Frankie Hejduk

MLS

In February 1996, Tampa Bay Mutiny drafted Hejduk in the seventh round (67th overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. Hejduk played in the league's first three seasons. However, commitments to the Olympic team limited him to only eight games as a rookie. In 1997, Hejduk established himself on the Mutiny defense, playing 22 games and registering one goal and six assists. He did much of the same in 1998, registering three goals and one assist with the team over 18 games while missing significant time while playing in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Europe

Hejduk's performance in the World Cup inspired German First Division side Bayer Leverkusen to purchase his contract from MLS on July 13, 1998. He remained with the Mutiny through the end of the 1998 season then joined Leverkusen in January 1999. After initially struggling at Leverkusen, Hejduk came on strong at the end of the 1998–99 season when the club experienced several critical injuries. He started ten of the last eleven games, helping the team earn a place in the UEFA Champions League. At the beginning of the 1999–2000 season, Leverkusen manager Christoph Daum changed Leverkusen's tactical formation which took Hejduk out of the starting line up. Although Hejduk only appeared in six Bundesliga games for the team in 1999–2000, he played a significant role for the club in their Champions League campaign, appearing in five of Leverkusen's six games and twice being named as Man of the Match. Hejduk's…

Hejduk was a frequent starter for the U.S. Men's National Team, and is the only individual to have represented the U.S. in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympic Games and the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals tournaments. In 1990, Hejduk spent time on the U.S. U-17 national team, but was not selected for 1991 U-17 World Cup. Upon leaving UCLA, Hejduk trained full-time with the U.S. U-23 as it prepared for the upcoming 1996 Summer Olympics. This time, Hejduk made the U.S. Olympic roster, playing all three games as the U.S. went 1–1–1 and failed to make the second round. Following the Olympics, Hejduk joined his professional club and made his debut with the senior U.S. national team. Hejduk received his first cap for the United States August 30, 1996, against El Salvador. In his first start in December of the same year, he scored a goal against Guatemala in a World Cup Qualifier. Hejduk became a regular on the U.S. team but became known for his lackadaisical "surfer" approach to his game. This attitude persisted until he missed a team flight to China on January 23, 1997, having spent the night with friends and overslept. U.S. coach Steve Sampson dropped Hejduk from the U.S. roster. Over the next year, Hejduk saw precisely six minutes on the field with the U.S., in an August 7, 1997, loss to Ecuador. During that year, he married his longtime girlfriend, Kim Walters, and after considerable thought decided to commit himself to a professional soccer career. Beginning with a February…

On April 19, 2012, Hejduk rejoined the Crew organization, agreeing to terms to become the club's "Brand Ambassador", a job focused on community outreach and marketing of the team. As of 2023, Hejduk's official position within the Crew's Front Office was Manager of Team Strategic Partnerships.

Hejduk attended San Dieguito High School where he played on the boys' soccer team. He was also a member of the powerhouse La Jolla Nomads Soccer Club which won the California state youth championship in 1989, 1990 and 1991. After high school, Hejduk attended UCLA. He spent three seasons, 1992 to 1994, as a defender on the UCLA Bruins soccer team. While a defender, he was the second leading scorer in 1994 with six goals. He was also named an NCAA second-team All-American his junior year.