MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP: Akpan Cements Place in Crimson History

With too many awards to even fit in one article, it is safe to say that outgoing co-captain Andre Akpan is the most decorated soccer player to have ever been part of the Crimson program.

Having graduated from Harvard a semester early in his efforts to pursue an MLS career, Akpan is currently a striker for the Colorado Rapids and recently made his debut against the Kansas City Wizards in a U.S. Open Cup game last month.

This is not his first experience playing against high-level competition, though. To start off his international career with the United States U-20 team, Akpan scored a hat trick against Haiti and was influential in the country’s qualification for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

At the collegiate level, he enjoyed even more success, becoming the face of Harvard soccer and putting the program on the map with the help of the strongest class ever to have played for the Crimson. The graduating class even caught the attention of the 2008 MLS Cup Champions, the Columbus Crew, who selected classmate Kwaku Nyamekye late in the MLS SuperDraft this year. The class of 2010 has also appeared in the postseason every year and has won two Ivy League titles.

“Andre is a fantastic player and was a great leader for our team,” Harvard coach Jamie Clark wrote in an email. “His talent was clear to anyone who watched us play. What not everyone saw was that he drove other players to compete and play at his level. His expectations at practice changed the habits and expectations of the team. This standard of excellence grew from practice into the games and led to much of our success.”

And much of the team success can be attributed to Akpan’s leadership and prolific scoring abilities. By the end of his career, he had tallied the most points in Crimson history with 127 and had tied Chris Ohiri ’64’s career record of 47 goals.

“Andre was always a very hard worker,” incoming co-captain Jaren LaGreca said. “He was a leader on the team, and he held people to a high standard. That is something we need to have [among] the full team.”

Akpan’s efforts were recognized at the end of the season when he was named the first runner-up for the Hermann Trophy, a prestigious award that identifies the United States’ top male and female collegiate soccer players. The winner of the trophy was a sophomore from the University of Akron, so in essence, the award proclaimed Akpan as the best senior in the country.

“Andre was great to play next to during my first year,” rising sophomore Brian Rogers said. “He’s a good mentor, and he got us through a lot of tough games. He often came through in the clutch. He definitely led the team to a lot of our successes.”

After garnering so much praise and recognition during his collegiate career, there is no doubt that Akpan has the potential to be successful in the MLS.

It all starts with the opportunity he has with the Rapids, and what he does with it will be indicative of the type of attitude he’s demonstrated throughout his time at Harvard—determination, tenacity, and excellence.

—Staff writer Brian A. Campos can be reached at bcampos@fas.harvard.edu.