When Bryan Namoff took the field as a sub for the U.S. national team against Denmark on Jan. 20, it was yet another high point in the long career of the 27-year-old D.C. United defender that has seen its share of ups and downs.
Drafted as an attacking midfielder out of unheralded Bradley University in the second round of the 2001 MLS SuperDraft (15th overall), Namoff found himself filling in wherever needed, as a defensive midfielder or on either wing. Although he performed admirably in his rookie season, contributing seven assists in only 15 games, Namoff admits to having been overwhelmed by the experience.
"To go from watching great players like Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno on television to being on the same field with them was surreal," Namoff said. "It definitely took a little bit of getting used to."
After a promising start to his professional career, 2002 saw a new coach at D.C. United, Ray Hudson, who didn't rate Namoff highly and loaned him out to Richmond Kickers of the then-A-League to get more experience. When injuries to several players required Namoff's services back in Washington late in the season, he saw this as a chance to prove himself, this time as a defender.
"It's all about adaptation," Namoff said. "You have to ride the ups and downs of a season and work hard so that you're ready once that opportunity presents itself."
Namoff's performances in those last two games convinced Hudson that he could compete at this level. His growth over the next year, when D.C. United had the third-best defensive record in the league, was so impressive that Hudson even created a special Coaches' Award to recognize his contributions.
The 2004 season saw Namoff firmly established as a starting defender under new coach Peter Nowak. He was given the title of "Rookie Captain," which was designed to help let the new players -- like Freddy Adu and Josh Gros -- know what was expected of them. That season culminated with D.C. United lifting its fourth MLS Cup, an experience that Namoff will never forget.
"As soon as that whistle blew, it was pure joy and exhilaration," Namoff said. "The backline worked so hard in the last few minutes to clear everything, and then the three of us -- Mike Petke, Ryan Nelsen and myself -- just charged one another at the same time, and then everybody piled on top of us."
Since then, Namoff has continued to be a mentor to the younger players on and off the field, showing them what it means to be a part of D.C. United, and learning when to push them harder and when to pick them up.
United head coach Tom Soehn, who was an assistant to Nowak for three years before taking over the team this past December, has seen tremendous progress in Namoff as a player.
"He's grown quite a bit over his career, and he's had to adjust to different positions," Soehn said, "He's also become a very good student of the game, and he was my man of the match in the last game (in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup) against Chivas."
This winter, Namoff was rewarded for his hard work with his first-ever call-up, at any level, to the national team. The experience, he said, gave him "more motivation to push myself above and beyond my comfort level to become a better player, because I can see where I need to be to play at that level every single day."
On a team loaded with stars like Jaime Moreno, Ben Olsen and Christian Gomez, Namoff has quietly worked his way into the upper ranks of the D.C. United record books. He ranks seventh and eighth respectively on the team's list of games played (118) and minutes played (9,232), and should move up two places by season's end.
As he enters his seventh season as a professional, with a potential future with the national team, Namoff reflects on how far he has come, and how much farther he needs to go.
"It goes by in the blink of an eye. You just kind of wake up and go 'Wow, six seasons have already gone by. Where did they go?'" he said. "It's something to look back on, with so many different players and coaches that have come through this organization. I've experienced the good, the bad, the ugly, and it's made me a stronger and smarter player, and it's a continual learning process for me."
David Lifton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
