Bobby Edwards, a St. Joe’s men’s soccer alumnus currently fights for minutes as a goalkeeper for FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer (MLS).
After three successful seasons on Hawk Hill, in which he made the 2014 Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Rookie Team, followed by two years at Monmouth University and Mount St. Mary’s University respectively, Edwards eventually went on to win a league championship with Portadown FC in Northern Ireland.
The Hawk spoke with Edwards regarding his time at St. Joe’s, what it was like playing in Ireland and what it meant to him to be able to sign with a professional club here in the U.S.
What was your time like at St. Joe’s playing under men’s soccer Head Coach Don D’Ambra from 2014-16?
It was a great experience. St. Joe’s is a beautiful school and I think it was perfect for what I needed at that stage of my life. I loved my time there in terms of on the field and off. I remember [St. Joe’s] having that tough-nosed Philadelphia mentality of rolling up the sleeves and putting in the work. It always had that little bit of grit and passion that [D’Ambra] would show on a daily basis. I have positive memories, made some really great connections and friends, and it was a fantastic experience.
When did you realize you might have the chance to play professionally?
It’s crazy how these things work out. Obviously, it’s always been my dream to be a pro soccer player since I was a kid. After I had finished my fifth year at Mount St. Mary’s [University], I ended up going on from there to Northern Ireland [to play professionally].
It was definitely the perfect situation for me as a young goalkeeper to get experience at the pro level. From there, it was just about steady improvement, which has always been a part of who I am. It’s always been about that slow and steady progress. I made a lot of that progress while I was at St. Joe’s.
What was your experience like playing for Portadown Football Club in Northern Ireland during the 2019 Season?
Hands down, it was one of the best experiences of my life. The jump of going to the pro level is tough in terms of what I wanted to do with my career. I didn’t really know about the process, but more than anything outside of soccer, I really wanted to be able to go somewhere and experience a brand new culture.
I had connections through a coach who knew somebody over there that linked me with Portadown. It was an amazing club. I went over there with the intent to win the league and we ended up winning it. It was one of the most special moments of my career thus far. You don’t get to redo your rookie year and not a lot of people get to go and win a league, so to have those memories is remarkable.
What did it mean to you to be able to sign a professional deal with FC Cincinnati in January 2020?
It was surreal, I kind of felt like I was in dream land. [Major League Soccer] is the league I grew up watching, so it was surreal. [FC Cincinnati] is a fantastic organization with really good people, the sports staff, coaches and up, are tremendous. I’ve seen such incredible growth in myself as a person and a goalkeeper this past year. I came in thinking I was at the top of my game, and looking back on then to now, I just feel like a completely different person.
What are some of your career aspirations for the future?
It’s tough to set explicitly certain goals because I’ve learned quickly throughout my career they rarely ever go how you planned. I kind of just have a general goal and that’s to continue to improve and make myself better as a player each day.
Overall, I want to say I’d like to have a long career with continued success, but that stems from continued improvement. This year has been fantastic in moving to FC [Cincinnati], but [also] going forward to be on [a] steady climb of improvement.
