DAVID STOKES

'David Stokes' (b. May 28 1982, Dumfries, Virginia) is an American soccer player, who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division.
Stokes played three years of college soccer at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill from 2000 to 2002. As a sophomore, Stokes was named Defensive MVP of the College Cup as he helped UNC to a national championship. He attended high school at CD Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia.
After finishing his junior season, Stokes signed a Project-40 contract with MLS. Hailed as the second-coming of Eddie Pope, Stokes was selected 5th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United. Although Stokes' athleticism was clear, he was unexpectedly raw, and was clearly unprepared to start in MLS as a rookie. He finished the year without having played any league games, although he did appear in U.S. Open Cup games for United, and played on loan with the Virginia Beach Mariners. After Ray Hudson was released, many expected Stokes to play a larger role in Peter Nowak's team, however, Stokes' inconsistency and lack of focus had the opposite effect .
He finished the year with only 410 minutes and three starts. During the 2006 season, Stokes again saw little playing time and could not break into United's starting defensive line. His contract was not renewed for the 2007 season, and he signed for the Carolina RailHawks shortly thereafter.
Stokes played for the Under-23 national team in 2003 Olympic Qualifying.