Marlon Hairston

Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi
Citizenship: USA
Birth date: March 23, 1994
College: University of Louisville
Acquired: Selected as the 12th pick (first round) of the MLS SuperDraft, Jan. 16, 2014.

MLS CAREER

2018

• Played every minute for the Rapids in 2018, including both matches of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League against Toronto FC.
• Appeared in 15 games, 13 from the start, tallying two assists. 
• Started the first three games of the season, before being stretchered out of the 3-0 home win over Philadelphia Union with a cartilage injury which required surgery.
• Missed nine games (4/7-6/1) due to a knee injury.
• Notched his first assist of the year in the 2-0 road win at Minnesota (10/13). 
• Closed out the last game of the season against FC Dallas with an assist to Cole Bassett for the youngsters first MLS goal (10/28).

2017

• Hairston netted his first goal of the season in the 2-2 home tie with Minnesota United FC (3/18).
• Started the first seven games of the season, but came off the bench in game eight, a 1-0 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5/5).
• Reverted to right-back for the 3-0 home win over San Jose Earthquakes (5/13), and put in an impressive performance.
• An assist for the equalizer in the 2-1 home win over Columbus Crew SC (6/3), finding Kevin Doyle with a cross from the right.
• Scored the first brace of his MLS career in the 3-1 home win over Houston Dynamo (7/1).
• That performance earned him MLS Team of the Week honors (Week 18).
• Followed that with an assist in the next game (7/4), against Seattle Sounders FC.
• His fourth and final assist of the season came in the 2-2 home tie with Vancouver (8/5).
• Hairston hit career-high figures in numerous categories, including games played (34), games started (29), and minutes played (2,605).
• He was the only Rapids player to feature in all 34 games, while equaling his career-high tally of three goals.

2016

• Hairston started - and appeared in - only two of the team's first 11 games of the season.
• He gained a few more starts during the Copa America and European Championship window, but it was a substitute appearance against Sporting Kansas City on July 16 which triggered the start of a hot streak, and cemented his spot as a regular for the remainder of the season.
• Against Sporting KC, he scored a gorgeous curling goal in a 1-0 win. It was only his second-ever MLS goal, and his first since August 20, 2014.
• That was the start of five games, in which Hairston scored three goals and tallied two assists.
• He would finish the regular season strongly, also, despite a quad injury which kept him sidelined for three of the last four games. He bagged an assist in each of his last three appearances of the regular season, including on the only goal of a 1-0 home win over Portland Timbers, which confirmed the Rapids' place in the playoffs.
• Hairston, who made MLS Team of the Week on one occasion (Week 22), ended the regular season with more starts, more minutes, more goals and more assists than in any of his first two seasons in the league.
• His six assists for the season were a team high.
• Named Young Player of the Year for 2016.

2015

• Hairston had to wait until the last home game of the season, against Montreal Impact on October 10, to see his first MLS minutes of 2015.
• He went on to start the last three games of the season, going the distance in each match.
• The second-year pro, was played as right-back for the Rapids, a change from his rookie season in which he featured 22 times (nine starts) in midfield.
• Hairston also spent time at Charlotte Independence, making eight appearances for the Rapids' USL affiliate.

2014

• Launched his professional career with 22 appearances (nine starts) for the Rapids, logging 988 minutes.
• Scored his first professional goal on August 20 at home against the LA Galaxy.

COLLEGE

• Named to the all-Big East rookie team in his freshman year.
• Helped lead the Cardinals to win the inaugural American Athletic Conference title in 2013, scoring three goals and added two assists.
• First team all-conference honors in 2013.

YOUTH/CLUB

• Played four years at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and was ranked among the nation’s top 150 players by College Soccer News.
• Named 2011-12 offensive player of the year.
• Played club soccer for Central Jackson Soccer, earning all-state honors four straight years.

PERSONAL

• Cousin LaMarcus Aldridge plays in the National Basketball Association for San Antonio Spurs.

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