Give Taylor Washington this: He doesn’t lack confidence.
The former George Mason University soccer star, newly signed by Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, has barely spent two months as a pro. But if he is feeling the pressure of advancing from the college game, he isn’t showing it.
“I see challenge as a great thing and not something that is hindering,” Washington said. “I can feel myself getting better on the ball, reading the game a lot better.”
Washington is living his soccer dream. After an outstanding three-year career at George Mason, he was a standout in January at the MLS combine in Fort Lauderdale and was drafted in the second round by the Union, 23rd overall.
Signed to a one-year deal with a club option for a second year, Washington, a defender, will be with the Union when it opens its season Saturday, March 6, at home against Dallas.
“It’s been a great experience so far,” Washington said from the team’s training site in Clearwater, Fla. “I came in and did what I wanted to do, which was to make the roster. I feel like I’ve fit right in with the team.”
Washington, who majored in integrative studies with a concentration in elementary education, left Mason 18 credits short of graduating. He said he hopes to finish his degree over time with online classes.
“I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t gone to George Mason,” Washington said. “The whole coaching staff, Coach [Greg] Andrulis, especially, helped me transition and helped me prepare for these moments.”
They worked together, again, at the combine, where Andrulis was a coach and Washington was assigned to his team.
“One thing the coaches and managers down there said was they were all impressed with his competitiveness and athleticism,” Andrulis said. “He can run with anybody. He’s highly competitive, and he has a perpetual smile. The world is light and rosy for Taylor and he represents that persona.”
“To have him at the combine was a huge blessing,” Washington said of Andrulis. “Talking after games and having a friendly face on the sidelines was amazing. My teammates at Mason were incredible, too. As a college kid you don’t realize the bonds and friendships and relationships, and how much better a person you are becoming because of the environment.”