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David Stokes (born May 28, 1982 in Dumfries, Virginia) is an American soccer player, who currently plays for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.
Stokes played three years of college soccer at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill from 2000 to 2002. As a sophomore, Stokes was named Defensive MVP of the College Cup as he helped UNC to a national championship.
After finishing his junior season, Stokes signed a Project-40 contract with MLS. Hailed as the second-coming of Eddie Pope, Stokes was selected 5th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United. Although Stokes' athleticism was clear, he was unexpectedly raw, and was clearly unprepared to start in MLS as a rookie. He finished the year without having played any league games, although he did appear in U.S. Open Cup games for United, and played on loan with the Virginia Beach Mariners. After Ray Hudson was released, many expected Stokes to play a larger role in Peter Nowak's team; while he was given an opportunity, however, Stokes' inconsistency and lack of focus resulted in him seeing very little playing time for United. He finished the year with only 410 minutes and three starts. Stokes remains a talented prospect, but his very disappointing first two years have significantly dampened peoples' expectations.
Stokes played for the Under-23 national team in 2003 Olympic Qualifying.
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