CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—At the same time as players globally were preparing for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, Erotique Entertainment CEO Eric John was training for a big match as well, the Thomas Theurkauf Memorial Alumni Game at his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The match, named for MIT varsity soccer class of 1979 player Thomas Francis Theurkauf, Jr. (who perished at the age of 44 on September 11, 2001, in the tragic events at the World Trade Center), is annually held between a team of returning alumni and the current undergrad varsity squad at Steinbrenner Stadium on the campus of MIT.
The occasion marked a personal milestone for John, since he was severely disabled with COVID and then Long COVID from March 2020 through June 2023. As of that time, John needed nearly daily physical therapy just to recover enough to perform normal activities, and it was thought he would be unable to ever return to running let alone competitive soccer.
But the industry vet worked hard to get back into shape, returning to competitive soccer on his 54th birthday in 2024. Leading into the 2026 alumni game, he was training for higher-intensity match conditions.
And the match was just that. John started as one of the two 9’s—or strikers—in the alumni's 4-4-2 attack. The alumni team actually controlled the action early on, creating the better scoring chances despite being unable to convert them into goals, but the undergrads regained control by halftime and then pulled away in the second half.
John, who played for MIT from his freshman year on, graduated in 1992 with a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and a minor in music - classical composition.
“Next year I will be much better prepared,” John said. “I dealt well with the cross-country travel and the overall conditioning, my game sense was certainly intact, but my finishing was undisciplined and my sprinting ability too limited. ... Next year I will know what to expect, train harder, and be better.”
Following the match John spent considerable time on campus and also was a guest of the current group at his fraternity at 526 Beacon in Boston. During that visit he was able to offer a lot of positive insights into the professional adult industry. Hearing this discussion, the girlfriend of one of the undergraduates—a feminist studies student who was inspired by John’s description of empowerment and consent—suggested an idea for a film, which John’s company currently has in production. It will star Alexa Chains, Eris Jolie and himself.
