Oct. 22, 2009
By Richard Stevens — Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
A good tease to throw at Lobo senior Simon Ejdemyr is to tell the 6-foot-5 senior that he really didn’t come to America to play soccer. He was simply fleeing the factory.
As it is with most humor, there is some truth to that barb. Ejdemyr doesn’t paint himself as a waif of Europe, but growing up in a working class family forced a certain requirement on Ejdemyr. He had to work.
In the summer months, that was in the factory from 6:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then it was out to the soccer field. During school months, the workload wasn’t so heavy, but the boxes always were.
“They were heavy. I would leave tired. Sometimes my back would hurt,” said Ejdemyr. “It was good for me because it taught me early how to be organized.”
Ejdemyr grew up in Boras, Sweden. Ejdemyr said in Sweden you grew up in a town that leaned toward soccer or a town that loved ice hockey. If you had money, you might shoot up a mountain and ski down. Ejdemyr didn`t have a lot of money and Boras as a soccer town. His choice was made.
Of course, Ejdemyr is good in soccer. If not, he wouldn’t be playing for Jeremy Fishbein’s Lobos. In Sweden, the tall and lanky Ejdemyr was a quick climber in the premier level. Eventually, he landed a spot practicing (not playing) on a Sweden pro team.
He was a boy playing with men. It made for one tough Lobo.
“I was playing against grown men when I was 16,” he said. “They would just knock you off the ball. It hurt and you had to learn fast.
“I think it helped my trademark here at UNM which is my tackles and never wanting to lose a physical battle. I have that attitude and then I’m usually the biggest guy out there. That doesn’t hurt.”
To be one of the biggest defenders in NCAA ball, Ejdemyr had to think big. He tried to go pro in Sweden, but missed, more because of his slight frame than his ability.
So Ejdemyr thought things over. He thought about life in the factory. He thought about life in America playing soccer and getting a degree. He picked America. Then he had to pick a team.
You have to give Ejdemyr credit. He went big time. He figured if he was going to leave home and kin, vault the Atlantic Ocean, he might as well offer his services to the best teams. He looked at the finalists in the 2005 NCAA Championships and gave them a call. New Mexico was one of them.
“I didn’t really know anything about college soccer,” he said. “I did the research myself and just looked at who played in the Final Four. My impression with New Mexico was that the way Coach Fish set up his program was super professional and that was what I was used to.”
Fishbein took Ejdemyr sight unseen; no video. He looked at Ejdemyr’s resume, looked at his size, talked to some coaches, liked what he read and heard. Coach Fish has been liking it every since, too.
Ejdemyr is a three-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first-team defender. He has started all but one game as a Lobo. His big foot also is the one Fishbein calls upon when there is a penalty kick that needs converting.
UNM also likes to put the tall Swed in front of the net on corner kicks. The reason: he is a tall Swed. His head is usually the highest.
“In Sweden, you can’t go to college and play soccer,” said Ejdemyr. “I’ve never considered myself a privileged person, but maybe now I am. I’m forever thankful for Coach Fish and UNM for what they have given me.”
Actually, it has been a give-and-take relationship. The Lobos got a 4.0 student and an A-plus defender. Ejdemyr got away from those boxes.
Ejdemyr said the toughest thing about becoming a Lobo was leaving family. “My mom used to do everything for me, cooking, cleaning, doing my laundry. Now, that’s an ocean away,” he said. “But the main loss was the emotional support.”
Ejdemyr said his dream after college is to give pro ball another shot as a bigger, thicker, meaner defender. If that doesn’t work out, it’s off to law school. But definitely not back to the factory.