Nathan Sturgis

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nathan Sturgis

| image = Nathan Sturgis.JPG

| image_size = 200

| fullname = Nathan Radford Sturgis{{Cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=23 |access-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000046/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2013}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|7|6}}

| birth_place = St. Augustine, Florida, United States

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}

| position = Defender, Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2003–2004

| youthclubs1 = IMG Soccer Academy

| collegeyears1 = 2004–2005

| college1 = Clemson Tigers

| collegecaps1 = 42

| collegegoals1 = 5

| years1 = 2004

| clubs1 = Ajax Orlando Prospects

| caps1 = 1

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2006–2007

| clubs2 = LA Galaxy

| caps2 = 24

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2007–2008

| clubs3 = Real Salt Lake

| caps3 = 8

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2009–2010

| clubs4 = Seattle Sounders FC

| caps4 = 29

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2011

| clubs5 = Toronto FC

| caps5 = 14

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2012

| clubs6 = Houston Dynamo

| caps6 = 5

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2013–2014

| clubs7 = Colorado Rapids

| caps7 = 31

| goals7 = 4

| years8 = 2014

| clubs8 = Chivas USA

| caps8 = 16

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2015

| clubs9 = Houston Dynamo

| caps9 = 18

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2016

| clubs10 = Seattle Sounders FC

| caps10 = 0

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2016

| clubs11 = → Seattle Sounders FC 2 (loan)

| caps11 = 5

| goals11 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2003–2004

| nationalteam1 = United States U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2004

| nationalteam2 = United States U18

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2004–2007

| nationalteam3 = United States U20

| nationalcaps3 = 27

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2008

| nationalteam4 = United States U23

| nationalcaps4 = 4

| nationalgoals4 = 0

| medaltemplates =

| club-update = May 23, 2016

| ntupdate = December 20, 2014

}}

Nathan Radford Sturgis (born July 6, 1987) is an American former soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.

Career

=Youth and college=

Sturgis attended Nease High School, played club soccer with the First Coast KYX, and played two years of college soccer at Clemson University. In his freshman season in 2004, Sturgis scored three goals and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore, Sturgis scored two goals and added seven assists in leading the Tigers to the College Cup. Sturgis was named 3rd Team All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. Sturgis also played one year with the Ajax Orlando Prospects in the USL Premier Development League

=Professional=

Sturgis signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS, and was taken 12th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the Los Angeles Galaxy. During Galaxy's pre-season tour of England in 2006 they competed against several high-profile clubs, including (then) English Premiership Champions Chelsea, and Sturgis was picked out by the staff at Chelsea and other English teams as the outstanding player of the tour. On June 21, 2007, Sturgis was traded, along with forward Robbie Findley, to Real Salt Lake in exchange for veteran midfielder Chris Klein.{{cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/680192839/RSL-trades-Klein-to-Galaxy.html?pg%3Dall |title=RSL trades Klein to Galaxy |website=Deseret News |date=21 June 2007 |access-date=2014-12-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065953/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/680192839/RSL-trades-Klein-to-Galaxy.html?pg=all |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}

On November 26, 2008, he was selected by Seattle Sounders FC in the second round of the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft.{{cite news |title=MLS announces expansion in Seattle |date=26 November 2008 |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20081126&content_id=206969&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325072359/http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20081126&content_id=206969&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 March 2009 |work=MLS.net |access-date=26 November 2008 }} On September 18, 2010, Sturgis scored his first professional goal in a 4–0 win at Columbus against the Columbus Crew. His goal came from the penalty spot.{{cite news |title=Nkufo burns Columbus for three in thorough win |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-recap/nkufo-burns-columbus-three-thorough-win |publisher=MLSsoccer |date=18 September 2010 |access-date=19 September 2010 |archive-date=22 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922185959/http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-recap/nkufo-burns-columbus-three-thorough-win |url-status=dead }}

On November 24, 2010, Sturgis was selected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the third round of the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. The next day Nathan was traded by Vancouver to Toronto FC in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.{{cite news |title= Toronto Acquires Nathan Sturgis |url=https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-acquires-nathan-sturgis |publisher=Toronto FC |date=25 November 2010 |access-date=25 November 2010 }}

Sturgis made his debut for Toronto on March 19, 2011, vs. Vancouver in the first-ever all-Canadian MLS match-up, it ended as a 4–2 away loss for Toronto.{{cite news |title=Toronto Falls Short in Vancouver |url=https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-falls-short-vancouver |publisher=Toronto FC |date=19 March 2011 |access-date=20 March 2011 |archive-date=25 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225163253/http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2011/03/toronto-falls-short-vancouver |url-status=live }}

On December 28, 2011, Sturgis was traded to Houston Dynamo in exchange for a conditional 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/12/28/houston-acquire-midfielder-sturgis-toronto-fc |title=Houston acquire midfielder Sturgis from Toronto FC | MLSsoccer.com |access-date=2011-12-29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101120913/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/12/28/houston-acquire-midfielder-sturgis-toronto-fc |archive-date=2015-01-01 }}

