mali Living people 1972 births Sportspeople from Flint, Michigan Soccer players from Michigan American soccer players Buffalo Blizzard players Detroit Neon players Houston Hotshots players Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008) players National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's soccer players Philadelphia KiXX players Professional Arena Soccer League players Richmond Kickers players Rochester New York FC players St. Louis Steamers (2003–2006 MISL) players St. Louis Illusion players Tampa Bay Terror players USISL Select League players A-League (1995–2004) players USL League Two players Association football midfielders Association football defenders