USL-1 Richmond Kickers

Richmond Kickers Acquire Norkus and Simms

Published on March 17, 2004 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, March 17, 2004) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of two players, veteran Joshua (Caleb) Norkus and rookie Clyde Simms. Both were selected from the Kickers' annual tryout that took place in February.

In 2001 Caleb Norkus was initially drafted by D.C. United in the MLS SuperDraft; however, after failing to earn a spot on the roster, he soon began his professional career with the Charlotte Eagles. Over two seasons with the Eagles, Caleb earned 20 points (six goals, 8 assists) in 49 total games played (2541 minutes). He received Team of the Week honors twice each year including Weeks 7 and 19 in 2001 and Weeks 1 and 11 in 2002. Upon his departure from Charlotte after two seasons, Caleb relocated to Germany where he played for the German team Sportfreunde Siegen (Region Liga Süd) in 2003.

Norkus has represented the United States as a starter on the under-17 and under-18 National Team (1994-1996) and was the leading scorer for the U.S. in CONCACAF under-17 World Cup qualifying in El Salvador in 1994. He was also the Tournament MVP of the 10-team Tournoi International in Voreppe, France in 1996.

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Norkus set career highs as a senior at the University of North Carolina (UNC) with 15 goals, 13 assists and 43 points. Over four seasons with the Tar Heels, he totaled 40 goals, 21 assists and 101 points. Caleb was a member of the Second Team All-ACC squad in 2000 and finished his career in the Top 10 in scoring at UNC.

Fellow North Carolina native Clyde Simms looks to join Norkus in the midfield after finishing an impressive college career at the East Carolina University (ECU). Serving as captain for the Pirates for three straight seasons, Simms ended his career at ECU tied for fifth all-time in games played (72). He was recently named third-team All Conference USA and earned his second consecutive All-CUSA selection (2002-03). In his senior year, he started all 17 games, tallying four points (one goal, two assists).

Simms also has PDL experience after playing with the Raleigh CASL Elite for two seasons (2002-2003). In 2003, he was the only player from Raleigh to be chosen to the PDL All Conference Team (Eastern). He totaled 15 points (four goals, three assists) over 30 games and 2,356 minutes.

"Caleb and Clyde are two players that we have had our sights on," comments Richmond Kickers General Manager Paul Sterbenz. "Caleb is a versatile, hard working, attacking player that is proven on many different levels, and Clyde might be one of the most underrated rookies to come out of college this year. We believe that these two players have a great deal of potential and are excited to have them in our organization."

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



USL First Division Stories from March 17, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central