Eli Fung’s dedication, curiosity, and strong right leg take him from youth soccer to Division I football
written by Marshall Loeffler
photos by Luke Iles
It is Summer 2026 in the United States, which means that a lot of us are trying to sneak in World Cup games on TV during work and pretend like we follow this sport and its “metric” jargon year-round. But for Eli Fung, he’s been a veteran at soccer since before your favorite celebrity had a Twitter account.
So when the ASH placekicker/punter/kickoff specialist/striker/midfielder announced his commitment to accept a scholarship to the University of Tulsa and play Division I football, local football/soccer/futbol fans were both thrilled for yet another ASH kicker moving to the NCAA and also marveled as Eil’s ability to not only balance both sports, but master them.
Growing up, Eli’s athletic world revolved around soccer, and he dreamed of playing in college. But at the suggestion of his father, he traded in a soccer ball for the ol’ pigskin for a tryout. “My dad said ‘just try it; you still have soccer. if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out’, so I gave it a shot.” Even after impressing Trojan Head Coach Thomas Bachman as a freshman and being in a state championship environment as a sophomore, The multi-sport athlete was still true to his roots.
“Throughout my early years, I was all soccer; football was just to the side. I was playing football for fun, but wanted to play college soccer,” said Fung. But as he got more serious about his skills on the gridiron going into junior year, college coaches began to take notice, and opportunities to kick in high-level environments against high-level athletes was something at which Eli not only excelled, but enjoyed. “Doors started to open for me to meet coaches, and I loved kicking in front of them, learning from them, and also competing with these top talents in the nation that made we want to get better, and I love playing the sport now.” As family, friends, and fans followed his success, questions about which sport he saw himself playing after high school swung from soccer, to not-so-sure, to football.
The recruitment process this past spring was a busy one for the Fung family. “We went to a lot of colleges, a lot of camps, talked to a lot of coaches. I loved the coaches at Tulsa, and the program is going in a really good direction with (Tulsa head coach) Tre Lamb. The chance to play in front of 30,000 fans every week in the fall is going to be exciting; college football here in America is just on a different level.”
He has one more season of high school soccer, of course, and says that he’s thankful for every moment he’s had on the pitch. “I still love soccer, it’s my foundation. I think it helps me with football, being more explosive; some of the ways of doing drills like that, I don’t think I’ll ever leave it. Even when I go to college, I’ll still train like I’m a soccer player. Learning how to kick is what got me here, and soccer has kept me feeling refreshed. Even though I’m not going to college to play soccer, I want to have fun this year, stay healthy, and just play hard.”
photo by Luke Iles Photography.
The 2026 football team has plenty of hype, and Eli is most excited about this last run. “I think it’s going to be a great year. we have a lot of great players, and a lot of them are seniors. We have great coaches, and with the work that we’ve put in this summer, the way we’ve pushed, I think it’s going to be a great year.” Some of the best teams in ASH history have had some of the best kickers in LA history, a fact that’s not lost on Fung. “It is kind of crazy to me: I knew that I was going to try my best, but coming into high school, it would have never crossed my mind that I would be committing to play football. I feel honor to be one of the kickers to come out of here. It’s a great program, and I can see why a lot of guys have come out of here. The coaches love you here and support you here.”
It may not have been the visions that an adolescent Eli Fung had when he first touched the grass (now turf) at Butch Stoker Stadium, but his story is the kind that coaches recite to wide eyes at summer camp and at halftime, not only in football, but in soccer as well. “Put the work in day in and day out, have faith in yourself. Prayer and my faith in Jesus Christ have helped me push myself further, and I’ve had great people around me.”
