College athletics hold a special place in the fabric of sports culture in the Carolinas and while college basketball and football historically dominate the headlines, the region is a true hotbed for college soccer with North Carolina FC’s home WakeMed Soccer Park at its heart.
The Cary, North Carolina, venue has hosted several men’s and women’s ACC tournaments and NCAA College Cups, with plenty of players who hoisted trophies on that field going on to play professionally on the same field that was the backdrop for those special moments.
One of the most recent of those players is North Carolina FC defender and former Clemson Tiger Justin Malou. When the third-year pro made his team debut earlier this season, stepping onto the stadium field in Cary for the first time as a professional, it was another step in his journey, but it was also a reminder of some of the biggest moments and best memories of his time in the sport.
During his time with Clemson, Malou won both an ACC Championship and national title under the lights at WakeMed Soccer Park. Now, returning to the stadium as a pro, Malou has had a chance to reflect on his journey to this moment.
From Senegal to Montverde to Clemson
Malou moved to the U.S. from Senegal to attend Montverde Academy, a private prep school in Florida well known for its athletic development, and that is where the defender’s journey to Clemson began.
During the offseason, many Clemson players came back to train at Monteverde, Clemson Head Coach Mike Noonan has recruited heavily from the school, and conversations with those players helped shape Malou’s decision to go to Clemson.
“For me, when it was time to decide to go to college, I knew that was going to be the best fit because I already knew the team, and how they played. It would be a quicker way to acclimate and fit in. They talked to me a lot about the culture of Clemson, it is an elite program, so every time they came there to train, I would ask them about Clemson,” Malou said.
While at Clemson, Malou made a major impact on the program, ending his career ranked fourth in program history for games played with 87, just one game behind the three players tied for first. Malou helped the Tigers claim their third National Championship in 2021, an ACC Tournament title in 2020 and ACC regular season title in 2019.
Clemson’s run to that 2021 title was truly magic, with the 8-seed Tigers quarter and semifinal games both going to PKs. Malou scored in both of those shootouts, scoring the second penalty against No. 1 seed Oregon State in the quarters and the decisive penalty from the No. 4 spot in the semifinal win over conference rival Notre Dame.
“It was a little stressful, but preparation gets you ready for those moments. After we went to PKs and my time came, I was ready because after every training we practice it. We went to Oregon State, and I scored one there, so I already knew where I was going. That is the spot I go to every time. It was a stressful moment, because I was the last one and it is a defining moment, if I make it then I send my team to the national championship game and there’s going to be a story to tell,” Malou said.
Former NCFC Youth and current Charlotte FC/Crown Legacy goalkeeper George Marks was in goal for Clemson that game, saving Notre Dame’s penalty to set Malou up for the winner under the lights at WakeMed Soccer Park.
MLS Super Draft and a return to Clemson
As sweet of a moment as lifting the national championship was, Malou was nearly never on that year’s Clemson team. The defender was drafted 27th overall by the Columbus Crew in the 2021 MLS Super Draft and following the spring season, Malou went to Columbus to start his professional journey.
At the time, the Crew did not have a second team and lacked an international spot on their MLS roster to be able to sign Malou. That left the defender with two options: remain in Columbus and train with the team, but know he was not going to be able to play for a while or return to Clemson and continue to play. Malou said the staff in Columbus suggested he go back to Clemson and play before returning to Columbus.
“In a way, it was the route I was supposed to go. … When that first happened, I was not happy because, for me, I was ready to move on out of Clemson and continue my pro career, but I got directed in a different way and I just went back to Clemson and the rest is a story I will never forget because they allowed me to win the National Championship for the team and they hadn’t won in 30 years. Winning in 2021 and ending my college career on such a high note, it prepared me for what was next,” Malou said.
Malou returned to Columbus after his National Championship win, playing the 2022 season for the Crew’s second team before moving to FC Tulsa for the 2023 season.
A culture of family
Joining Clemson was an easy choice for Malou, who was able to feel at home right away alongside players he had been training with for years, and having a handful of teammates from Senegal was also part of that equation.
“It made it feel like I was closer to home. Clemson is an amazing place. We have that family atmosphere. The family culture that we created there. It made it less, but also having friends and brothers that came from the same academy, they’ve been through the same journey I have been on, it made it even better. It made the sacrifices worth it,” Malou said.
Malick Mbaye, Hamady Diop and Ousmane Sylla also went from Senegal to Montverde to Clemson alongside Malou.
“Those boys have been like brothers to me. We had gone to high school together and when I was living back home, Sylla, he was a young boy training there so to end up on the same team and win trophies together, it was an amazing feeling and just a sense of achievement. It was a proud moment for us Senegalese to be able to participate and leave our legacy in a good way at Clemson,” Malou said.
Going from Clemson’s family atmosphere to North Carolina FC, who break every huddle with the “family” has been a great experience for Malou.
“I enjoy it, we are trying to create that team culture of family. If we come together as a family, it will help us on the field, so having that type of mindset is great. It’s a brotherhood on the field and I won’t let anybody disrespect my brother and I will work hard, and I will make the extra run, even when I am tired, for my brother,” Malou said.
An old friend and a glowing recommendation
Malou described his decision to come to NCFC this offseason as taking no hesitation once the opportunity presented itself, due in large part to the recommendation of a close friend who previously played for the team.
Malou and Mbaye, who played for NCFC in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, played for the same academy in Senegal and were teammates at both Montverde and Clemson. Malou said the pair are like brothers and that no one knows him better than Mbaye.
“It’s been a long journey that we went on together. … We have that brotherhood, and we have been like that for almost 10 years now,” Malou said.
When the chance to join NCFC was on the table, Malou reached out to his old friend, and he said Malou would love it at NCFC.
“He said amazing things about NCFC, so when it came to the decision and the opportunity to come here, I did not hesitate because this was the club he went to and he told me good things about the club,” Malou said.
Malou has hit the ground running in his first season with NCFC, playing a key role in one of the stoutest defenses in the league and even getting involved on the offensive side, scoring a flying backheel to force overtime in the team’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 game against Phoenix Rising FC and scoring his first USL Championship goal in an 0-1 win over Orange County.
