About Jordan
My name is Jordan Crockett and I am a senior, defender at the University of Denver. I was fortunate to play with the 00 and 01 Celtic FC teams. I grew up in Park City, Utah and knew that if I wanted to continue to play at the collegiate level, I had to take the time to travel an hour away in order to play with one of the best teams in Utah. I am so grateful that I did, because it prepared me to play at the collegiate level.
How early did you start playing soccer? I started playing soccer when I was two years old. I started playing competitively when I was nine.
What was your favorite memory playing for Celtic? My favorite memory of playing for Celtic was winning the national championship. Not only were we a great team that was motivated towards winning it all, but we were a family. The culture that was created throughout the year made every single moment worth it.
What was the recruitment process like for you out of club/hs? I began my recruitment process at 13 years old, before the rules had changed to an older age. I made sure to attend camps and reach out to coaches that were able to attend games. I feel that I was focused on receiving exposure to different programs at a young age, knowing that I wanted to play at the D1 level.
What was the transition from youth soccer to college soccer like for you? Celtic had prepared me to be successful and prepared for the college level. I feel that the possession style of play that we performed at allowed me to adjust to the speed of collegiate soccer quicker.
How have you found balance between soccer, academics, and off-field activities? I have found that initially it was difficult to balance everything. Now that I am a senior, I feel that I have found a good balance between all three. I think that one thing that I continually find myself going back to is everything I do is a reflection of the student-athlete brand that I continually present myself as. So whether on the field or in the classroom, I have to make sure that I am presenting myself well.
What is your favorite part about playing at Denver? My favorite part about playing at Denver is the culture that is built within the team. Not only have we continued to grow as a program, but we have such a family oriented based team. I feel that I am best friends with every single girl on the team.
What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about Denver soccer? One thing that I wish everyone knew about Denver soccer is that we are able to celebrate every single little moment. It is honestly the closest thing that I have experienced to the Celtic Team culture. Everyone is supportive and uplifting of everyone.
What advice would you give aspiring youth players that want to play college soccer? The one piece of advice that I would want to give to aspiring youth soccer players that want to play college soccer is that academics will make or break someones opportunity to play at the highest level. It is so important to get good grades in school in order to play at the next level. Another piece of advice is to never give up on your dream. Anything you put your mind to, you are able to conquer. With or without support, your drive and effort to play at the next level is all that matters. The grind never stops, and it begins again when you make it to the collegiate level.
What key things should aspiring college players know or understand about college soccer? Some keys things that aspiring college players should know or understand about college soccer is that you are a representation of the college or university that you attend. You are able to step on the field everyday and make the choice of the impact that you are willing to make on the program and the school that you are playing for. As fun as college soccer is, there is a lot of hard work that is put in. This work is put in when people are looking, but the work you put in when people aren’t looking is able to separate you from the player next to you. It is an environment that is built around friendly competition in hopes of success and winning.
What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about playing college soccer? One thing that I wish everyone knew about playing college soccer is that it is so much more than a game. You are put in an environment that allows you to grow as a player, but more importantly a person. You are taught things within the world of soccer that you are able to apply to everyday life. Being able to play with players from all around the world has allowed me to understand people in a different way that I hadn’t before.
What are you studying at Denver? I am studying sociology and psychology in hopes of getting into Law school after completing my undergraduate.
What is your proudest moment in soccer? My proudest moment in soccer is winning the national championship with Celtic. We were the first team ever out of Utah to win the national championship. I remember vividly running up to my family with happy tears. Seeing how proud they were of me pushed me to want to continue to work hard. Seeing how happy they were that I was living out one of my goals and being there to support me was hands down one of the most amazing moments that I will never forget.
Who did you look up to as a youth soccer player? Growing up I was fortunate to be from a very athletic family that had pushed me to work hard towards the things that I wanted to accomplish. The one person that I looked up to as a youth soccer player was my mom. She went to college to ski race. She was a highly decorated and well-known skier. She worked so hard to accomplish the titles that she was given. She is now a personal trainer and has the gift of being able to motivate individuals to be the best versions of themselves. I always looked up to her due to her strength and commitment to be the best version of herself for her children. I will forever look up to her.
What is the best way for players to be “seen” by coaches? The best way for players to be “seen” by coaches is submerging themselves into ID camps or having the opportunity to play in front of coaches during tournaments. One thing that I always struggled with, but is super important to continue to be seen, is consistently emailing the coaches at the programs that you are interested in. Consistently emailing coaches allows them to keep your name fresh in their heads, as well as more of an opportunity to see you play in person. Don’t ever stop reaching out to a program even if they’re not responding, they are seeing it.
Plans after college/college soccer? My plans after college soccer is to play pro somewhere here in the U.S.. I would like to play as long as possible. After playing in the professional league, I would like to return to school to study Law. I found a passion in helping people throughout my soccer career, and I would like to be a voice within the system to help individuals that are struggling with life changing sentences.
Thank you Jordan for taking the time to answer our questions! You can follow Denver and Jordan's success this year on Instagram at @du_wsoccer.