Who Is … U.S. Males’s Nationwide Crew Defender Chris Richards?

Had it not been for an untimely injury, Chris Richards would have been one of the United States’s starting center backs at the 2022 World Cup.

The Birmingham Alabama native has established himself as the country’s top defender in the years since, starring in the English Premier League and winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield with London club Crystal Palace.

The affable 25-year-old has also emerged as a key leader in the USMNT locker room, with a smile and personality that has endeared him to teammates and coaches alike. Who is Richards off the field? He recently sat down with FOX Sports to help fans find out.

Alabama is gridiron country. How did you end up playing soccer?

Today there’s the [second tier] Birmingham Legion, however again then there was no professional group within the state.  The closest senior professional group then was in Atlanta. UAB was in all probability the best stage to us again then. So it was positively totally different. Birmingham solely has three youth golf equipment. Huntsville had two. It felt like we had been enjoying saying groups each weekend. 

As soon as we certified for regional play, we performed groups from Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi. It wasn’t fairly. The groups from Tennessee and Georgia used to kill us. It confirmed how massive the hole was between Alabama and the remainder of the South. Nevertheless it’s cool seeing it now, with Legion and with Nashville SC and Atlanta United in MLS, soccer has grown rather a lot — particularly with youngsters.

When did you understand you needed to depart Alabama to additional your profession?

In Birmingham, all people is aware of all people. Tanner Tessamnn was going to FC Dallas. I wished to be knowledgeable, however no person had actually supplied me a possibility to take the following step of my growth. So I reached out to Luchi Gonzalez on the FC Dallas academy and stated I might love to return on trial. And I really feel like I did properly, however I used to be simply lacking somewhat bit. However I additionally noticed how shut I used to be. I felt like I might have made it if I used to be given the time.

They did not take me at first, so I moved to Houston. That is after I realized that that is what I wish to do, and I can do it. It was due to the rejection from Dallas.

How outdated had been you?

I used to be 16 after I moved to Houston, so I lived with a bunch household. I couldn’t have been blessed with a greater state of affairs in Houston. The Eastons had been my host household, and we nonetheless discuss to today. They’ve at all times been like household to me.

After I moved to Dallas at 17, the group put me up in an residence.

Had been you a central defender then?

I performed each place. I did not even begin enjoying middle again till I used to be in all probability 15. I’d solely performed the place for a 12 months after I known as Luchi.

Did you play different sports activities?

I performed basketball and ran monitor.

Why not soccer?

I performed flag soccer. My dad did not need me to play deal with. First, the soccer and soccer seasons had been on the identical time. But in addition, soccer in Alabama is like faith. You couldn’t actually play one other sport on the identical time, as a result of all of your time went to that. In order a lot as I wished to play soccer, I am glad I didn’t.

You’re 6-foot-2. Did the soccer coaches attempt to recruit you?

I used to be in all probability 5-foot-five, 140 kilos soaking moist till I used to be 16. They wished me to be the kicker. However I used to be form of good at each sport. I had good fingers. I throw rather well. In flag soccer, I used to be at all times a receiver or security, so I figured I might play a kind of positions. I really tried out for highschool soccer — my dad did not need me to, however he was like, it’s your life, you can also make that call if you’d like.  I obtained the flu that week. I by no means obtained sick rising up, and the one time I ever went out for deal with soccer I used to be sick as a canine. It labored out.

Did your mother and father play sports activities? 

My dad performed skilled basketball abroad, in Iceland, Australia and Bolivia. So I grew up enjoying basketball first. However I did not hit my development spurt until the 12 months I moved to Houston, like I stated. That summer time, I in all probability grew 5 to 6 inches and gained 40 kilos. When my dad got here to see me at Thanksgiving, we had been nearly wanting eye to eye.

My mother swam and performed soccer rising up, and was a cheerleader as properly. She’s from a small city in Ohio nation, close to Amish nation.

How did you get into soccer?

I used to be a really energetic child. My mother and father put me in an after-school program that saved me busy. I keep in mind enjoying soccer in a fitness center at my nursery college. Ever since then, it is caught with me.

 And I feel as a result of my dad did not know something about soccer, that is the game I selected. He could not inform me I used to be doing one thing mistaken, you realize? I form of fell out of affection with enjoying basketball as a result of he was so robust on me. Typically I want I continued enjoying basketball. I nonetheless find it irresistible.

Do you’ve a favourite group? Favourite gamers?

Gamers, yeah. Big Kyrie Irving fan. Kobe, in fact. I used to be extra of some extent guard than a capturing guard, so Kyrie was my man. I additionally love LeBron. Devin Booker, too.

Have you ever crossed paths with any NBA gamers?

My dad’s favourite participant rising up was Dominique Wilkins, so it was cool to satisfy him.  We’re each traders within the Legion, so I obtained to introduce my dad to him. That was cool. I met Kemba Walker when he was in Charlotte. Eric Bledsoe — he’s from Birmingham. I met him at a camp a very long time in the past.

