Thursday, August 5, 2010

Opara strikes balance between studies, professional soccer


Earthquakes rookie defender Ike Opara has taken the term student-athlete to a new horizon.

The Quakes' prized top draft pick spent the early part of the Major League Soccer season shuttling from the club's Nutrilite Training Facility in San Jose to Winston-Salem, N.C., where he completed his junior year at Wake Forest.

All the transitioning has made his accomplishments even more impressive.


"Trying to juggle (pro soccer and college) at times was difficult," Opara said, "but I think I did pretty well for the most part. To have gotten great grades this semester and to actually be playing at the time was definitely exciting and something that I don't think many people will ever get to experience.

"For me it was definitely one of a kind, and I'll remember that for the rest of my life."

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