Adam Jahn’s collegiate soccer career ended in November with a bang—a hat trick in the Cardinal’s rout of Cal. The forward had a career-high 13 goals in fall of 2012, putting him on the All-Pac-12 First Team. His professional prospects, however, didn’t seem on track for nearly so happy an ending. He was not one of the players invited to the league’s combine in January.
But Jahn had already impressed the San Jose Earthquakes, who selected him with a late pick. They didn’t have to wait long for validation of their choice. In March, the substitute sparked a come-from-behind victory over the New York Red Bulls with his first professional goal.
The kicker (pun intended)? Jahn, who still lives on campus, had homework waiting in his dorm room after the game. The senior was named to the MLS Team of the Week for his efforts. He talked to Stanford as most of his buddies took off on spring break.
In January, you didn’t get invited to the MLS combine, weren’t picked in the Super Draft and didn’t get chosen until the 15th pick of the supplemental draft. Were you worried?
It was a little nerve-wracking not going to the combine and just waiting around a little bit longer, waiting to hear your fate. Luckily, San Jose knew me well and saw I was good enough to bring me into their camp.
The Quakes led the league in scoring last year by a wide margin. How did you feel trying to crack that roster?
I could have come in and thought, “There’s too many forwards here, I’ll never get to play,” but I didn’t look at it that way. I just came in and thought, “Alright, I’m coming into the best offensive team in the league, I’m going to learn a lot from these guys. And they’re going to help me improve.”
You were a third of the way into your senior year as an engineering major with a minor in German when the Quakes selected you, but you didn’t drop out.
I was enrolled in 20 units, set to graduate after the end of winter quarter. When I got picked, I kind of had to change things up and I went down to 12 units for a lighter course load, but I stayed enrolled during the winter quarter.
The 12 units I’m in don’t have any class time, just a lot of papers and meetings. We have a lot of down time after practice. I could work on the road or work in my room and then submit everything via email, so it worked out great.
What the biggest difference between the pros and college?
The sharpness of the players. They’re all very technically gifted. They’re also very smart, they read the game a lot quicker and therefore the runs are sharper, quicker and smarter. Everybody knows what they’re doing and they flow together well.
Your goal showed a nice touch, a volley off a long cross. What were you tying to do when you came off the bench.
Before I went in, the coaches told me just to get in the box and try to get your head or foot on something and just try to score a goal. It turned out that Sam Cronin played a beautiful cross to the back post and I was able to tap it in.
I had a lot of my teammates from the Stanford team there, my whole family, a lot of family friends, and a lot of friends from Stanford.
Your goal led the comeback victory against New York, whose team includes French star Thierry Henry, perhaps the biggest name in the league. What was it like to play against him?
It was unreal. He was like my childhood hero. I grew up watching him. I never thought I’d be in that position, just playing on the same field as Henry. I can’t really describe it. It was amazing.
What’s with the new nickname “Pillow Feet?”
The stereotypical target forward, a big guy like myself, we usually don’t have good touches. We’re known as bangers and just very physical people, but I guess that I have a nice touch that surprises a lot of people.
They call me Pillow, Pillows, Pillow Feet. And then every now and then they call me Adam.
Interview has been edited and condensed.
Sam Scott is a senior writer at Stanford.
