Luis Rendon (born November 27, 1993) is a Colombian-American soccer player who last played college soccer for Duke University. Rendon is best known for winning the Gatorade Boys' Soccer Player of the Year award in 2011, a national award given to the best high school soccer player in the United States.[1] Rendon was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2020.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Rendon | ||
| Date of birth | November 27, 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Barranquilla, Colombia | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2011 | FC Richmond | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Duke Blue Devils | 49 | (3) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014 | RVA FC | 11 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2010–2011 | United States U18 | 6 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Upon finishing high school, Rendon played four years of collegiate soccer with Duke University. Additionally, Rendon played in the National Premier Soccer League for RVA FC, prior to the club relocating to Fredericksburg.
Career
editYouth and college
editBorn in Barranquilla, Rendon moved to Midlothian, Virginia (a suburb of Richmond), when he was a child. Growing up, Rendon played youth soccer for FC Richmond, and high school soccer for Cosby High School. A standout player, Rendon helped Cosby reach the state championship in 2011. On May 19, 2011, Rendon won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award.[3] Rendon was the first player from Virginia to win the award.[4]
Ahead of the 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season, Rendon committed to playing college soccer for Duke, choosing Duke over Virginia, VCU, William & Mary, and Wake Forest.
Senior
editInternational
editLuis Rendon was part of the United States under-18 men's national team program through high school.[3]
Personal life
editA Richmond, Virginia native and former player of FC Richmond, Rendon has been said to be an influence to several future professional soccer players in the region, such as Nick Taitague, who currently plays for Schalke 04.[5]
Upon graduating from Duke, Rendon retired from competitive soccer, and worked at Teamworks in the Research Triangle, before relocating to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[6] He made 49 appearances for Duke, scoring three goals.
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "2010 - 2011 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year". Gatorade. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "2020 Inductions to the VA-DC Soccer Hall of Fame". VA-DC Soccer Hall of Fame.
- ^ a b "Congrats to U-18 MNT Forward Luis Rendon". United States Soccer Federation. May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ "Luis Rendon awarded Gatorade POY". Top Drawer Soccer. May 16, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Culler, Adam (November 4, 2016). "Midlothian native, FC Richmond star Taitague ready to take game overseas". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
One of Taitague's earliest influences and soccer heroes was Luis Rendon, a former U-18 national team player and 2011 Gatorade national player of the year at Cosby High School. Rendon wrapped up a four-year playing career at Duke University in 2015. Everyone wanted to come out and watch Luis because he was on the national team," said Taitague. "Growing up and playing for FC Richmond, he was the one I wanted to be like.
- ^ "Luis Rendon - Experience". LinkedIn. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Madden, Nathan (July 2, 2011). "Luis Rendon is All-Metro boys soccer player of the year". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ "FC Richmond Hall of Fame". fcrichmond.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.