Uzi Tayou
Tayou in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-04-28) April 28, 1989
Place of birth Buea, Cameroon
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Empire Strykers
Number 70
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008 Tacoma Titans
2009 Garden City Broncbusters
2010–2011 West Virginia Mountaineers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012 Real Maryland 9 (0)
2013 Northern Virginia Royals 8 (0)
2013 NJ-LUSO Parma 1 (0)
2012–2015 Las Vegas Legends (indoor) 29 (9)
2015–2016 Baltimore Blast (indoor) 16 (4)
2016–2018 Soles de Sonora (indoor) 31 (7)
2017–2018 FC Wichita 20 (?)
2018 Tulsa Roughnecks 6 (0)
2018–2019 Monterrey Flash (indoor) 16 (2)
2019 FC Wichita 6 (0)
2019 Golden State Force 0 (0)
2019– Empire Strykers (indoor) 58 (3)
2021 → Wichita Wings (loan; indoor) 8 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 December 2022

Uzi Tayou (born April 28, 1989) is a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays for the Empire Strykers of the Major Arena Soccer League. Tayou won the MASL Championship with the Baltimore Blast in 2016.

During his career in the league, Tayou has played for the Las Vegas Legends,[1] Baltimore Blast, Soles de Sonora,[2] and Monterrey Flash,[3] and Empire Strykers (formerly the Ontario Fury), and reached the MASL Ron Newman Cup Finals with three different teams. He has earned accolades including being named to the All-Star Game,[4] Defensive Player of the Year, and a league leader in blocked shots.[5]

In 2022, Tayou will once again represent Team USA with the United States National Arena Soccer Team in international competitions,[6] including the WMF World Cup.

Tayou moved to from his native Cameroon to Las Vegas in 2006 and rose to prominence with a successful college soccer career[7] at West Virginia University, which included two NCAA Tournaments. Tayou signed his first indoor professional contract with the MASL in 2012, and then his first outdoor professional contract in 2018, joining the Tulsa Roughnecks of the United Soccer League.[8] In May 2021, Uzi and his brother Franck joined the Wichita Wings for the remainder of the Major Arena Soccer League 2 season.[9]

He is the older brother of fellow professional soccer player and MASL MVP Franck Tayou.

For his ongoing work to help communities off the field, Tayou was awarded the Ed Tepper Humanitarian of the Year for the 2018-19 season.[10] He also pioneered a health and fitness program[11] for residents of National CORE affordable housing communities in the Inland Empire.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Tayous fit in on field, in culture". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  2. ↑ "Lucas Rodriguez, Uzi Tayou Named to MASL International Challenge Rosters". www.maslsoccer.com. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  3. ↑ "UZI TAYOU SIGNS WITH MONTERREY". www.maslsoccer.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  4. ↑ "All-Star Game - Major Arena Soccer League". www.maslsoccer.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  5. ↑ "Uzi Tayou soccer Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  6. ↑ "Vandegriffe, Ruggles, Reget Will Represent Team USA in Indoor Soccer Friendly vs. Mexico". OurSports Central. 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  7. ↑ Carvelli, Michael. "Franck and Uzi Tayou have found a home in men's soccer's lineup". The Daily Athenaeum - West Virginia University. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  8. ↑ "Ugarte Departs Roughnecks, Tayou and Covarrubias Added". Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  9. ↑ Ackley, Brian (4 May 2021). "WICHITA WINGS SIGN MASL SUPERSTAR FRANK TAYOU, BROTHER UZI, FOR REMAINDER OF 2021 M2 SEASON". M2Soccer.com. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "MASL ANNOUNCES 2019 EARL FOREMAN AWARDS". www.maslsoccer.com. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  11. ↑ Do Fitness! With Uzi!, retrieved 2022-10-22
  12. ↑ Foundation, Hope through Housing (2022-09-30). "Do Fitness! With Uzi". Hope through Housing Foundation. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
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