Craig Yacks

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Craig Yacks

| image =

| caption =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|3|14}}

| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 5 ft 9 in

| position = Forward, midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1994–1997

| youthclubs1 = Yale Bulldogs

| years1 = 1997–1999

| clubs1 = Cincinnati Riverhawks

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1998

| clubs2 = → Columbus Crew (loan)

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2000

| clubs3 = El Paso Patriots

| caps3 = 8

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2002–2003

| clubs4 = Cincinnati Riverhawks

| caps4 = 26

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 2004–2008

| clubs5 = Cincinnati Excite (indoor)

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

}}

Craig Yacks (born March 14, 1976) is a retired American soccer player who spent most of his career in the USL A-League.

Youth

In 1994, Yacks graduated from Anderson High School where he was a 1994 Parade Magazine High School All American soccer player. He attended Yale University where he played on the men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997.[https://yale.prestosports.com/sports/m-soccer/2011-12/files/letterwinners.pdf Yale All Time Letterwinners] He holds the Yale single season assists record (set as a senior) and is third on the Yale career assists list.[https://yale.prestosports.com/sports/m-soccer/2011-12/files/Records.pdf Yale soccer records] He graduated in 1998.

Professional

In 1997, Yacks began playing for the expansion Cincinnati Riverhawks of the USISL. Yacks and many of his teammates had grown up together playing for the Team Cincinnati youth club.[http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1997/07/21/spt_river.html Riverhawks soar as a family] In July 1998, the Columbus Crew called Yacks up for a game against the Dallas Burn. He did not enter the game.[http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/07/28/spt_yacks28.html Yacks gets one foot in MLS door] On February 7, 1999, the Crew selected Yacks with the last pick (thirty-third overall) in the 1999 MLS Supplemental Draft. The Crew released him during the pre-season and he returned to the Riverhawks. In 2000, Yacks moved to the El Paso Patriots.[http://www.uslfans.com/game_reports/2000/charleston_pre_06202000.shtml BATTERY ENTERTAIN EL PASO] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130208215841/http://www.uslfans.com/game_reports/2000/charleston_pre_06202000.shtml |date=2013-02-08 }} He was injured during the season and lost the entire 2001 season. In 2002, he returned to the Riverhawks where he played until 2003. In 2004, he moved indoors with the Cincinnati Excite of the American Indoor Soccer League.