Fire add Jeremiah Gutjahr on Homegrown deal

by Travis Clark

January 22, 2019

At this stage of 2019, Indiana University men's soccer has just one starter returning for the upcoming season.

Another Hoosier from the past year has turned pro, as senior midfielder Jeremiah Gutjahr inked a Homegrown deal with the Chicago Fire.

“Jeremiah epitomizes the word professional in his daily preparation, academic work and training habits,” Indiana head men’s soccer coach Todd Yeagley said in a release. “He wore the IU jersey with pride over the past four years, helping to build upon our tradition of excellence at Indiana University. Jeremiah will now live out his childhood dream of playing for the Chicago Fire. The Indiana Fire DA played a large role in his development and now he’s able to play alongside the professional players he once watched and admired as a youth player.”

Congratulations to Jeremiah Gutjahr for signing a Homegrown Player contract with the @ChicagoFire!

📝 https://t.co/YjU4i5lILG #ProIU ⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/agxY5yBaff
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) January 22, 2019

After missing the bulk of the 2017 season (his junior year) with a torn ACL, Gutjahr played an integral role last fall as Indiana returned to the College Cup. Making 24 appearances, including 23 starts, Gutjahr filled a variety of spots in central midfield, scoring one goal and chipping in an assist. During his IU career, the Bloomington native played in 71 games, making 44 starts across four years. He was also named to the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team for the Concacaf Championship in 2017.

"I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to play for the Chicago Fire," Gutjahr said in a statement. "It has been a dream of mine since I was in the Academy to be able to represent the club and the city of Chicago at the highest level. For a club that has given me so much, I'm so excited to give everything I have back to the club. I can't wait to continue working alongside and learning from such a great group of people."

Prior to his career at Indiana University, Gutjahr carved out a career in the Development Academy for Fire affiliate Indiana Fire Academy at the U16 and U18 age groups. In the summer of 2016, he played in the USL PDL for the Fire Under-23s.

Gutjahr is the sixth player in program history to sign a Homegrown contract, joining Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution, 2019), Trey Muse (Seattle Sounders FC, 2019), Grant Lillard (Chicago Fire, 2018), Patrick Doody (Chicago Fire, 2015) and Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes, 2014).

Related Topics: Big Ten