Tyler Adams, the 23-year-old captain of the United States men’s soccer team, makes the team work with his aggression, tackling, passing and tactical intelligence.
Adams demonstrated his leadership skills during an interview ahead of the United States’ clash with Iran in the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament. He responded as follows to a query about representing a country that discriminates against blacks:
“There is discrimination everywhere you go. One thing I have learned, especially living abroad in recent years and having to adapt to different cultures, is that in the US we continue to make progress every day. I grew up in a white family, obviously of African American heritage and background.”
Contents
- 1 Tyler was raised by a single mother in the first decade of his life.
- 2 Adam has three half-siblings from his mother’s relationship with Darryl Sullivan Sr.
- 3 Tyler’s stepdad helped improve his game and still helps Tyler today.
- 4 Adam’s paternal relatives are die-hard Rangers fans who don’t allow green clothing.
Tyler was raised by a single mother in the first decade of his life.
Tyler was born on February 14, 1999, in Wappinger, New York, to Melissa Russo, a white woman and an absent black father. Russo was 22 years old, had just graduated from community college and was living in her mother’s house when she welcomed Tyler. Two years later, Russo and Tyler moved into an apartment in Poughkeepsie.
Russo revealed that Tyler was a nuisance, but growing up with his grandmother helped him develop kindness. Melissa said the athletic:
“He was always giving hugs, always asking, ‘Do you need help? Can I help you with dinner? Can I help you with the laundry? Like, weird stuff for a little kid. A kid doesn’t normally want to do those things, but he just wanted to participate. Whether it was with me, if we were at my mom’s house, he was helping.”
Melissa put off joining college to raise Tyler. When Tyler was around seven years old, she began taking classes part-time for a bachelor’s degree while working as a mortgage underwriter.
Tyler and Russo formed a two-person team that overcame every obstacle they faced. He praised her mother for always finding a solution. He said ESPN:
“She is the perfect role model for me. There was never a time where she would go to my mom and she would tell me no, that she would find a way to make it happen. She was never crazy like skiing in Aspen, but it would be like she wanted to watch a game or play soccer with my friends.”
When the New York Red Bulls accepted Tyler into their academy, Melissa drove him 75 miles to the team’s New Jersey facility to practice.
Adam has three half-siblings from his mother’s relationship with Darryl Sullivan Sr.
Melissa and Darryl Sr., who is white, met at John Jay High School in the ’90s; he was two years older than her. Adams found out from Darryl Jr., Sullivan’s eldest son, that Darryl Sr. and Melissa had reconnected and started dating. tyler said ESPN:
“He [Darryl Jr.] Are you Tyler Adams? I had never seen him before, so I said, ‘Yeah, who the hell are you?’ ‘I’m Darryl Sullivan, and I think your mom is dating my dad.’”
Melissa confirmed Darryl Jr.’s claim and told Adams that the relationship was going well. Adams and Darryl Jr. became friends while playing for the school’s football team. He had already spent several nights at Sullivan’s house before he and Melissa moved in.
In an instant, the family of two became a family of six: Melissa, Adams, Darryl Sr., and their three sons: Darryl Jr., Dylan, and Donovan. Adams got along with Dylan and Darryl Jr., but it was some time before he and Donovan, the younger brother, bonded.
Donovan and Adams eventually got used to sharing parental attention. Adams suddenly took on the responsibility of being the big brother. He said ESPN:
“I am taking care of them at school, making sure they come home; my mom texted me to make sure they were doing their homework. It was a moment, like, shit, did I just take care of myself?
Darryl Sr.’s tough love helped transform Adams into a leader at home and on the field. Darryl father said the athletic:
“I wanted him to use his leadership skills forever. So I hit it early on. I was very hard on him, very hard on him. However, he needed that, and once he understood it, he truly became the leader of his brothers. He just took it all in, he became an absolutely fantastic big brother.”
Tyler’s stepdad helped improve his game and still helps Tyler today.
Darryl Sr, Adams and Melissa Russo | tyler.adams/Instagram
Tyler credits his mother for introducing him to the beautiful game. Melissa was a former soccer player who coached Tyler’s first team in Poughkeepsie. Russo helped shape Tyler into a formidable attacking midfielder, but he didn’t have the tools to improve his game. Enter Darryl Sr.
Darryl Sr. played soccer in high school and college. After graduation, he became an award-winning coach and led the John Jay High girls’ team to two state championships. When Tyler and Melissa moved in, he was the assistant coach for the Marist College men’s team.
Sullivan didn’t question Adams’ talent, but did take issue with the youngster’s playing position. Darryl advised Tyler to move more into midfield, a role few wanted. “He [Sullivan] I cultivated how I play, who I am and how I conduct myself on the pitch,” he said.
At halftime during games, Tyler checks his phone to read his father’s texts about his performance. “He sees these things,” she said. ESPN. “I eat, I read them and I think, yes, he’s right.”
Adams’ family made him the exceptional person, leader, and player he is today: Melissa taught him the value of kindness and hard work; Darryl Sr. honed his gaming and leadership skills; competing with his siblings improved his competitiveness. Darryl father said the athletic:
“Her trip with her mother alone, and then her trip with her brothers and me. You see all those things come out, you know? You see him having fun, you see him being a leader, cheering everyone on and making sure they have their back. That’s what we do as a family. You see that in him.”
Tyler is an international soccer star with a bright future ahead of him. Regardless of his achievements, he will always need his family. He said ESPN:
“My mom always sends me texts saying, ‘You’re still that punk kid I remember, who I gave nuggies to.’ It’s her saying that when you’re too high, my family is there to bring me down fast. And if you’re low, they’ll take you back to the middle ground.”
Adam’s paternal relatives are die-hard Rangers fans who don’t allow green clothing.
Tyler does not use the ‘step’ prefix when referring to his father and brothers; consanguineous relations do not matter to him.
Darryl Sr.’s parents left Scotland for the United States when they were teenagers. “My grandfather on my stepfather’s side of the family was from Scotland and came to the United States with his girlfriend in 1961,” Adams said. player’s stand. “They didn’t bring much with them, but they had their football fans.”
Sullivan inherited his parents’ love for the Scottish team Rangers and disdain for their rival Celtics. When Adam joined the house, he had to adjust to his football affiliations. He thought it was a joke when he found out that the color green, the color of the Celtics, was banned at home.
“I made that mistake once [wearing a green shirt]Tyler said. “They told me that if I wanted to eat with the rest of the family I had to change. I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t a joke. I mean, my Uncle Alan even has a dog named Ranger, and if you say the Celtic word to the dog, it growls.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn