Former University of Dayton soccer star Chris Rolfe has always been undersized for the sport. And while that's never stopped him from being an offensive dynamo, he certainly didn't see a pro career in his future while climbing through the youth ranks.
 
All of that changed, though, after his sophomore year at UD when he was invited to spend a summer playing for the Chicago Fire reserves and scrimmage against the senior squad that had always been one of the mainstays in the MLS.
 
The 5-foot-8, 155-pound forward made up for his lack of heft with fearlessness and tenacity and more than held his own.
 
"That was what I really needed to see," said the Fairmont High School graduate. "Growing up right there (in a Dayton suburb) and staying at UD to play college ball, I really didn't know how capable I was. That was eye-opening.
 
"I try not to look back on my career — I don't want to get complacent — but it's hard not to take the time to check where I've been and see what I've done. I think I'm going to be pretty happy and pretty proud when it's all said and done."
 
Rolfe will have plenty to savor when he moves on from the sport. While UD has sent numerous players to the pros, the three-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection has had the most prolific career.
 
He was drafted by the Chicago Fire in 2005 and led the team in goals as a rookie. After a 2½-year stint playing overseas in the Danish Superliga in Denmark, he returned to the MLS in 2012 and last year became the 38^th player in the league to tally 50 goals.
 
Dennis Currier, who became the UD soccer coach in 2005, just missed out on coaching the All-American. But Currier has followed Rolfe's career, just as the player has kept tabs on the Flyers.
 
Rolfe's pro jersey is one of about a dozen hanging on a wall in the men's soccer office, a visual reminder to recruits of what's attainable after playing for UD.
 
"There's certain players — few and far between — who just have that special knack of scoring. He's had that ever since he was a youth, and it's carried on with him through his pro career," Currier said.
 
When Rolfe was picked up by the DC United in 2014, he was part of a house-cleaning effort by the MLS club that had set league records for futility the year before.
 
In his first season, he led the team to the best record in the East Division and a spot in the MLS playoffs.
 
This season, the 32-year-old Rolfe has helped DC United to the top of the standings again while leading the squad in scoring.
"They got rid of a bunch of guys and brought in people who are kind of around my age," he said. "We turned it around last year and had a great season. We've stuck with that group, and this year it's been more of the same.
 
"We have that special variable, that dynamic you need if you're going to be successful as a team. It's hard to define, it's hard to describe, it's hard to put together. But we've got that right mix of guys, and it's really paid off for us."
 
Rolfe certainly is aware of what camaraderie and chemistry can do for a team because he remembers basking in that as a Flyer. UD went 43-29-6 in his four years and reached the A-10 tourney semifinals twice.
 
"I really enjoyed my time there. We had a good group of guys. I still have lifelong friends (from the team)," he said. "We had good coaches at the time. And what a great place to play — Baujan Field was so cool being right in the middle of campus. I had a great experience."
 
Despite battling a groin injury that plagued him through much of his junior and senior years, Rolfe still holds the program records for assists in a season (10) and a career (25).
 

 
Though his soccer career has taken him to some far-flung places, he hasn't forgotten his roots.
When he scores a goal, he celebrates by circling the field with his arms extended like an airplane.
 
"It just started when I was younger with no real meaning to it. It was one of the random options you can do when you score, right? You can run and jump and fist-bump. You can put your arms out to your side. You can slide on your knees or your chest. I think that one just fit my personality a little bit more," he said.
 
"I never really celebrated goals in dramatic fashion. It was always, 'We've got one, let's go get another.' As I kind of learned more about the history of Dayton and being at UD, it got a much bigger meaning. And as I moved away, it REALLY had meaning. I'm paying homage to where I'm from."