Jalen Robinson (born May 8, 1994) is an 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 plays as defender for Detroit City in the

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

Youth and amateur soccer

Robinson grew up in the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...

, and played for Bethesda SC in Maryland, before signing on with

D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...

academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

. After two years of playing for the academy, Robinson opted to forgo a professional contract and signed a scholarship to play

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

. Robinson was a two-year starter for the

Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer The Wake Forest University Demon Deacons men's soccer team is an NCAA Division I college soccer team composed of students attending Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They achieved their greatest result in 2007, winning t ...

program, where he earned the All-ACC Second Team in 2013.

Professional career

Robinson signed a homegrown contract with

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

club

on January 6, 2014. In March 2014, he was

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...

ed to

USL Pro The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

affiliate club

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 ...

. His professional debut and only appearance for the Kickers came on April 26 in a 5–1 victory over the

Dayton Dutch Lions Dayton Dutch Lions is an American association football, soccer team based in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. From 2011 to 2014, the team played in the ...

. After six weeks in Richmond and unable to find much playing time, D.C. United recalled Robinson and loaned him to

Arizona United Phoenix Rising Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2014 as Arizona United Soccer Club, the team is a member of the USL Championship. History On March 13, 2014, Kyle Eng, owner of an advert ...

. With Arizona, Robinson made 14 appearances for the club. Ahead of the 2015 season, Robinson was loaned out once again to Richmond. On March 28, 2015, in the first game of the

2015 USL season The 2015 USL season was the fifth season of the United Soccer League (USL) and the first under its new name (previously the league was called USL Pro). This season represented a substantial expansion from 14 teams in 2014 to 24 teams in 2015, and ...

, Robinson scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 draw against

Wilmington Hammerheads FC Wilmington Hammerheads FC was a semi-professional American soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team last competed in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid in 2017. History ...

. Robinson made his D.C. United debut on June 19, 2016, coming on against the

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...

as a late game substitute. Robinson played in the following game against the

New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...

, lifting a depleted D.C. United defensive back line to 2–0 shutout in his first MLS start. Robinson was credited with three blocked shots, five recoveries, seven clearances, four interceptions and two tackles while completing 85.7% of his passes. Fans and teammates alike commented that his performance made him a Man of the Match contender. Robinson's contract with D.C. United ended after the 2019 season. On May 21, 2021, Robinson signed with

club

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...

. Robinson joined USL Championship side

Loudoun United FC Loudoun United FC is an American professional soccer team based in Leesburg, Virginia. The team was founded in 2018 as the reserve team of D.C. United and made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. History On July 18, 2018, the team was offi ...

on May 25, 2022. Robinson made the move to USL Championship side Detroit City on February 2, 2023, joining on a one-year deal.

References

External links

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Wake Forest Demon Deacons bio
1994 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American soccer players American soccer players Association football defenders D.C. United players Detroit City FC players Homegrown Players (MLS) Loudoun United FC players Major League Soccer players People from Catonsville, Maryland Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players Phoenix Rising FC players Richmond Kickers players Soccer players from Maryland Sportspeople from Baltimore County, Maryland United States men's youth international soccer players USL Championship players Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer players {{US-footy-defender-stub