Daniel Hernández

Youth and college

Hernández was a student at John Tyler High School and played youth soccer for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club. He played college soccer and college football as a placekicker at Southern Methodist University from 1994 to 1997, where he was a First Team All-American as an attacking midfielder.

Professional

Upon graduating from SMU, Hernández was drafted in the second round of the 1998 MLS College Draft by the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He saw little playing time in the Galaxy, appearing mostly a substitute, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Mutiny in exchange for Jorge Salcedo. Hernández hardly played for the Mutiny either, appearing in only four games, and was traded the next year to the MetroStars for the rights to Daniel Alvarez.

With the MetroStars, Hernández finally came into his own, earning a starting position, first in central defense, and then becoming one of the league's most dangerous defensive midfielders. He stayed with the MetroStars from 2000 to 2002, but was a part of a blockbuster trade in the middle of 2002, which sent him along with Brian Kamler and Diego Serna to the New England Revolution for Mamadou Diallo, Andy Williams, and Ted Chronopoulos. Despite being a starter for the Revolution, Hernández expressed displeasure with his situation, requesting a trade to his home state Dallas Burn. The Burn, however, were unwilling to make such a trade, and upon the emergence of an adequate replacement for him in…