Jan. 17, 2003

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The D.C. United selected Wake Forest junior midfielder Brian Carroll with the first pick of the second round (11th overall) in Friday's 2003 MLS SuperDraft in Kansas City, Missouri.

Carroll is a native of Springfield, Va., located less than 20 miles from Washington, D.C.

Carroll, who finished his junior season in the fall, was one of eight college underclassmen to sign a Nike Project-40 contract, in essence declaring for the MLS draft and forfeiting any remaining college eligibility. Of those eight underclassmen, five are from Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

The United selected three ACC underclassmen with its first three picks. The team took Virginia forward Alecko Eskandarian number one and North Carolina defender David Stokes with the fifth pick before Carroll, a midfielder at 11. The United selected a fourth ACC player, Clemson senior goalkeeper Doug Warren, at number 14.

Carroll was a two-year captain for the Demon Deacons and did not miss a game in his three-year career. He played and started in all 61 games and was a two-time first team All-ACC selection.

As a junior, Carroll was selected as an NSCAA third team All-American, one of 15 finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy and an NSCAA first team All-South pick.

He led the Deacons to perhaps their most successful season ever, spending six weeks at number one, finishing with a 15-2-4 record and atop the ACC standings.

Carroll has international experience on his resume having competed during the spring and summers of 2001 and 2002 with the U-20 and U-23 National Teams in Italy, England, France, Argentina, Portugal and Trinidad.

Carroll is currently training with the U-23 National Team in Portugal for a series of exhibition matches.