July 12, 2011
Albuquerque, N.M. — Ask just about any UNM soccer player what they want to “be when they grow up,” and you are almost guaranteed an answer that alludes to their lifelong, borderline obsessive thoughts of being drafted by the MLS and continuing their careers as professional players.
And that is exactly as it should be – because you don’t walk in to, or come out of, a program like New Mexico’s without ambitions of being the best. Some of the most devoted fans in the country don’t support a program with sub-par standards. UNM players know what it takes to build a successful program, and to move beyond the ranks of collegiate soccer.
Justin Davis, a forward for the Lobos from 2006-2009, is a perfect example of a player who is currently living his dream as a professional soccer player – but not without going through the changes that accompany the jump to the pros.
Davis was originally drafted in the 2nd round (32nd overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake, but signed with the NSC Minnesota Stars in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2011.
He made his first professional start on May 14, 2011 in a 3-0 Minnesota victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks, and saw his first career goal just four days later in a 2-0 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders.
As one of three rookies with NSC, Davis and his two teammates recently took some time to talk about the “rigors of pro game” in an article posted on the Stars website. One of those transitions, for Davis, includes adjusting to a positional change as he made the move from a forward at UNM to the left-back spot with NSC. Since taking over the defensive position, Davis has started nine consecutive games and has one goal to his credit.
To view the full article on the Minnesota Stars website, please visit the following link: Up to Speed: Stars’ rookies transitioning well into rigors of pro game.