Hailing from Ireland, Saint Louis University midfielder David Graydon’s skills and tenacity on the soccer pitch are fueled by his doubters.
“I tried out in England but all I heard was, ‘You’re too small, you won’t make it because of your height and lack of strength,’” Graydon said when asked why he chose to play in America over Europe.
Comments like these are what give 5-foot-5-inch attacking midfielder Graydon the strength and determination he has on the training grounds and in every game he plays. Unlike other sports, soccer does not require you to be a certain height in order for an athlete to flourish; case in point, Graydon.
Graydon’s journey on American soil began at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla. where he made an immediate impact. While at Montverde Academy, Graydon notched 10 goals, 18 assists and amassed numerous accolades, such as: ESPN Rise All-American, top 150 recruit, ESPN Player of the Week and league MVP. With his help, the Montverde Academy finished their season with a stellar 23-0-4 record.
After compiling a season like this, Graydon’s talents were highly sought after from several NCAA programs across the nation. The list of schools ranged from the University of North Carolina, University of Clemson and University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Although these schools were all highly touted, Graydon always knew that he wanted to attend SLU.
“I wanted to be a part of a re-building program, not a program that’s already at the top,” said Graydon. He went on to add, “It was Coach McGinty’s overall attitude and track record that helped make my decision.”
Coach McGinty’s friendship with the Montverde Academy’s men’s soccer coach and former University of Clemson head coach, Mike Potempa, is what led him to recruit Graydon. McGinty sent assistant coach Jason O’Keefe to Florida to have a look at Graydon and O’Keefe came back with high praise for the Irish midfielder.
“We were looking for a player that thinks out of the box,” McGinty said, “David was just a little bit different.”
The difference in Graydon could be his ability to see the whole field, and deliver precise through balls that carve up the opposition’s defense.
Graydon’s transition from the European game of football to the North American style of soccer has been relatively smooth and seemingly effortless. However, this is not the case. American soccer players are noticeably larger and stronger compared to the players Graydon grew up competing against in Ireland.
Graydon said that was the most difficult transition in playing amongst American players for the past year, and that it was the sheer power, size are some elements of the game that he never came across in Europe. Although the transition has been challenging, it has not seemed to have had much effect on Graydon’s exceptional offensive abilities.
The Bills have played in seven matches this season. As a freshman, Graydon has started all seven of the Bills’ matches and has been an integral part of his team’s success thus far. His role as an attacking center midfielder requires him to be the center piece of the Bills’ offensive attack. Graydon said that he loves it because he loves to have the ball on his foot. His crafty footwork and playmaking ability have helped the Bills get off to an early 5-2 start.
Crafty footwork and unique playmaking ability aside, Graydon’s hard work off the field, as a student-athlete, was another challenge he has had to adapt to coming over from Ireland. Being a college preparatory school, Montverde Academy played a crucial role in Graydon’s academic transition to the U.S. Graydon was taught to understand the importance of time management and organization; two essential tools in order to be a successful student-athlete at SLU.
As the Bills embark on their third season under McGinty, expectations are high and Graydon is fully confident in their ability.
“I want to win a national championship,” Graydon said, when asked what his team goal is for the 2012 season.
Graydon feels as though the Bills have to adjust to teams that play a “kick-and-run” style of soccer. The kick-and-run style is when a team elects to send more long passes as opposed to numerous short, quick ones to make their way up the field. Teams such as Denver and Drake, who defeated the Billikens earlier in the year, were effective in executing the kick-and-run game plan.
Besides having high expectations for his team, Graydon has set a personal goal that he would like achieve at the end of the season.
“I want to be an All-American. Without a doubt,” Graydon said. Graydon added, “I just want to make my family proud because they have given up so much for me.”
These goals and expectations are a prime example of Graydon’s hard-nose, gritty and competitive nature. His tenacity on the pitch stems from idealizing his favorite soccer players Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi of Spain’s professional club soccer team FC Barcelona. In 2012, Iniesta, Graydon’s favorite footballer, won the award for Europe’s best player. Iniesta stands 5 foot 7 inches tall, which is characteristic Graydon deeply admires since he stands at 5 foot 5 inches.
The combination of silencing critics, making his family proud and players such as Iniesta and Messi standing at the top of the football world gives Graydon the confidence and poise to attain his dream. His dream is playing in the English Premier League for a professional soccer club, and with his “never say never” attitude, it seems like that dream may come true and he will be able to silence his critics once and for all.
