JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Former men's soccer standouts Louis Walker and Teddy West have recently agreed to play for the Jacksonville Armada Football Club. The two former Eagles were in uniform for the squads' first-round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on March 23 against Miami United FC. West played every minute in Jacksonville's 1-1 (9-8 PKs) win.
The Armada compete in the National Premier Soccer League. The NPSL is considered one of the top semi-professional leagues in the U.S. and is a Tier 1 member of the United States Adult Soccer Association.
"The experience for me so far has been great," said West. "It's as close to a professional environment as you can get. Beating Miami United in round one in front of 3,500 fans is up there with some of the best moments of my career so far, but facing Miami FC, a full-time professional USL Championship team, on Tuesday is something that will top everything, and it's something I've always dreamt about!"
"The experience so far has been very enjoyable," added Walker. "The standard of coaching and players is at a very high level, and I can already see myself improving every session. To play in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup against a professional team is an all-time career high for me, and I am thankful for the opportunity."
West was a four-year starter for the Blue and Gold. The midfielder appeared in and started 52 matches during his time as an Eagle. He scored 11 goals and accumulated five assists, which included the game-winning goal against Southern Nazarene in 2021. During his senior season, the Brighton, England, native led ERAU in scoring with three goals and spent every minute of every game on the pitch (1,408). This past fall, West served as a graduate assistant for the program.
Walker was a senior defender in 2022. After transferring from Salem in 2020, Walker went on to start 28 of the teams' 30 games during his two years in Daytona Beach and recorded a goal and an assist.
Both West and Walker are expected to see time on the pitch in Jacksonville's second round match against Miami FC on Tuesday, April 4. Though the players are not assigned jersey numbers until a few hours prior to the start, Walker believes he will be wearing No. 3 and West will be No. 10.
The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami. Fans can watch live on Miami FC's Youtube page.
