signed a professional contract with the Michigan Stars Football Club, the club announced Monday night.
During his time with the Garnet, Nevins established himself as one of the most accomplished and decorated athletes in the program's recent history. During the 2021 season, the defender became the first Swarthmore men's soccer player to receive All-America honors since
Peter Maxted '13 in 2012. Nevins joined the ranks of Maxted,
Jeff Kushner '09 (2008),
Morgan Langley '11 (2010), and
Micah Rose '12 (2010 & 2011) to earn All-America accolades under the guidance of Garnet Head Coach
Eric Wagner.
Nevins is the third Garnet player in the past 20 years to reach the professional ranks, preceded by Langley, who signed with the Philadelphia Union, Harrisburg City Islanders, and St. Patrick's FC of Dublin, Ireland.
Ladule Lako Lo Sarah '09 also played nine seasons as a pro in Germany, Macedonia, the Maldives, Thailand, San Diego and Trinidad.
"We are so proud of all that Harry has accomplished in his career here at Swarthmore," said Wagner. "His passion, commitment and discipline as an athlete has paid off with this wonderful opportunity to play at the professional level. The determination he showed competing for the Garnet over the last four years is evident in the way he approached the last few months of professional trials. The Michigan Stars have a jewel of a young man joining their ranks, and we wish Harry and the Stars all the best this season!"
In addition to receiving All-America recognition, the senior was recognized as an All-Centennial First-team honoree. As a defender, Nevins displayed a tremendous two-way ability as he led the Garnet with five goals and was second on the team with ten points. He also helped the Garnet defense to a 1.01 goals against average, which ranked them third in the Centennial.
Nevins was also named to the All-Region First-team and was selected to the 2021 Philadelphia Sports Information Directors Association Academic All-Area Team.
"Playing at Swarthmore was critical to my understanding of the transition from youth soccer to the men's game," said Nevins. "The coaching staff as well as the players throughout my career pushed and challenged me everyday to be better than I was the day before."
Michigan FC competes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), the third tier of professional soccer in the US. The Stars open the 2022 season with a US Open Cup match on Tuesday, April 5 against last season's NISA league leaders Detroit City FC. The regular season opener is four days later in Rochester, NY as the Stars visit Flower City Union.
The club finished with a 5-7-6 mark with 21 points to finish seventh in the 2021 fall standings. Nevins is projected to play in the midfield or as a defender for the Stars. Michigan Stars play out of suburban Detroit and became a member of NISA in 2019. NISA is an independent and evolving league with teams from California to New England. Currently 18 teams are affiliated with NISA, although the regular season does not involve all teams in the 2022 season.
"I was impressed by the ambitions, organization and facilities of the Stars," said Nevins. "I gelled with the lads on the team and could see myself fitting in well. I was keen to join once the new head coach had signed. In early March, I was offered a two-year contract to join the Michigan Stars and was thrilled that my dream had come true. I blurted the news to my parents, Coach Wagner, and some friends, got back to the club with my signature and celebrated the rest of the afternoon by treating myself to a long drive in the car while listening to Swarthmore men's soccer favorites, especially
"Better Not."
