VI Questions with Eddie Ababio

With their first pick in the MLS Draft this season, the MLS Champion Colorado Rapids selected Tarheels defender Eddie Ababio. Eddie has been kind enough to take some time to answer some question for Rapids fans.

Eddie, congratulations on being drafted in the first round by the Colorado Rapids!

I. Tell us a bit about your MLS draft experience. When did you know there was a chance you could be selected in the MLS draft and what was draft day like for you?

A day before the draft, I talked to my UNC coaches and they were saying that I would be a 2nd or 3rd round pick. I watched the draft with my family in Tampa. Not knowing if you will be drafted brought some anxiety but I knew that I would get drafted based on my performance at the combines. A first round selection to the Rapids was a total shock to me but I felt like it was well deserved.

II. You were born in Ghana and attended high school in Florida. Rapids fans are curious about your early years, how you ended up in Florida and about your playing days before arriving at UNC.

I was born in Kumasi, Ghana where I don’t think I went a day without playing soccer. In Ghana soccer is life. My father won the visa lottery and was able to move the whole family to Florida in 1996. After a couple months in the states, I finally joined my first club team, the Carrollwood Lightning coached by Jerry Campbell.The team would later change its name to Hillsborough County United. As a striker with this team, we won a lot of youth tournaments and a few state cup titles.

I attended Gaither High School in Tampa and as a freshmen I scored 19 goals with 10 assist. We made it to the final four of the state tournament that year. Shortly after that, I enjoyed a year and a half stint with the Under 17 U.S Men’s National team. I was one of the top scorers for my side and helped the squad qualify for the World Championships. Shortly after our qualification matches in Costa Rica I committed to UNC. Unfortunately I was left of the World Championship roster, but I had a great experience with the youth national team and got to travel all over the world and play soccer.

III. You were a member of the Carolina Dynamo in the PDL while you were a Tar Heel. How does your time in the PDL rate among your career as a soccer player in terms of skills and tactical development? Were there things you gained from the PDL that you weren’t getting in college? According to the USL website you played forward for the Dynamo. How and when did you settle on being a full back?

I was very fortunate to play for the Carolina Dynamo, a PDL club with great tradition, great players and a great head coach in Joe Brown. PDL offers different challenges than college such as adjusting to new teammates, new coaching styles and opponents with very different styles of play. Our program at UNC is one of the top soccer programs in the Nation and I would credit UNC for my development but PDL provided a league for me to stay in top shape and fully prepare for my college seasons.

My sophmore year at UNC I was converted to and outside back but I would occasionally played striker when we needed goals. My junior year at UNC I played half the season as a striker and the other half as an outside back. My senior year, I played the majority of season at outside back.

IV. After being selected into the Rapids organization, what has followed leading up to training camp and what are your thoughts on your first days with the club?

After being selected to the Colorado Rapids, I spent a few days with my family in Tampa. I then went back to UNC to move out of my apartment and train with my college teammates to prepare for preseason with the Rapids. From the management to the coaches to the players, the Rapids organization is extremely professional. Everybody here has been extremely welcoming and the players in the locker room are very friendly and are always giving helpful advice which has made it easier to get settled.

V. From Ghana, to Florida, to North Carolina, what are your first thoughts of Colorado? Are you cold? Have you started getting adjusted to your new life and what does the club do for you to help get you settled in?

My first thought on Colorado was plains and mountains but I’m sure I will get to explore Denver more and get to know it better. My first week in Colorado the weather was amazing. It was sunny and warm so I kind off got spoiled but this week it has been snowing with temperature’s below 0 degrees so I will have to adjust to this weather fast. No more sandals and shorts for me. The club has provided us with a place to stay and money for our other expenses until they decide if they want to sign us. If I do get signed I will have to find a hobby to keep me busy in outside of training.

VI. No matter where your MLS career goes from here, you have achieved a level of success few soccer players can even dream of. Are there people you’d like to thank for helping you get to this point and what would you tell young soccer players out there that dream of getting the call from Major League Soccer?

Soccer has been a blessing for me and I thank God for giving the ability and the opportunities to play throughout my life. From my club coaches, Jerry Campbell, Kelvin Jones, to my High School coach, Eric Sims, to my U-17 National team coaches, John Ellinger, Peter Mellor, John Hackworth and Keith Fulk to my UNC coaches, Elmar Bolowich, Carlos Somoano, and Jeff Negalha and my PDL coach Joe Brown have all played a vital role in my development as a player and as a person and I am very grateful to play under such great coaches. I am also thankful for my dad for always telling me that I can do better than my best.