On December 22, 2012, Sturgis was once again on the move when he was traded to Colorado Rapids as part of a deal involving Omar Cummings and allocation money.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/12/23/new-look-rapids-deal-veteran-cummings-dynamo |title=New-look Rapids deal veteran Cummings to Dynamo | MLSsoccer.com |access-date=2012-12-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622024104/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/12/23/new-look-rapids-deal-veteran-cummings-dynamo |archive-date=2015-06-22 }}

After 18 months with Colorado, Sturgis was traded to Chivas USA on July 1, 2014, in exchange for Carlos Alvarez.{{cite web|url=http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2014/07/rapids-acquire-carlos-alvarez-chivas-usa |title=Rapids acquire Carlos Alvarez from Chivas USA | Colorado Rapids |access-date=2014-07-20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830003848/http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2014/07/rapids-acquire-carlos-alvarez-chivas-usa |archive-date=2014-08-30 }} At the conclusion of the 2014 season, MLS contracted the Chivas USA franchise. Sturgis was available to other clubs in the 2014 MLS Dispersal Draft but was not selected. He then entered the 2014 MLS Re-Entry Draft and was selected by Houston Dynamo in stage two of the draft held on December 18, 2014.{{cite web|title=Houston Dynamo select Chandler Hoffman, Nathan Sturgis in Stage Two of MLS Re-Entry Draft|url=http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2014/12/houston-dynamo-select-chandler-hoffman-nathan-sturgis-stage-two-mls-re-entry-draft|website=Houston Dynamo|access-date=19 December 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043828/http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2014/12/houston-dynamo-select-chandler-hoffman-nathan-sturgis-stage-two-mls-re-entry-draft|url-status=dead}}

Sturgis returned to Seattle Sounders FC on February 23, 2016, when it was announced that he had signed with them as a free agent.{{cite web|title=Seattle Sounders FC signs midfielder Nathan Sturgis|url=http://www.soundersfc.com/post/2016/02/23/sounders-fc-signs-midfielder-nathan-sturgis|website=Seattle Sounders FC|access-date=23 February 2016}} His option was declined on December 12, 2016, making him a free agent.{{Cite web|url=http://sportspressnw.com/2227747/2016/sounders-decline-13-contract-options-exercise-8|title=SOUNDERS DECLINE 13 CONTRACT OPTIONS, EXERCISE 8|date=13 December 2016 }}

=International=

Sturgis has played for various youth United States national teams, and was part of the Under-20 team at the 2005 World Youth Championship and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. On July 17, 2008, he was named to the U.S. team that participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; however, he was ruled out shortly afterwards due to a hamstring injury.{{cite web|title=McCarty to Replace Sturgis on Men's Olympic Roster|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-MNT/2008/07/Mccarty-To-Replace-Sturgis-On-Mens-Olympic-Roster.aspx|publisher=U.S. Soccer|access-date=27 October 2012}}

Career statistics

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| USA ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Playoffs ! colspan=2 \| Open Cup ! colspan=2 \| CONCACAF ! colspan=2 \| Total
2004	rowspan="1"\|Ajax Orlando Prospects	rowspan="1"\|PDL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2006	rowspan="2"\|Los Angeles Galaxy	rowspan="6"\|Major League Soccer	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
rowspan="2"\|2007	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
rowspan="2"\|Real Salt Lake	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
2008	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
2009	rowspan="2"\|Seattle Sounders FC	9	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	13	0
2010	20	1	2	0	5	0	0	0	27	1
colspan=3 \| Canada ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Playoffs ! colspan=2 \| Canadian Cup ! colspan=2 \| CONCACAF ! colspan=2 \| Total
2011	rowspan="1"\|Toronto FC	rowspan="1"\|Major League Soccer	14	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	15	0
colspan=3 \| USA ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Playoffs ! colspan=2 \| Open Cup ! colspan=2 \| CONCACAF ! colspan=2 \| Total
2012	rowspan="1"\|Houston Dynamo	rowspan="4"\|Major League Soccer	5	0	0	0					5	0
2013	rowspan="2"\|Colorado Rapids	25	4	1	0			0	0	26	4
rowspan="2"\|2014	6	0	0	0			0	0	6	0
rowspan="1"\|Chivas USA	16	0	0	0			0	0	16	0
colspan=3\| Career totals !128\|\|5\|\|3\|\|0\|\|10\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|141\|\|5

Honors

=Club=

;Seattle Sounders FC

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2): 2009, 2010

;Toronto FC

Canadian Championship (1): 2011

Personal life

Sturgis' younger brother, Caleb, is a place kicker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League.{{Cite web|last=Patra|first=Kevin|date=November 5, 2018|title=Chargers cut Caleb Sturgis after three botched kicks|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chargers-cut-caleb-sturgis-after-three-botched-kicks-0ap3000000984898|access-date=2020-12-03|website=NFL.com|language=en-US}} His father, Smiley Sturgis, is a pastor.{{Cite web|date=October 28, 2015|title=Learning Legacy awards presented to former St. Johns County students|url=https://www.staugustine.com/article/20151028/NEWS/310289974|access-date=2020-12-03|website=The St. Augustine Record|language=en}}