TicketsSept. 6, 2011
By Jeremy Powers
University of Cincinnati midfielder D.J. Albert is number 24 on the soccer field for the men's soccer team, but recently he was coined number one in classroom during the month of August. A community college transfer and mechanical engineering major at the UC, Albert balances being a student athlete and a top-notch student.
Albert played his first soccer for the Bearcats in 2008, but his early contributions were cut short by a broken ankle that sidelined the Illinois native. Albert had success in 2008 scoring what he called his most memorable goal, a strike from outside the 18-yard box that sent a pivotal match with rival Louisville into overtime. Since 2008, Albert's athletic career is no longer at risk due to his past injury and remains a fixture in the Cincinnati midfield.
"He is playing significant minutes for us now after fighting back from a real bad ankle injury," head coach Hylton Dayes said. "He just has a great attitude and will do whatever it takes to help this team win."
As a role model for his fellow teammates, D.J. has showed that he can honor commitment. Whether it is on the soccer field competing for his school or in the classroom where Albert is part of the ACCEND Program at the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Many student athletes choose a major that will conflict with their respective sport and little as possible, Albert chose to do the opposite.
"I love problem solving and dealing with learning new things," Albert said. "My dad was an iron worker and a handyman so I learned a lot of tools of the trade and just developed that niche."
Albert comes from a family where the children are home schooled. Albert himself was home schooled and he currently plays a significant role in the education of his siblings. Albert used his experiences at the College of Lake County to ease into a new situation socially and academically. Albert recalls a teacher he had at his first public institution as one that shaped his success in the classrooms of UC. Now carrying an impressive 3.54 grade point average, Albert is on his way to success after soccer.
"School is something that is very important to me because it's something that is going to set me up for the future," Albert said. "Soccer is helping me achieve a scholarship and getting me through college, but ultimately school is more important for my future."
Honoring commitment is a strong quality Dayes sees in his midfielder as well. Albert honored commitment by balancing summer workouts and his co-op at AK Steel Corporation. Albert has gained more experience he needs and was able to still take advantage of UC's great co-op opportunities alongside soccer, something not every member of his team would be able to do.
"When I was hired on for my co-op I really had to present to them that I wouldn't be able to take this job if they didn't allow me to be flexible with soccer," Albert said. "The co-op as a whole is something I have really enjoyed at the University of Cincinnati. It has set me up with experience and it has given me that edge in front of everybody else."
Albert certainly had used his experience and moral compass to become a role model on the team. For the younger players and even his fellow seniors, Albert has used his workload and how he has handled adversity to become a teaching model for others. After three years of recovering and training Dayes believes that he is close to being back at the level of play he showed when he was a freshman. Albert's ability to prove people wrong and come back from an intense injury is a great analogy to his true personality and the person he is.
"He has dealt with his injury tremendously well I think it is a credit to him," Dayes said. "We knew he had the potential to do it and he has certainly fulfilled that based on him being a contributor here for four years."