Adam Jahn has capitalized on a fresh start supplied by the July 30 trade from San Jose to Columbus, filling a valuable role as a reserve forward who can make spot starts. Jahn's size and aggressiveness have been noticeable over the past four games in which the Crew has gone 2-1-1.

The gene pool of Crew SC forward Adam Jahn is filled with chlorine and lane lines.

The son of two college swim coaches, the 25-year-old dipped his toe into competitive waters as a youth, but didn't find the sport or its suits appealing.

"I'm a land animal," Jahn said. "I also didn't like the Speedos."

Although the lanky 6-foot-3 striker passed on the opportunity to become the next Michael Phelps, he's very much the product of two coaching parents. Not blessed with superior technical skill, Jahn's persistence and work rate have kept him in Major League Soccer for four seasons.

He's capitalized on a fresh start supplied by theJuly 30trade from San Jose to Columbus, filling a valuable role as a reserve forward who can make spot starts. Jahn's size and aggressiveness have been noticeable over the past four games in which the Crew has gone 2-1-1.

The California native returns homeSaturdayto the face the LA Galaxy in hopes of drawing Columbus within three points of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

"We can play a little more direct to him," team captain Michael Parkhurst said. "Ola (Kamara) is good at holding the ball up and is pretty good in the air, but Adam brings a different kind of physicality and, if you're in trouble, you can bump balls up to him and he's going to flick them on or take them off his chest. He also can peel off the back shoulder and get some headers on goal."

With his parents in town last week – Tom and Barbara Jahn drove 2,300 miles in an SUV from Sacramento – he scored a goal in a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia and registered six shots in his first start with the Crew in a 2-0 win against his former team. He's been a solid addition for a player making $67,500 and who's out of contract at year's end.

Arguably his best stretch of pro soccer is the function of a positive attitude and a willingness to humble himself. He spent his first three-plus seasons in the margins of the San Jose roster, never getting discouraged when the club sent him to its United Soccer League affiliate. He put 55,000 miles on his 2013 Honda Accord, shuttling back and forth between the Earthquakes and Sacramento Republic FC.

"It's not always going to be the best experience or the best setting," Jahn said of playing in the USL. "But if you're looking to improve, that's what you need to do. I was initiating (the trips) because I saw the importance of playing games, getting more minutes."

Jahn could be making more money with his management science and engineering degree from Stanford, but his parents and college coach Jeremy Gunn encouraged him to keep pushing. Gunn switched Jahn from midfielder to striker his senior season when he scored 13 goals, helping him become the No. 15 overall pick in the 2013 supplemental draft.

"As coaches, his parents created a no-excuses environment for him," Gunn said. "He's a self-starter, someone who's not afraid to work hard or self-analyze. I found him a joy to coach."

Jahn probably won't develop into a regular starter, but he's been a fine fit for the Crew, which desperately needed a bigger forward after the Kei Kamara trade in May. He gives the club offensive options, a different look from Ola Karama, who relies on well-timed runs and is at his best with the ball at his feet. Jahn's ability to get his head on a Hector Jimenez free kick in the dying seconds of an Aug. 13 match against New York City FC led to Ethan Finlay's tying goal.

"He's been a handful in the 18-yard box," coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said. ". . . We will emphasize different things when he's on the field."

It's difficult to say whether the Crew will re-sign Jahn in the offseason, but the Land Animal feels at home in his new surroundings.

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