Alex Freeman's World Cup rise for USMNT puts spotlight on powerful NFL factory
· Yahoo Sports
Alex Freeman is accustomed to being adjacent to the NFL world.
Throughout his soccer journey, the U.S. men's national team right back has seen outsiders draw parallels between his athletic exploits and those of his father, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman. Even with his goal against Australia in the United States' second match of group play accelerating his already rapid ascension, the younger Freeman couldn't escape familial comparisons.
Visit biznow.biz for more information.
But his links to the gridiron don't end there.
Freeman's breakthrough on the international stage has become the latest athletic success story for American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., which he attended as a burgeoning soccer star. Yet despite the school having made waves in several sports, the powerhouse football team, which won the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A title for the second consecutive year in 2025, remains the school's flagship program.
Freeman acknowledged he felt pressure to pursue a football career given his background. Yet by the time he enrolled at American Heritage, he was already full bore into blazing a path on a soccer field – a decision he would later call a "clear choice."
"I had my doubts when I first chose soccer," Freeman told ESPN. "In my heart, I wanted to continue playing football, but I knew that if I wanted to be the best, I had to limit my area of concentration and I had to limit it all to soccer at that point."
American Heritage's pipeline to the NFL
As a football factory, American Heritage is on a level few other schools can even approach.
Per the NFL, the school had nine alumni on active NFL rosters for Week 1 in 2025, tying it with St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the second most of any high school in the country. Only IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., had more with 17.
Last year's group featured:
- Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II
- New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns
- Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell II (who began the season with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was traded)
- Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II
- Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker James Houston
- Seattle Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris
- Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr.
- Tennessee Titans linebacker James Williams Sr.
- Miami Dolphins cornerback Marco Wilson, who spent last season with the Cincinnati Bengals
The school did not produce any picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it could continue to expand its pro presence after outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
Other notable alumni who reached the NFL include former New England Patriots running back Sony Michel, kicker Greg Joseph and former wide receivers Anthony Schwartz and Isaiah McKenzie.
Of the current American Heritage products in the NFL, only Gadsden was a contemporary of Freeman, who had plenty of people around the school interested in him following in his father's footsteps.
"There were a number of guys who I played (in the NFL) with that were around the program," Antonio Freeman told The Athletic. "Guys used to call me and say, 'When are you gonna let Alex come out for the football team?' Oronde Gadsden (Sr.) called me every year – his son was the star receiver. He said, 'We could put (Alex) in the slot!'
"Eventually, I had to tell them, 'No, he’s gonna play academy soccer.'"
Alex Freeman's rise to soccer stardom
While many of his most athletic peers at American Heritage were focused on earning a college scholarship through gridiron greatness, Freeman was already blazing the path that he and his family had envisioned.
After playing three years for Weston FC in his early teen years, Freeman joined Orlando City Academy in 2020. He later signed a homegrown deal with Orlando City at 17. A few years of the reserve team eventually gave way to a breakout 2025 campaign, which earned him MLS Young Player of the Year Award.
Now, as the youngest player on the United States World Cup roster at 21, Freeman can shut down any conversation on whether he should have gravitated toward shoulder pads rather than shin guards.
"The evolution is massive," USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters on June 20. "He's such a humble guy, he has an amazing profile, he wants to learn, he always listens. He's a player that you really enjoy being with, not only coaching. He's a lovely guy, and he's an amazing player. For me, he has the potential to be one of the best players in his position in the world."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Freeman's World Cup rise for USMNT puts spotlight on powerful NFL factory