For the past handful of seasons, the Columbus Crew always has a versatile utility player on the roster. Under Gregg Berhalter, Hector Jimenez fit that role as someone who could play in nearly every position. It’s beneficial to have a player to fill anyone’s shoes on the pitch and for the 2021 Crew team, that player is Marlon Hairston.
Hairston was signed by Columbus during the 2021 offseason as a fullback project who, it was expected, would learn under veteran Harrison Afful. Late in the preseason, Hairston picked up an injury that kept him sidelined for the first two months, forcing the Crew’s hand in making a fullback signing.