For the former University of Maryland soccer standout, a Prince George’s County native who also starred at DeMatha, his dream job as a defender for D.C. United had already been sidetracked by injuries one year after the hometown team selected him in the first round of the 2017 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
First came the bone spurs in his ankle and then compartment syndrome (painful pressure buildup from internal bleeding or swelling of tissues) in his calves, both requiring surgery. But nothing compared to what came next for Odoi-Atsem.
A tumor was discovered in his chest that was diagnosed as Stage II Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2018.