Columbus North graduate Morgan Proffitt dribbles upfield against Michigan during her senior season at Marquette in 2016. Proffitt will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Marquette Athletics
Since Morgan Proffitt has been playing soccer at Marquette University, she has thought of the Milwaukee-based college as her second home.
This weekend, the Columbus North graduate will be back in Milwaukee picking up the highest honor an athlete can achieve. She will be inducted into Marquette’s M Club Hall of Fame.
“It holds a special place in my heart,” Proffitt said. “It did at the time, and now several years after graduating, it still does. Milwaukee, I’ve always referred to as my second home. This is like the cherry on top.”
Proffitt made 83 starts in 85 appearances from 2013-16 at Marquette. She was named second-team All-BIG EAST as a sophomore and was BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST first team as a senior, when she was named to the watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy.
Columbus North graduate Morgan Proffitt, right, takes a shot for Marquette during her senior season in 2016.
Rafel Suanes | For The Republic
A four-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member, Proffit helped lead the Golden Eagles to NACC Tournament appearances as a freshman and senior.
“We did have success, but it was a collective effort,” Proffitt said. “My teammates, my coaches, the support people, my parents were all a part of it. What made it such a great experience was the people I was surrounded by.”
The Chicago Red Stars, whose reserves organization Proffitt had played for the previous two summers, drafted Proffitt with the 12th pick in the 2017 NWSL Draft. She spent the first half of the season with the Red Stars, then the second half of the 2017 season and the first half of the 2018 season with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit.
In June of 2018, Proffitt asked for her release from Washington so she could sign with SK Slavia Praha, a first division club in the Czech Republic. She made 10 appearances with the club, scoring five goals.
Proffitt returned to the United States in 2019 and spent that season with Reign FC — now called OL Reign — in the Seattle area. She played in six games and made four starts before retiring in December 2019.
At North, Proffitt netted 31 goals and 26 assists, despite missing most of her senior season in 2012 with an ACL injury. The three-time All-State selection helped lead the Bull Dogs to a state runner-up finish in 2010 and a final four appearance in 2011. She was called to the U.S. Under-18 national team in 2012, and helped the U.S. Under-23 national team win the 2016 Nordic Tournament in England.
After retiring from soccer, Proffitt worked for Faurecia in Louisville. She then worked in marketing and communications for Lexington Sporting Club, a United Soccer League 1 men’s team and youth program that will have a women’s team in the new women’s pro soccer league, the “Super League,” which will compete with the NWSL before moving to Indianapolis in October to take a job with Cummins.
“When I was down there (in Lexington), the staff was cracking jokes that I need to put the boots back on,” Proffitt said. “That time has come and gone, but I do play in some adult leagues up here, so I still get my fill.”
Proffitt found out in July that she would be one of six former athletes or coaches going into the M Club Hall of Fame. They will be honored at Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Seton Hall.
“There are so many great athletes and coaches that go through Marquette,” Proffitt said. “With the success that I had, it’s always been back of the head. I wouldn’t say I was expecting it. I was hopeful. It’s a very big honor, and I was happy to hear it. It’s exciting that this weekend is finally here to celebrate.”
