Seniors Drew Vinson and Dobbs Durkin signed up to play collegiate soccer at Belmont University and Spring Hill College, respectively, yesterday afternoon. 

Starting in the fall, Vinson will be the goalkeeper for the soccer team at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., something he has been preparing for since he was five years old.

Vinson, who committed to the college in early January, said he was drawn to Belmont for its proximity to Birmingham and for his admiration of the coach, whom he calls a “very genuine guy.”

While Vinson is excited about starting his collegiate soccer career, he knows he must continue to improve to perform as a D1 athlete. 

“It’s going to take a year or two to get really acclimated to that level of playing, but I am excited to grow,” he said.

Vinson has set himself ahead of the pack through his dedication to practice and preparation, even when it has been challenging. He preaches that a person has to love what they are doing, even when it feels like a job, something he lives by day and day out.

“Knowing I wanted to play college soccer helped me to practice, even when I didn’t love soccer, but it helped me to get where I wanted.”

Durkin, Vinson’s teammate on the Homewood High School state championship team in 2021, will play Division 2 soccer in Mobile. 

His collegiate soccer journey began his junior year at showcases in Orlando, Fla. Not only was he searching for a school to provide an excellent soccer program, but also one that would help him achieve his career goal of being a soccer coach.

Chris Leonardi, the men’s soccer coach at Spring Hills, ensured Durkin that he can begin his coaching career through Leonardi’s resources which immediately attracted Durkin to Spring Hill.

“I was completely sold after that,” Durkin said.  “I just needed the papers to sign.”

There is some bittersweetness leaving the local soccer community. Durkin was on Homewood’s varsity team as a freshman and has since grown into a great leader. He is inspired by the excellent leaders he’s encountered at Homewood and hopes to follow in their footsteps. 

He’s inspired by former teammate Fox Landgren who is a freshman at Covenant College and former Homewood varsity captain. 

“He really brought out the fun in the team and that’s necessary for any group. A lot of leaders like to be strict, and I try to spice things up like he did,” Durkin said.

Before Vinson and Durkin head off to college to continue their soccer careers, their senior seasons on the varsity team begin this Friday against McAdory in the Lakeshore Shootout Tournament.