Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee Profile: Marcus Tracy
2/7/2020 12:20:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Les Johns
MAC Hermann Trophy winner Marcus Tracy recently returned to campus for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Marcus Tracy won the MAC Hermann Trophy as the national player of the year in men's soccer in 2008, after having led the Deacons to a national championship the year before, but it's the relationships he built while at Wake Forest that have been his enduring legacy.
"When you have a group of guys working toward the same objectives, with a mentality that meshes well together, you have incredible success on the field," Tracy said. "But it's the relationships that I've maintained outside of playing soccer that I cherish."
Last weekend provided Tracy a chance to relive those moments and those relationships, as he became one of the five new inductees to the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
"It's an incredible honor," Tracy said. "When I found out, I was extremely humbled to know that I'm going to be a part of such an exclusive family within Wake Forest sports. Individual recognition is great, but isn't possible without a great team around you."
As Offensive MVP of the 2007 College Cup, Tracy scored the tying goal then assisted on the game-winner in Wake's 2-1 championship match win over Ohio State. He finished that championship campaign with 11 goals and nine assists while the Deacs grabbed 20 victories.
"That was one of the more incredible teams that I've been a part of," Tracy said. "Our success on the field was built upon having strong relationships off the field. That was attributed to a culture that Jay (Vidovich), Bobby (Muuss) and Carson (Porter) were able instill, and something everybody bought into. I'm looking forward to getting down and linking up with these guys. It's like we haven't skipped a beat."
Men's soccer already boasts three players in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame - Walt Chyzowych, Mark Erwin, and Neil Covone. Michael Parkhurst, who finished his Wake Forest career in 2004, right before Tracy started in 2005, was inducted this year as well at the LJVM Coliseum last weekend.
"I never played with Parkhurst, but he's a guy Jay referenced a lot," Tracy said. "We all knew of him coming into the program. He had an incredible career and it's a special moment for the two of us to be inducted in the same class. It's going to be a bunch of soccer guys back in the house, so we're both looking forward to hanging out with that group."
Tracy was back on campus in 2017, but appreciated the chance to take a tour of campus last weekend with Coach Muuss.
"Bobby offered to give me a tour around campus," he said. "I'm really pleased to see the development, the facilities and growth since I've left."
Under Muuss, the Deacs have made a deep run to the College Cup in two of the last four seasons, and Wake Forest leads the country with 89 victories since his hire in 2015.
"I think it's great that the current crop of players have maintained the Wake Forest mentality," Tracy said. "They have continued to build upon what we established previously. I continue to follow the program and see the success they're having. It's great and they are under fantastic leadership with Coach Muuss, who was an assistant coach during my time there."
Like so many Wake Forest student-athletes, it's often the lessons learned off the field that pay great long-term dividends.
"I think the mentality of approaching things as a professional, regardless of what it is," Tracy said. "If it's academics, a relationship or on the field — the attention to detail that Jay Vidovich instilled in that team is one of the reasons we were so successful. That's a mentality and skill set that's transferable to all aspects of life. That's one of the biggest things I took away from Wake."
After injuries derailed Tracy's professional career, he looked for ways to stay involved in the game of soccer. He now works as a producer for Adidas and MLS.
"It was such a big part of my life, I didn't want to just drop it," he said. "Coaching didn't really grab me. I was always into artistic things, like music and video photography.
"At MLS Digital, I've evolved into a role where I'm part of the creator's network, where I produce content, still related to the MLS space with Adidas in New York."
It was a special weekend for Tracy as he made his return to Winston-Salem.
"Connecting with so many people who I haven't seen in so many years," he said. "To reflect on all the experiences we had both on and off the field. These people were so critical to my experience and success at Wake."
