November 7 (1966)

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Pat McBride is the first player signed by the new St. Louis Stars of the National Professional Soccer League. “It’s like a dream come true,” the St. Louis native, a senior at St. Louis University, tells Harold Flachsbart of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. During his three seasons as a Billiken — freshmen were not allowed to play on an NCAA varsity at that time — McBride was a two-time first-team All-American and helped the Bills win NCAA championships in 1963 and 1965. His 130 points on 46 goals and 38 assists are still No. 5 among the Billikens’ all-time scorers. McBride, a midfielder, will log 10 seasons with the Stars. Playing in a league heavily rostered with foreign players, McBride will earn all-NASL selections three times as one of the top U.S.-born players of that era.