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 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who plays as defender.

Youth and amateur soccer

Robinson grew up in the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

, and played for Bethesda SC in Maryland, before signing on with D.C. United's

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. 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, called college football in some countries, is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. While it is most widespread in the United States, it is also prominent in Japan, South Kore ...

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

. 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 ...

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 professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

club D.C. United on January 6, 2014. In March 2014, he was

loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...

ed to

USL Pro The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) as its premier league for men above USL League One. Operating under a f ...

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 (USL1). 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 The Dayton Dutch Lions are an American 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 USL Professiona ...

. 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 Association football, soccer team based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2014 as Arizona United Soccer Club, the team is a member of the USL Championship. They won the league championship i ...

. 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, an ...

, 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. Histor ...

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

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...

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

New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...

, 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 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dici ...

. On May 21, 2021, Robinson signed with

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...

club

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional association football, soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1998 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference (USL), Eastern Conferenc ...

. 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. After ownership changes, it ceased being ...

on May 25, 2022. Robinson made the move to USL Championship side

Detroit City Detroit ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census, making it the 26th-most populous city ...

on February 2, 2023, joining on a one-year deal. He left Detroit following their 2023 season.

References

External links

*
Wake Forest Demon Deacons bio
1994 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen African-American soccer players American men's soccer players Men's association football defenders D.C. United players Detroit City FC players Homegrown Players (MLS) Loudoun United FC players Major League Soccer players Mount Saint Joseph High School alumni Sportspeople from Catonsville, Maryland Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players Phoenix Rising FC players Richmond Kickers players Soccer players from Maryland United States men's youth international soccer players USL Championship players Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer players 21st-century American sportsmen {{US-footy-defender-1990s-stub