Growing up in Atlanta, I started playing when I was three.
I just remember getting so mad when I would lose when I was younger and getting in trouble
with my parents or coaches for throwing temper tantrums, things like that.
I think that's probably when my parents knew that I had something inside of me that was
a little different than the other kids.
Personally, it wasn't until I was around 11 or 12 where all the other sports just kind
of faded away.
In high school, I didn't go to prom, I went to a college showcase, but it wasn't sacrifice
isn't really the right word for it, it's because I love doing it.
I wouldn't have done it if I didn't.
I think that's what got me to today.
I don't think I've had this conversation with many people around the middle of my junior
year of college.
Up until then, I was good, but I wasn't much better than the next guy.
I worked really hard and my technique was a little sloppy.
I gave myself two years of playing minor league soccer and if I didn't make it to MLS by then,
then I would be okay with moving on in my life.
I've never seen myself as a guy that's that much more talented than anyone else, but the
one thing that I've always had is my work rate and as long as I have that, I mean, I'll
believe in myself no matter what.
I was at lunch with a goalkeeper friend.
We had just trained.
I didn't even know that the expansion draft was going on.
I get a text from my agent that I'm not moving anywhere today and then probably 30 seconds
later, my phone just exploded and it didn't stop blowing up for probably two hours.
And that's how I found out.
I got tagged in something by Atlanta United and parents started calling me freaking out
and yeah, it kind of sunk in that it was happening.
Putting on hometown jersey is amazingly special.
The first day I put on the training jersey, I was just looking down at it and I was like,
this feels strange, but in a very, very good way.
You can tell that the team has been built and the image of the coach and of the franchise
in general, we're creative, but we're also hard-nosed.
The Falcons are a perfect example of kind of the mirror to what we're going to be.
Our owner has shown a huge commitment to community service and showing up in the community.
I think that that will, in addition to changing lives, it'll put fans in the seats.
Walking down the tunnel for the first game, there's going to be a lot of adrenaline, some
anxiety, some nerves, which is normal.
I think everyone's just going to put in 110% effort and really try to make all the fans
proud.
It's going to be a special day for everyone, me personally, family, friends, people that
have never seen me play professionally are all coming to the game, so it's going to be
fun.
