making him a potential Madison Avenue goldmine. Not to mention he's a pretty darned good soccer player too. Oh, and by the way, he's only 17 years old.
"I thank God every day," said Altidore. "Because I can be going to school every morning, waking up at six to catch the bus. Being a bus boy after school. But fortunately, I kick balls in the goal.
"But it's great, and I thank God every day for what I'm able to do."
What Altidore has been able to do in less than a year in MLS is make an immediate impact, particularly for someone who won't turn 18 until Nov. 6. After making his pro debut last September, Altidore spent most of his rookie season finishing high school in Bradenton, Fla. and attending the prestigious IMG Soccer Academy, where he trained with the nation's best young players.
Returning to MLS for the stretch run and playoffs, Altidore scored four goals in nine games, including two game-winners. In the Eastern Conference semifinal series loss to D.C. United, he became the league's youngest player ever to start a playoff game -- at 16 years, 349 days -- and became the youngest player to ever score in a postseason contest eight days later.
"It was crazy," Altidore said of his historic goal. "Because when I heard that news I was like, 'Wow, I did something real special tonight.' Even though we didn't go on, it helps to have that little special thing in the back of your head. You know you did something real nice tonight.
"So that was a real nice thing to have to share with my family and friends."
This season, Altidore has picked up where he left off. In four games, he leads his team in scoring with two goals and two assists. The Red Bulls are atop the East standings at 3-0-1, and have set an MLS record with a 360-minute shutout streak to begin a season.
"It's been great," Altidore said. "The Red Bulls are behind us 100 percent. Whatever we need, they give to us. So we're just trying to do our best to please them and please our fans."
Like Altidore, coach Bruce Arena of U.S. World Cup Team fame is in his first full season with the Red Bulls. The team has also added American-born and international midfield star Claudio Reyna, as well as the franchise's second all-time goal scorer -- Clint Mathis -- who has returned after a four-year absence.
Being around that worldly trio, Altidore says, has made a world of difference in his game.
"It's positive, because to be around Bruce year-round, I think it's a big jump," Altidore said. "I think he knows so much about the game and he shares it with us. And to be around him as much as possible, it's just going to help us more.
"And to be around players like Claudio and Clint year-round, it's just going to help the team much, much more."
Indeed, during New York's win over FC Dallas in their home opener, Altidore scored the first Red Bull goal of the season, then assisted Mathis, who registered the team's second goal. Or did he? Despite having been credited with his first pro assist, Altidore admitted after the game that he may not have touched the ball.
So did the ball graze him or not?
Laughing, Altidore said, "I don't know, it looked like it did. I don't know. You've got to ask the guys."
Then, lowering his voice in a mock hush-hush mode, Altidore smiled and whispered to reporters huddled around his locker, "Keep it between us...yeah."
Mathis -- a neighbor of Altidore's in the locker room who starred at the Meadowlands when the team was called the MetroStars -- is already impressed with his new teammate.
"We've been working well together," Mathis said. "He's a great soccer player, a great athlete. He's continuing to listen and learn, ask questions. A kid like that, that has such an athletic build and can have so much skill."
For his part, Altidore says he's fortunate to have Mathis around.
"Well, I think Clint's a great player, so it's easy to play off him, no matter who it is," Altidore said. "He has a great nose for the game, and whenever he's around you feel you can always put that one-touch ball back to him and spin off.
"And I think he's a great player to play with underneath the striker."
"For him to continue to ask questions and want to get better, it makes it the best of both worlds," Mathis said. "So it makes it easy for me. To be able to try to read off him and play off him, and him do the same as well. So things are going well."
Asked if he ever forgets how young Altidore is, Mathis said while giggling, "Yeah, it's great. With a body like that, you'd think he's been in the game a while."
Arena says Altidore is a special talent.
"He's a big, strong forward, and he has a pretty good sense of his positioning in front of the goal," Arena said. "But his physical qualities are certainly his strength right now. He's going to get tactically better, and technically better as he grows.
"But I'd say the physical qualities he has for a 17-year-old is pretty remarkable. And as the soccer part catches up, the technical aspect and the know-how, I think he's going to end up being a pretty good forward."
Pretty good? Altidore is already that, and who knows how much better he'll get?
"I'm just trying to get some experience under my belt, you know?" he said. "There's so many things out there people are trying to put me as. But I'm just trying to develop under Bruce. And I think he has a great eye for the game. And hopefully he can help me develop into the player that I want to be."
As a member of the U-17 and U-20 Men's National Teams, Altidore trained alongside Freddy Adu -- who made his MLS debut at 14 -- and former Red Bull Eddie Gaven at the same Bradenton academy. Prior to his offseason trade, Gavin was also a high schooler who made his mark on the Red Bulls.
"Actually Eddie, when I first got here, he was the guy that really took me under his wing," Altidore said. "Him and [Red Bulls forward] Mike Magee, because they went through the same road I came through, the Bradenton program.
"And I think those guys, so far, have had great careers. And me and Freddie are great friends now, we talk a lot. But I think they've all had great careers up 'til now, so best for them."
Last November, Altidore and teammates Seth Stammler and Jerrod Laventure joined Grammy Award-winning musician Wyclef Jean and his charitable organization, Yele Haiti, on a six-day service trip to Haiti. Altidore's parents, Joseph and Giselle, are native Haitians.
Haiti is in a state of transition since the forced ouster of its president in 2004.
"Oh, that was an amazing trip for me, because that's where my parents are from, and it's mostly where my family's roots are," Altidore said. "So to go back there and give back, it's just...the feeling was amazing. And I hope to do it again, maybe this summer, maybe in the offseason.
"But the people there, they're so strong. With so little that they have, they keep going every day. And that's something to really take to heart."
With the talent and attitude of someone well beyond his years, Altidore was asked where his maturity comes from.
Smiling, he said, "I guess it's from that laid-back Caribbean style from Haiti. We just try to keep things mellow. Not to go overboard with everything and just relax."
Joey Wahler covers the New York Red Bulls for SNY.TV. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
