All the way back in 2004, a 4-year-old boy from Cologne, Germany, decided to pick up a soccer ball and see where the road would take him. Eighteen years later, through numerous trials and tribulations, the road has led him across the Atlantic Ocean and into an opportunity he could have never dreamt of.
Throughout the Hofstra Pride’s recent stretch of success on the pitch, Hendrik Hebbeker has been the rock at the center of it all, tallying 17 goals and 20 assists throughout his prolific college career.
Hebbeker spent his youth playing for German club FC Viktoria Köln at the U17 and U19 levels, where he logged 859 minutes in all competitions.
He grew up idolizing Spanish midfielder Isco Alarcon, and perhaps even took after him as well, as Alarcon’s aggressive attacking style from the midfield position is glaringly evident in Hebbeker’s game.
At just 17 years old, Hebbeker decided to make an unprecedented move and come play collegiate soccer in the United States, a rarity for European academy players. In 2018, he enrolled at Hofstra University in an effort to further develop on and off the field and become the best version of himself.
“Physically I’ve grown a lot here, but even more so mentally and character wise,” Hebbeker said. “[Colleges] do a really good job of educating young people and helping them become the best version of themselves.”
Hebbeker’s breakout season came in 2021, when he was named a first team All-American on the back of a nine-goal and 11-assist season.
Hebbeker’s heroics coincided with a breakthrough season for Hofstra as a whole, as the Pride won their first conference championship in six years and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
The historic run included a banner victory over Pennsylvania State University, a game which Hebekker refers to as his favorite memory in a Hofstra uniform.
“There are a lot of good memories, of course … but I would actually choose winning the second round of NCAA [tournament] at Penn State,” Hebbeker said “That was such a memorable event for our team and our culture; it was my favorite part of our successful season.”
While 2021 was a dream season for Hebbeker and the Pride, his 2022 campaign didn’t start off the same as the season before. Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall shared that Hebbeker’s lingering hamstring problem is the reason his name has been off the score sheet for nearly the entire season.
However, Hebbeker’s persistent attitude could only be held down for so long. His moment finally came in the regular season finale against the College of Charleston where he broke through for his first two goals of the season in a 5-0 victory. His first tally of the season was one for the highlight reel, as he dribbled around several defenders and smashed a right-footed shot from well outside the box into the top corner of the net.
“I’ve definitely been waiting for that one,” Hebbeker said. “I was hoping to end my season like that on a positive note, and I finally managed to score as well.”
“[Hebbeker] is a Rolls-Royce, a Maserati, a Ferrari; whatever you want to call him, he is a special player,” Nuttall said. “If you saw [Hebbeker’s] first goal in the Premier League, you’d be calling it the goal of the season.”
Hebbeker has not been shy about detailing his personal growth at the collegiate level, and he attributes much of that development to having Coach Nuttall in his corner every step of the way.
“I definitely want to highlight how much I learned from [Nuttall] as a mentor, whether it’s character-wise or when it comes to dealing with people,” he said. “He’s always bringing people together in this funny way and I think that’s really admirable. You can learn so much from him, and I’m incredibly happy that he was my coach.”
Hofstra finished the 2022 season with a record of 11-3-3, qualifying for the CAA tournament for the fifth time in Hebbeker’s collegiate career.
As the Pride prepares for the upcoming tournament, Hebbeker thinks the team can draw on their recent postseason success and go on another memorable run.
“We’ve seen we can do it last year, and we know what it’s like to play in the tough games,” he said. “I think we can bring that same winning mentality this year, and it can help us.”
While his prowess on the pitch cannot be denied, Hebbeker’s star looms equally as large off the field. Some of Hebbeker’s most cherished accomplishments have come in the classroom as a Provost’s List student with a 4.0 GPA.
Hebbeker was named CAA scholar athlete of the year last season for his dedication to both his sport and his studies, in addition to being named to the Hofstra Provost’s List in consecutive years. Hebbeker currently majors in mathematics and physics and doesn’t see his academic journey concluding anytime soon.
“I’ve already applied to a couple of graduate schools,” Hebbeker said. “My goal is to go to graduate school and study physics.”
Although focusing on his studies going forward, Hebbeker has been adamant about staying on the pitch for as long as he can.
“I definitely hope to continue to play. I love the game,” he said. “I’m not sure on what level exactly, but I definitely want to keep playing and growing as a player, that’s for sure.”
Ultimately, it can be hard to predict the future for someone as well-rounded as Hendrik Hebbeker, but a trail of success seemingly follows the young star wherever he goes. His adaptability and persistent attitude have prevailed time and time again, as his legacy at Hofstra has been cemented by unprecedented accomplishments in all aspects of college life.
