Inside Elon University men’s soccer head coach Darren Powell’s office hangs a signed, framed jersey of Major League Soccer’s Steven Kinney.
Kinney, a 2009 Elon graduate, was the first-ever player out of the Phoenix soccer program to be drafted into the MLS, let alone sign a contract. On July 8, 2010, Kinney made his first career start for the Chicago Fire against Real Salt Lake because of multiple injuries on defense.
Remember the opponent. The RSL is not done in this story.
Now a mainstay in Chicago’s defense when healthy, Kinney’s roots go back to Elon where he played with another star in his own right.
Glory days
From 2007 to 2009, Kinney and goalkeeper Clint Irwin co-captained Powell’s Phoenix. When Kinney graduated, Irwin was starting his senior season in which he would be named to the Hermann Watch List and become a finalist for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior Class Award, which is given to a senior with notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Three years later and because of some unfortunate circumstances, Irwin is starting in goal for the Colorado Rapids of the MLS.
“Clint is the whole package,” said senior defender Nick Butterly, who played with Irwin in 2009 and 2010. “There’s not one single aspect about him. He’s a great leader and an incredibly mature player. He has the athleticism and the dedication.”
In recruiting Irwin out of high school in Charlotte, Powell said he and his staff knew exactly what they had when Irwin announced his intentions of playing for Elon.
“From when I first recruited Clint, he was goalkeeper No. 1,” Powell said. “There was no hesitation in my mind that he was a top, top player. I was over the moon when he decided to come to Elon.”
Irwin started in all four seasons for the Phoenix. Though 2008 was halted by an injury that only allowed him to play in eight games, he was still named to the second team-All Southern Conference. In 2009, he set the school record with 10 shutouts in the season. He later went on to break the all-time record for most career shutouts.
“Clint is incredibly loud,” Butterly said. “That helped a lot having such a great leader. From my experiences, I’ve been playing since I was a little kid, he’s one of the best captains I’ve ever had. He’s very decisive and he lets you know what he wants you to do. He’s just very easy to play with.”
As the 2010 season started, Irwin had made a name for himself and the Elon program after bringing the Phoenix to its first ever SoCon tournament championship game a year before.
Leading the conference with just a handful of games remaining is where Irwin’s story really begins.
Down and out for the count
“I can recall what happened just fine,” Powell said. “I can still see his leg and I can still tell you exactly what happened.”
Hosting College of Charleston Oct. 9, 2010, Irwin suffered a quad injury with four minutes remaining in the game that would keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the regular season.
“He was up for the Hermann Watch List and we were top of the league at the time,” Powell said. “He was a big piece and he got hurt and kind of got out of everybody’s minds. We didn’t qualify for postseason that year so we just kind of drifted away.”
Though Irwin returned for the first round of the SoCon tournament against Appalachian State University, the Phoenix dropped the game 1-0 and the season was over.
“I thought about the injury but it was more in the context of feeling like we had a really good team that year and could have done something special,” Irwin said. “We could have made the tournament and made an impact so I was disappointed I wasn’t out there to help the team and help us push to that. Not getting drafted was not my biggest disappointment. That was.”
And so began the long road to Colorado.
Life on the back burner
By the time Irwin was back to full health, MLS teams were already in preseason. Irwin’s promising career was derailed for the time being due to the quad injury.
Irwin got a chance with the New England Revolution as the fourth goalkeeper but was cut, as the team only carried three net minders. With all of the clubs having filled their spots, Irwin crossed the border to the North and signed with Capital City Football Club in Ottawa, Ontario.
After a successful campaign in Canada, Irwin found himself back in his hometown, playing for the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer League.
“He played as a backup but he got the [U.S.] Open Cup games,” Powell said. “They had the best run in history in the Open Cup beating MLS teams along the way with Clint in goal.”
As Irwin’s “de facto agent,” Powell made calls in an attempt to find him a home from the time Irwin left Elon all the way until the keeper made it with Colorado.
“Coach Powell has a wealth of contacts,” Irwin said. “He was pushing me and putting his reputation on the line for me which I’m still so appreciative of. He’s one of my biggest supporters. He constantly encouraged me, even when things weren’t going well, to stick with it.”
Ultimately, it was another connection that got Irwin to Colorado, one that he wasn’t expecting considering the obstacles he’d had to overcome.
Opportunity rising
Training with the New York Red Bulls, Irwin said he thought that was a team he could stay with out of fall and into preseason. There was one problem.
“Unfortunately their whole coaching staff got let go at the end of the season so that was disappointing,” Irwin said.
The goalkeeper coach with the Red Bulls at the time kept in contact with Irwin, though, and he put in a word for Irwin with the Rapids.
“I got a call from them in January getting an invite to training camp,” Irwin said. “I got lucky for that to happen.”
Irwin earned a roster spot out of preseason with the Rapids, becoming the third Elon player to sign a MLS contract. Senior Gabe Latigue signed a contract with the Revolution at the beginning of 2013.
After just a few games, Irwin got his break.
Irwin’s box
Remember Real Salt Lake? Colorado was taking on RSL March 16 when just four minutes into the game, Colorado’s starting goalkeeper Matt Pickens went down with an injury that forced Irwin into his first career MLS action.
“I saw the injury and you could tell it was pretty bad,” Irwin said. “All I was thinking was, ‘I need to get ready and prepare myself the best I can.’ There’s not really much else you can do. Once you get out there, it’s just another game.”
Following the game, Pickens was diagnosed with a broken forearm, making Irwin the starter for the foreseeable future.
In six games played since taking over, Irwin has won the Man of the Match award four times. According to Powell, that accomplishment is rare.
“Not many MLS players have started their careers like that,” Powell said. “It’s quite amazing. He’s making the most of his opportunity. He’s grounded, he’s humble and hopefully it continues.”
Maturity at the top
Now starting in the league he thought he would be a part of much sooner than 2013, the phone calls to Powell have changed dramatically from what they once were.
“I talk with him about once a week and those conversations have changed a lot from when I first came out,” Irwin said. “They used to be about me maybe not being really happy with where I was and he was just trying to keep me positive. Now, the conversations are, ‘You’re playing great and I get to watch you on TV.’ It’s a big difference.”
While the MLS does not specifically make goalkeeper jerseys for the public, Powell has Irwin’s regular No. 31 jersey in his office ready to be sent off to be signed. Soon, it will join Kinney’s Fire jersey on Powell’s own wall of fame in his office.
“Anything is possible for Clint,” Powell said. “He’s very good. The sky’s the limit. He has all the characteristics that you want in a goalkeeper. He checks off a lot of boxes. He’s an exceptional person, a good reader. He’s agile, he’s big, he can get crosses, he organizes, he gets the low shots and he can get the all of the high shots. We try to watch as many games as we can, and to see him on the big stage, it just makes it all that much more special for us as a coaching staff. He just does it all.”