Max Jennings ’21, who currently plays soccer at Georgetown, was drafted in the 2024 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake. Jennings was selected in the third round as the 76th overall pick.
Jennings joins Francis Atuahene ’15, Nicky Downs ’15, and Shavar Thomas ’00 as the only alumni to make the leap to playing professional soccer.
Growing up, Jennings played soccer, football, lacrosse, and basketball and ran track. He started playing club soccer when he was eight years old and academy soccer while he was in middle school in New Jersey.
Jennings said, “My dream was always to be a professional athlete. I grew up playing a ton of sports, so I just always hoped to play professionally.”
When Jennings came to Hotchkiss as a Lower Mid, he initially played football. Jennings joined the soccer team his Upper Mid year, the same year current Boys Varsity Soccer Head Coach Mario Williams ’11 joined as an assistant coach.
Jennings’ Senior year was cut short due to the pandemic. The team that year was unable to play any games.
Despite this setback, Jennings’ coaches remember his many positive contributions to the team over the years. “Jennings was like an assistant coach in terms of his understanding of the game and how to motivate his teammates,” said Coach Williams. “He had a decisive, ever-present, and powerful voice in the huddle and always had the younger players’ backs. I am unsurprised that he has ascended to such impressive heights in his soccer career. His teammates would be the first ones to say that they share this sentiment.”
Jennings credits the school with playing a pivotal role in his soccer career. He said, “Not only on the field but off the field, I feel like I learned a lot of valuable lessons in terms of handling school and athletics at the same time.”
When asked about other important components to his success, Jennings said, “Coach Marcus Christian, who’s no longer here, and Coach Williams. They were both great coaches and helped my development on the field and becoming a better player.”
Thomas Navab ’24, who played with Jennings his Prep year, said, “Max was someone all the Preps looked up to and was the pinnacle of a leader. Whether at practices or team lifts, he gave 100% in everything he did.”
Jennings was involved in a variety of clubs on campus during his time at the school. He was a board member of MOCAH, co-head of Prism, and a member of the class council his Senior year.
Jennings says his Georgetown career has also been a significant part of his soccer journey. He said, “The Hilltop is an extremely competitive environment, and at the same time, we’re all extremely close. Our team is a family, which is awesome. I would say in terms of my development every single day I train, I’m getting better every single time, because of the players around me and the coaches.”
When asked what his initial reactions were to finding out about him being drafted by Real Salt Lake, Jennings said, “It was an extremely exciting moment. It has always been a dream of mine to play at the professional level and be a professional athlete. Getting drafted is an opportunity to reach a lifelong dream.”
Jennings will finish his Senior year at Georgetown before joining Real Salt Lake.
