Kemali Green was preparing for a final exam at Temple University when he got word that Bobby Murphy, the head coach and sporting director of Portland Hearts of Pine, wanted to speak to him.

The prospect of playing professionally swirled through his head as he continued to study for one of his hardest classes. When they finally connected, Murphy spoke about his vision and why Green would be a good fit. They also discussed Portland, a place that the Jamaican native didn’t know much about.

“I've never been here, and I knew it was cold,” Green said with a smile. “I'm from the island, and I'm like, ‘Damn, I'm not ever going to that state.’ But learning about how diverse the community is here was eye-opening for me.”

These conversations are often brief, but this one lasted for 45 minutes. While he wasn’t completely sure he would sign with Hearts, Green was excited about the idea.

“I still did well on my exam, and then had a good chat with Coach, so it was a good day,” Green said.

The people are what make Hearts special, and it begins with Murphy. 

“He knows what each person needs or requires to be the best version of themselves,” Green said. “He's able to put on the dad cap, and then the coach cap, and the bad guy cap when it's needed.” 

“I think he's just a great human being, one. It starts there, and then he’s a top, top, top coach.”

When building Hearts’ inaugural roster, Murphy focused on adding good players who were also good people.

Training sessions were often intense, as everyone wanted to compete. Green regularly went against Ollie Wright and Jay Tee Kamara, two players he’s close to.

“If Ollie does something to me, he's like, ‘Oh, Kema, you saw that? Don't tackle me again.’ It’s a competition,” Green explained. “And then Jay Tee, because I was always on the left, he was always on the right, we'd always go against each other. 

“If I defended them successfully, that's 1-0. So it motivated them for the next 1v1.”

The battles were healthy, with Green saying both players were “super helpful” as he adjusted to life as a professional. He considers them to be two of the best he’s ever played with.

The whole team jelled, forging relationships through off-field bonding activities, such as trivia, and by overcoming on-field adversities.

The personalities certainly helped, with Green highlighting the humor of Wright, Kamara, and Walter Varela.

A social media post from late in the season offered an inside look at how the team functioned. The clip starts with Kamara grinning ear to ear as he declares his happiness. The camera moves throughout the bus as players passionately yell “believe” and “die for the badge.”

This all stemmed from Shandon Wright, who would say these phrases in the locker room. They were soon used by all of the players as a source of inspiration.

“Everyone last year enjoyed being around everyone,” Green said.

In some ways, it’s hard to believe that 2025 was Green’s rookie season, as the center back was a constant, making 24 starts. He finished the year with the highest pass accuracy (87%) and the second-most clearances (140) and blocks (13).

But the transition from college was a process aided by his coaches and teammates. 

Playing alongside experienced defenders Sean Vinberg and Sega Coulibaly was valuable. Green said Vinberg took him under his wing from the start, and his relationship with Coulibaly was natural since both are internationals.

“They all wanted to help and be a part of my journey, because they see the potential, and know how much better I can get,” Green said. “I was just a sponge around those guys.”

Mikey Lopez, who played in Major League Soccer and the USL Championship, also served as a role model.

He noticed that Lopez did little things to ensure he was at his best, including extra work before and after training. Green recalled times when he’d leave the gym after 45 minutes, while Lopez stayed longer.

“Mikey, he's a guy who does the same routine for 10 months straight,” Green said. “You understand the sacrifice, because he's been a pro for over 10 years. You're like, ‘Okay, what do I want? Do I want to play 5, 6, or 10 years? You look at him as motivation to just keep going each year."

The hardest part about making the jump from college to professional is the length of the season. 

Green initially discussed this with family and friends, saying he felt physically worn down by summer. At this point, he had already played twice as much as he would’ve during a college season.

Things became more difficult in June when he suffered torn cartilage in his knee. A mutual decision was made to manage the situation so he could continue playing.

The season was also tough mentally, as games now meant more, and he was far away from family and friends.

This led to a cathartic conversation with Murphy, who believes that many first-year pros hit a wall. Green said it probably happened to him in July, though he was still performing at a high level.

“It became a thing where Coach really recognized it, and he was like, ‘Okay, let's chat. It seems like you’ve hit a wall. How can we help you?’” Green said. “Verbalizing it kind of put a weight off my chest.

“You never expect anyone to be watching as closely, but Coach is like a hawk; he sees everything.”

Green likened the chat to a therapy session, noting that he felt refreshed and motivated afterwards. He was ultimately named the team’s co-Rookie of the Year, sharing the honor with Titus Washington.

Green is close to making his return after successful off-season surgery, though no official timeline is set. He’s eager to apply the lessons from last year to make 2026 a success, both individually and collectively.

Personally, he wants to continue developing as a center back.

The former Jamaican youth international was originally a forward growing up, but shifted to the midfield around the age of 14. He was recruited to Temple University as a midfielder but moved to the back line, in part due to necessity.

He was asked to enter as a center back during overtime against top-ranked Seton Hall due to some injuries. He questioned this at first–“I’ve never played that in my life"–but performed well.

His position fluctuated over the next few games before he made the switch.

Green still gets to feel the joy of being an attacker by scoring goals during small-sided games at training, but he’s also established a love for earning shutouts as a defender. Overall, he believes his versatility is an asset.

“I'm excited to be able to play center back, obviously, and I'm excited for the fact that I can still play as a midfielder,” Green said. “I've only been playing center back for three years, so I can grow so much more in that position.”

Regarding team goals, Green wants Hearts to host a playoff game before making a run at a championship, both of which nearly happened in year one.

While long-term goals are certainly there, Green understands that it’s critical to take it one day at a time. This approach will hopefully lead to plenty of happy nights during year two.

“From us players, we're always going to give our 100% to make ourselves, our family, the fans proud,” Green said. “Whether it's hot, it's raining, it's snowing, they're always supporting us.

“We feel that love, and the goal, obviously, is to host a playoff game and hopefully take one step further. And just be greater than we were last year.”