Troy Michael Dayak (born January 29, 1971) is an American former soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing for Bay Area teams. Club career San Francisco Bay Blackhawks Dayak (nicknamed Cowboy) grew up in Walnut Creek, California and attended Livermore High School. In 1989, he attended the University of San Francisco for one year and then signed with the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the Western Soccer League (WSL). Seventeen years old at the time, he was the youngest player to sign with the WSL or its successor leagues, the APSL and A-League. In 1990, the WSL merged with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). In 1991, the Blackhawks won the APSL championship and Dayak was named a first team All Star. In 1993, the Blackhawks owner moved the team to the lower division USISL and renamed the team the San Jose Hawks. Despite going to the 1993 Sizzlin' Six tournament, the team folded at the end of the season. Indoor soccer In 1993, Troy signed with the Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), helping lead them to the 1993–1994 NPSL title. In 1995, he signed with the San Jose Grizzlies of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). MLS In 1996, he was selected by MetroStars in second round of the Inaugural MLS Draft (19th overall). Troy, who had strong roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, refused to sign with the league and move his family to the New York area. Therefore, he was traded by the MetroStars to the San Jose Clash (later to be named the Earthquakes) in exchange for Rhett Harty and first round pick in 1996 College Draft. He was a solid starter for the Clash until, in August 1997, he suffered a violent collision snapping his head backwards. Troy's neck was already aggravated due to two previous neck injuries, and he was very close to becoming paralyzed. Troy was told that he would never play again. Nonetheless, in October 1997, he underwent surgery that fused a piece of bone from Troy's hip onto his 5th and 6th vertebrae. After a long march to recovery, he rejoined the Clash in 1998, going on loan to the San Francisco Bay Seals for one game, only to