Oct. 12, 2007
The following story appears in the October edition of KnightVision. Produced 10 times per year, KnightVision is the official publication of the UCF Athletics Asssociation. Each issue includes stories about UCF teams, student-athletes and coaches. To order 10 exciting issues from August through June, call 1-888-877-4373 (ext. 121) or 336-768-3400 (ext. 121).
Good From the Start
Call Akin Akinrinade the Cal Ripken, Jr. of UCF men's soccer.
The sophomore has been a constant for the Knights' backfield since arriving on campus prior to the fall of 2006, starting in all of the matches he has played. It is an honor that surprises him even now.
"My goal was to earn a starting position, but to get it the first game, I didn't think it was going to happen that fast," said the Bronx-born defender. "I planned on working hard and being fortunate to get some minutes. I was just looking to play."
Akinrinade came to the Knights with solid credentials, including honors on the conference, district and state levels. He was a first-time all-state selection as a senior at Merrillville High School in Indiana.
Akinrinade was introduced to the game of soccer by his Nigerian-born parents - father Nelson Akinrinade and mother Tolu Idowu. The family, which also includes his two sisters, lived in south Florida until he was 16 when his mother, a college professor, took a position at Valparaiso and moved to northwest Indiana.
Thanks to his experience of playing high level soccer in Florida's Olympic Development Program, Akinrinade quickly earned a spot with the Chicago Magic, one of the top teams in the country. He helped the Magic capture the state and regional titles and advance to the national championship game two consecutive seasons.
It was at those tournaments that Akinrinade also captured the interest of college recruiters, including UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham, who was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for South Carolina at the time.
"I had the opportunity to see Akin play a number of times," said Cunningham, now in his first-year at the helm of the Knights' program. "I felt very strongly about him as a player and his ability to compete at a high level. He takes great pride in his defending. He is always in the games mentally and is hard to beat one-on-one."
When the Knights offered him the opportunity to play at UCF, Akinrinade took the chance. "I really hate playing in the cold," he said with a laugh. "When I came down to visit the campus, it seemed like UCF was a program on the verge of being recognized. I wanted to be part of that."
Akinrinade made an immediate impact, starting 15 matches during his rookie campaign. He was instrumental in the team's four shutouts, including those against Furman, No. 17 Memphis and Florida International.
Because of his experience, Akinrinade is the senior member on the UCF backline that has consistently featured a redshirt freshman and a true freshman, putting the development of his leadership skills on the fast track.
"I'm surprised that I've been put in the position so soon, but I don't mind it," said Akinrinade. "I know that other players listen to me. The freshmen are used to playing at a high level and are improving as each week passes."
Cunningham has seen Akrinrinade lead by example. "Akin has a competitive fire in him," he said. "He is very outspoken and keeps the backline in check. He keeps everyone, including himself, accountable for their actions, which is something we ask of all of our players."
With the first month of competition in the books and the Conference USA schedule on the horizon, Akinrinade and his teammates were aiming for their second consecutive appearance in the conference championship. After a recent practice, he explained what it was going to take for the Knights to go to the next level and achieve their goals of winning the championship.
"Practice, discipline and just being consistent," he explained. "We've shown ourselves to be a good team at times, but we've also had some lapses. That is what separates the good teams from the bad - not doing the little things."
- Cheryl Flesch