Crew Defender of the Decade: Frankie Hejduk

In the collective history of the Columbus Crew, Frankie Hejduk may be remembered as much for his off-field contributions to the Crew as his on-field play.
Photo by Matt Bernhardt

Two days ago, we began a look back over the last decade by celebrating Jon Busch as the Crew's Goalkeeper of the Decade. Moving up the field, one defender's contribution both on and off the field rose above his peers.

Defender of the Decade: Frankie Hejduk

Frankie Hejduk's arrival in Columbus at the beginning of the 2003 MLS season could not have come at a better time. The Crew team he joined was about to lose its most recognizable player in Brian McBride, who would leave for Fulham at the end of the season. Several other long-serving players, such as Mike Clark, Brian West, Robert Warzycha and Todd Yeagley had either just left the team or would do so after the 2003 season. Both on and off the field, the team was grappling with how to rebuild its identity.

In a playing sense, Hejduk was at the height of his career. He had just appeared in all five US games at the 2002 World Cup, and returned to MLS with much fanfare after spending four years in Europe. He stepped onto a back line that also featured Chad McCarty, Brian Dunseth, and Eric Denton - adding his experience to a group of capable - if not exemplary - defenders.

He has since racked up 144 appearances for the Black and Gold, the third-highest total among defenders (and tenth overall), with nine goals - including the clinching tally in the 2008 MLS Cup.

His on-field demeanor was everything that Brian McBride's was not - explicitly playing to the fans at the beginning of every half, making a point of walking over to the sideline and North End after the game to applaud the waiting fans, and being a public face of the team in a way that continues to this day. Perhaps most famously, while serving a one-game suspension during the 2008 season he joined the Nordecke fans for a tailgate, singing songs, drinking beer and celebrating like any other fan.

The only other real candidate for "defender of the decade" honors, Chad Marshall, developed as a player under the watchful eye of both Robin Fraser (for his first two years) and Frankie Hejduk. There can be no denying Marshall's obvious talents, but a case can probably be made that his ascent might not have been as quick, or gone as far, without Hejduk's presence. Indeed, one of the drawbacks most cited about Marshall's play is that he has lacked the encouraging, rallying spirit of a player like Hejduk.

Honorable Mention: Chad Marshall
Also considered: Mike Clark, Eric Denton, Ezra Hendrickson, Mike Lapper, Danny O'Rourke, Daniel Torres, Jed Zayner

Postscript

This interview with Frankie Hejduk by US Soccer's All_Access video crew does much to explain the type of personality that he brings not only to the National Team but also the Crew locker room: