Kicking His Way into Chamblee History
December 7, 2007
From December 2007:
How many people can you name that have scored points in a state playoff game? Okay, now how many students can you name that have scored in playoff games in two separate sports? There is probably only one student in the recent history of Chamblee that has accomplished this task– Nhan Doan.
Doan has scored points in both a soccer state playoff game and a football playoff game. In the state semifinal against Carver, Doan kicked a 37-yard-field-goal, his personal best of the season.
“I wanted to kick the 42-yard-field-goal, but we got called offside and it fell through,” said Doan.
Doan was invited to play for the Bulldogs this year after he was recognized for his kicking ability. He kicked previously for Chamblee as an eighth grader.
Doan also scored a goal in last year’s soccer state semifinal game while playing left wing. He attributes both points to good weather and good communication on the field.
“I was really relaxed, and the weather was perfect in the Georgia Dome,” said Doan.
Ironically enough, two years ago, Doan couldn’t see himself kicking for Chamblee, much less scoring points in a state semifinal. Soccer has always been his main priority.
“I had to miss the Druid Hills football game this year because of soccer. I was committed to it first,” said Doan.
Doan’s sport career was almost ended by a soccer injury in his sophomore year; he tore his ACL in his left leg during the semi quarter finals of 2006. He had surgery on his leg and his injury put him out of play for 11 months.
“It was hard going back to playing soccer, I was really out of shape,” Doan said.
There is still a risk of another ACL injury, but this time it’s more likely to be in his right leg than his left.
In the future, Doan sees himself going to Georgia State University for soccer, but says he would go to a better school if he receives a football scholarship as a place kicker.
Outside of school sports, Doan enjoys food, eating, and sleeping like any regular teenage boy. He also enjoys volunteering for the YMCA Leaders Club. Doan plays for the Academy team at Concorde, a club soccer organization, so he can stay fit during the off-season. His main source of income is refereeing soccer for Keswick Park. Sometimes he feels like he doesn’t have much free time, but still enjoys everything he does.