Darwin Jones is a forward for the Seattle Sounders. He is player #17. Although his birthplace was Chicago, Illinois, his hometown is Des Moines, Iowa. The 23-year-old player was born on April 4, 1992. He stands at 5’10 and weighs 175 pounds. On January 9, 2015 he was signed on to play with the Sounders as a Homegrown Player.

So far, Jones’ career with the Sounders has included nine games played. Jones has not yet started in any games, nor has he scored any goals, largely due to an injury he sustained that prevented him from playing many more games. He has played a total of 107 minutes on the field so far. He has had zero yellow cards and zero red cards to date. His first team at the senior level with the Sounders was in May in a game against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

As a youth, Jones played in club soccer while attending Mt. Rainier High School. He played with both Highline Premier FC and Washington Premier teams. While attending the Sounders Academy in 2010 to 2011, he scored a total of 16 points, creating a team high score. He also played with the Seattle Sounders FC and Washington Huskies during his youth.

Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid says that his team has been following Jones’ career ever since he started at the academy, and that he is excited to welcome him on board to the First Team after his career at the University of Washington.

Jones joins four other Sounders players in accepting the Homegrown Player Contract, including Aaron Kovar, DeAndre Yedlin, Sean Okoli and Victor Mansaray. When asked about joining the First Team, Jones says that he is “humbled and excited,” and that he looks forward to proving himself “as an impact player for the club.” He also dubbed the Sounders a first class organization, emphasizing his desire to learn more from the team and to thrive in such a competitive environment.

While playing at the Highline Community College, he was named MVP and went to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges playoffs, playing an instrumental role in securing his team’s spot.

Fans of Jones can keep up with him on Twitter. On his profile, Jones asks, “Why would the sky be my limit when there’s footprints on the moon? Aim higher.” Fans can see photos, videos, news stories and fun team items, like a photo of the Sounders at a local middle school.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia