For Kevin Crow, Hall of Fame inductions have become familiar territory. He already has six to his name: Tri-Valley, Ballistic United, Amador Valley High, San Diego State, Indoor Soccer and Cal North.
On May 1, his legacy will reach a new level with his seventh honor, this one in the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. Crow is one of six inductees in the 2026 class, and he will be recognized for his incredible career that began over five decades ago.
The Berkeley, Calif., native was born in 1961. His father was professional football player Wayne Crow, but soccer was the sport that Kevin fell in love with. By the age of 14, he quit other sports to pursue soccer and went on to play collegiately at San Diego State. With the Aztecs, Crow transitioned from an attacker to a defender, which ended up paying dividends in his professional career.
“It just clicked because I had played the center forward or the attacking midfield position my whole life,” Crow told the National Soccer Hall of Fame. “So, I knew what he should be doing. I knew the run he was supposed to make and the ball he was looking for, so I was always a step ahead.”
After finishing his time at San Diego State as a two-time All-American, Crow signed in 1983 with the San Diego Sockers, where he would spend his entire 14-year career. The club originally competed in the North American Soccer League which held indoor and outdoor seasons. In 1984, Crow was named a first-team NASL All Star and helped the Sockers to the indoor NASL title.
It was the first of many championships for Crow and the Sockers, which moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League that year after the NASL folded. From 1985 to 1992, the Sockers made the MISL final and won every year except 1987. During that span, Crow was named to the All-MISL First Team five times and won Defender of the Year five times.
Despite playing on the backline, Crow was still contributing to the attack. By the time he retired in 1996, he had tallied 83 goals and 93 assists in 433 indoor matches. He added 26 goals and 33 assists in 118 playoff matches.
When Crow’s professional career began to take off, he earned his first international call-up on May 30, 1984. Ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee allowed professionals to compete for the first time in the soccer tournament; therefore, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Alketas Panagoulias selected Crow and 13 other professionals to the 17-player roster. Despite a thrilling 3-0 win against Costa Rica to open the group stage, the USA lost 1-0 against Italy and drew 1-1 against Egypt, failing to qualify for the knockout rounds. Crow competed in all three matches.
The defender appeared for the USMNT the next four years, competing in the 1987 Pan American Games, the 1988 Summer Olympics and FIFA World Cup qualifying in 1985 and 1988 for 13 total caps.
Today, Crow serves as technical director of the Pleasanton Ballistic United Soccer Club in Pleasanton, Calif., which helped launch his career. His induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 1 will be streamed live on U.S. Soccer YouTube starting at 7 p.m. ET.
