Keeping up with the Deacs: Michael Lahoud
3/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
March 25, 2014
By Jenn Leser, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
During his time at Wake Forest [2005-2008], Michael Lahoud made an immediate impact on the Demon Deacon soccer program and was an instrumental figure in taking the team to three College Cups and winning the NCAA National Championship in 2007. The midfielder finished his collegiate career with 48 points, 14 goals and 20 assists, playing in 95 games, tied for third most of any Demon Deacon. Lahoud was named to the All-ACC freshman team in 2005 and the All-ACC Second Team in 2008. After graduating from Wake in 2008, Lahoud was drafted by Chivas USA as the ninth overall pick and made 64 appearances, scoring two goals and adding seven assists. In 2012, Lahoud was traded to the Philadelphia Union, where he joined fellow former Deacon Brian Carroll. Lahoud was also named to the Sierra Leone national team in August 2013 and made his international debut in the World Cup qualifier against Equatorial Guinea.
What has your career been since leaving Wake Forest?
"To be honest, my career has been different from what I expected. A lot of learning, a lot of lessons to be learned. Definitely a little bit of balance and definitely more ups. I think the fact that I'm still playing and doing something I love is a testament to that. In terms of a highlight, so far a huge point for me was getting called up to the Sierra Leone national team to play in a World Cup qualifier last year. Playing at the international level is a dream come true. It's what I always dreamt of doing when I was a little boy playing in the front yard. To actually realize that dream and to get the phone call and to play for the country that I was born in, and haven't been back to before that game and before that trip, was huge."
What has been the hardest part of your transition after leaving Wake?
"I'd say for sure for me, early on, you don't realize how much of a closed-off environment college is. It's a bubble and that's a good thing because at Wake Forest, it's a very healthy bubble to be in. You get to experience community because it is a real community. One thing that no one ever really tells you is that there's the college life and the real life. You hear it, but you can't really fathom it until you get out there. I think I took for granted being a Wake Forest soccer player, being a Wake Forest athlete and being a Wake Forest student. Being outside of Wake now, I'm finally starting to soak in some of that glory and prestige."
What do you miss most about Wake Forest?
"What do I miss the most about Wake Forest? Bojangles. [Laughs] Easy."
What was the greatest memory of your Wake career?
"It has to be winning the national championship [in 2007]. Winning the national championship and also what we were able to do our senior year. I think a lot of people just see the three successful years that we had but the whole process of getting there, I don't think many people got to see our freshman year. For me personally, I had my own individual battles that I was facing that I had to fight through, as well as being part of a team that had to fight through its own individual and collective battles to get to the point we ended up getting to. For me, to go from a young kid from the D.C. area, going into a small town, not really used to small town life where everyone knows you and knows your business to come out a better man than when I left. That's probably the best moment for me. Winning the national championship was also pretty cool."
Given the number of Demon Deacons playing soccer professionally, what do you think that says about the strength of Coach Vidovich's program?
"I think we were pretty good, I think that's what it says. It's kudos to Coach Vidovich and what he was able to see in all of us. I know for me, when I left, I'll never forget what he told me; he told me that I was a diamond in the rough. I think for a lot of us it's true; I remember my class in particular, we had maybe two big names, nationally known players who had a lot of national recognition. The rest of us were just guys who enjoyed playing the game and were solid players for our club teams but had a lot to learn as players. To see what happens when you get a bunch of knuckleheads who are talented but also willing to believe in something and buy into a philosophy that's bigger than them. Buy into a philosophy that challenges them on the field for sure, but more so off the field as people. I think the end product of that is three trips to the College Cup and one national championship in a four year span."
Do you still keep in touch for your former teammates, and have you been in contact with players from before or after your time?
"That's been the really cool thing about the Wake Forest soccer program. We always call it the Wake Forest soccer family because when you're there, you're all in such close proximity to each other and we have these amazing relationships that kind of unfold over time. Those relationships carry on. My college roommate, Marcus Tracy, is still one of my closest friends. Since I've left, I've been there with him for some of the most amazing times and also we've been there for each other through some learning points as well in both of our careers and in both of our lives. Not just Marcus; this season I was able to connect with Ike Opara, who I played with for two years, on Kansas City and a guy like James Riley, who I was never at Wake Forest with, but we made a connection when I was on a recruiting visit. I never got to kick a ball with him as a college player but we still have a very close relationship now as pros. Even a guy like Michael Parkhurst, who I never got to play with and never really got to interact with; every time I've gotten to see him, whether it's at the Home Depot Center when he's with the full team or whenever he's in the States and we cross paths, it's like talking to a long-lost friend and we're just catching up and seeing how each of us are doing in our lives. I think there's something special about what's being done at Wake."
What is the most important lesson you learned at Wake?
"For me, it was that I'm not the center of the world. I'm not the center of the universe. I'm a part of something very big and something very special going on, and I have to choose to engage that. That was a huge lesson and that was a tough lesson that took a long time to kind of connect with, but once I did, it made my experience at Wake. Just being able to be a part of a team, an actual team, knowing that you're working towards something that's a lasting legacy and that you're a part of that and your contribution is significant."
What advice would you give to a Wake Forest student?
"Just enjoy the college experience. It's one of the greatest times of your life and that sounds cliché, but it really is. It's not going to be perfect and there's going to be some rough patches but if you give it a chance and you go in there without rigid expectations, then just enjoy it and take whatever comes your way. Really just enjoy and make sure you're not alone; engage and walk alongside other people while you're enjoying the experience."
Wake Forest Head Coach Jay Vidovich on Michael Lahoud
"Mikey, for us at Wake Forest, was a wide-eyed freshman. He came right in and was our leading scorer as a freshman, he had some great goals over Virginia. Just a guy who found his way onto the field, he played so many different positions for us. Started up front, went to wide midfield, holding midfield, even as an outside back. It's great to see how that's helped him in his professional game where he's able to fill in a lot of holes for Philadelphia. Hope he gets his health back so he can continue to compete."