Former Lumberjack Men’s Soccer Standouts, Suggs and Kwesele, Performing Well in Professional Ranks
Two former Humboldt State men’s soccer standouts, Josh Suggs and Mumbi Kwesele, are still representing the Green and Gold at the professional level. Suggs is a member of the New Mexico United (USL Championship) while Kwesele plays for the Richmond Kickers (USL League 1).
“Josh played at Humboldt before I arrived, but I have heard many positive things from past players about his impact on our program,” said Humboldt State head men’s soccer coach Fred Jungemann. “ He has had an amazing 10-year career as a professional since graduating. To my knowledge, he has had the most extensive professional career of any Lumberjack soccer player. His journey as a professional is a great example of the role hard work and perseverance play to ultimately reaching your goals."
While in the Green and Gold, Suggs was a four-year letter-winner for the Lumberjacks from 2007-2010. He was a three-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection including twice being selected to the Second Team. During his time at Humboldt, Suggs scored 22 goals and had seven assists. He is currently seventh on HSU’s all-time career goals scored list.
“As I look back at my time at Humboldt State, everyone played a role to help me get to where I am at now in my professional career,” noted Suggs. “From my teammates to the coaches to Drew Petersen, I really appreciate how everyone treated me like family”
He has played professional soccer since 2011. Suggs began his career with the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) in 2011. After being a member of the Blues, Suggs was a member of the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) in 2012. He also played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) in 2012. After the Blues, he went to the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) in 2013. Suggs then went to the Orange County Blues (USL Pro/USL) in 2014-15. During the 2016-18 seasons, Suggs played for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. He now plays for the New Mexico United where he has been since 2019. During his professional career, Suggs has scored nine goals.
“New Mexico is my home and home is where the heart is,” added Suggs. Suggs resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Gabriella and son, Sage.
Kwesele played at Humboldt State from 2016 to 2017 after transferring from Barry University. He was a two-year letter-winner for the Lumberjacks. He earned All-CCAA honors in 2017. During his time in the Green and Gold, Kwesele scored two goals and assisted on two goals.
“I had the pleasure of coaching Mumbi for two seasons,” noted Jungemann. “He was a huge part of our program both on and off the field. He was a talented player who always stood out on the field and received all-conference recognition as a result. Off the field, his influence was even been bigger. He was an inspirational leader who always led by example. He pushed our program to be more involved in community service and social justice initiatives and awareness. He made a huge impact on our entire community and his positive impact will be felt for years to come."
“Playing at Humboldt State was a huge part of my development that pushed me to the pro level,” said Kwesele. “When I came in, Coach Fred Jungemann had an unbelievable amount of confidence in my ability to help the team and gave me game-time that reflected that trust which is crucial for any player to grow. It took us a while to figure out which spot was best for me but he gave me freedom in the roles I played to find the game and make a difference.”
After Humboldt State, Kwesele started his professional career as a member of Real Union B in Spain. Real Union B is located in Irún, Spain, which is the Basque region. He then went to the Richmond Kickers out of the USL League.
"I want to play at the highest levels possible but I'm not attaching myself to the idea of moving to any particular leagues and teams; the pressure I put on myself is to be present and focused on being the best version of myself right now,” added Kwesele.
Both Suggs and Kwesele will be heading back to their teams for pre-season later this month with their seasons to start sometime later this Spring.