Nyamekye Signs Contract With Columbus Crew

After drafting Kwaku Nyamekye '10 a little over a year ago, the Columbus Crew finally signed the former Harvard standout this past Monday.

“We needed to add depth in that central position in the back, and he is a player who can provide it for us," Crew coach Robert Warzycha told reporters.

The two stars of 2009-10’s NCAA tournament-qualifying Crimson team, Nyamekye and Andre Akpan '10 took fairly different routes to the MLS following their shared college experience.

Akpan, the first runner-up for the Hermann Trophy, was drafted in the second round by the Colorado Rapids as the 22nd overall pick. The forward graduated early in order to begin his professional career.

Nyamekye, on the other hand, chose to stay in Cambridge to finish up his final semester. After commencement, the defender trained part-time with the Crew, and his performance seems to have been enough to earn him a contract. The Crew’s website and an article in the Miami Herald note that Nyamekye's contract is multi-year, while another source makes no such claim and adds that the defender will have to compete for a spot on the roster.

Nyamekye earned All-Ivy honors all four years, including first-team nods his junior and senior years. The Geneva, Switzerland, native was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player in his senior season.