Who’s probably the most well-known particular person you’ve got met?

I met Worth William once we received the FA Cup. He simply congratulated me. My first 12 months with Palace we performed Bournemouth, and Michael B. Jordan simply purchased into the group. In order that was cool, having the ability to say hey to him within the tunnel.

I used to be on a on a flight to Monaco for F1 and Matt Damon was on the aircraft. However I heard he is form of a jerk so I simply gave him a head nod. My favourite film ever is Saving Personal Ryan, in order that half was fairly cool.

Why do you want that film a lot?

I’ve at all times been fascinated with World Conflict II. My great-grandfather really fought in it. In was at all times my favourite matter at school. It is fascinating.

For those who weren’t a soccer participant, what would you be doing?

I’ve at all times liked footwear, so I’ll say shoe designer. Historical past instructor would have been cool as properly. Perhaps be a basketball coach on the facet.

You have obtained a ton of tattoos. What was the primary one you bought? What is the story behind it?

My first one was the date I moved away from house: August 6, 2016. I obtained it in Dallas the day earlier than my 18th birthday. It was the worst ache on the planet. By no means thought I’d do it once more. One factor led to a different and I obtained just a few extra.

Rising up I hated needles. I used to be by no means actually fascinated with tattoos. However I had actually unhealthy eczema on my arms as a child. I used to at all times put on long-sleeved shirts. I preferred the concept of having the ability to cowl up that a part of my physique.

Then simply seeing different folks with tattoos, coaching with the FC Dallas first group and seeing them, I feel it was cool. I keep in mind Maxi Urruti and on his leg he had all of the totally different golf equipment he performed at. Tattoos can inform a narrative. I wished my tattoos to inform a narrative about me.  In 60 years from now, if God forbid I am unable to keep in mind something, my physique will nonetheless be capable of inform a narrative.

I do know you’ve considered one of John Carlos and Tommie Smith on the 1968 Olympics.

Rising up as a black man in Birmingham, you are taught that plenty of your historical past has sort been coated up or deleted. So that you form of must do your personal analysis.

On my proper arm, it is largely African-People who’ve modified the world: Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant, Martin Luther King. I’ve the Olympics, such as you stated.  I feel it is part of historical past that folks have a tendency to not keep in mind. It’s seemed on now as like this nice American second, however they could not even get jobs once they obtained again to the U.S.

You talked about Saving Personal Ryan. What different motion pictures do you want? What’s your prime 5 like? , different ones that you just like?

I really like Quentin Tarantino movies: Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds. Soul, the Pixar film. The comedy Step Brothers might be up there.

What sort of music do you hearken to?

Lots of home music just lately, however I additionally like hip hop, nation. The British rapper Dave is dope. My favourite artist proper now could be Shaboozey. He is like a combination of hip hop and nation. I actually like his vibe.

Each new participant who joins the USMNT has to sing in entrance of the group. What tune did you sing?

Hotline Bling by Drake. However I keep in mind after I was at Bayern Munich, we had been in Qatar for a preseason camp and tensions in Center East had been form of robust. One thing had occurred at considered one of the usembassies over there, and my dumb ass sang Occasion within the USA. Everybody’s me like I’m loopy.

Had been you nervous?

Yeah, however everybody’s been by way of it, proper? The perfect factor to do is to have a tune that folks can sing alongside to so that they form of catch on, like, midway by way of. The issue was that I used to be on a German group. I did not fairly know my viewers but.

What’s your earliest reminiscence of watching the nationwide group?

World Cup 2010 in opposition to Algeria. I keep in mind when Landon Donovan scored the aim. I used to be at a soccer camp in downtown Birmingham, at Birmingham Southern School. We had been on the pitch, they usually had the radio, like, on the loudspeaker.

I suppose Tim Howard picked up the ball and threw it out. And so they had the commentary blasting, like as loud as doable, and you possibly can simply really feel the stress rising. They scored the aim, we heard the “Go, Go USA!” name and it was simply wonderful. That was positively after I realized what the nationwide group was all about.

Which gamers did you look as much as?

Cristiano Ronaldo, as a result of rising up I used to be a winger and we have now the identical initials. and proper? I wore CR7 cleats. I had a purple Manchester United jersey with Richards on the again and 7. I obtained the blue one, too. I liked Manchester United.

After I began enjoying middle again, I actually preferred Jerome Boating, Sergio Ramos. I used to love Eddie Johnson rather a lot. He’d come out with yellow hair. One time he had a lightning bolt in his hair. I simply thought that was so cool. He broke the norm. I preferred Gyasi Zardes’ hair, too.

Gyasi advised me he dyes his hair blonde so his grandmother can see him on the sphere. You’ve had totally different hairstyles, however you’re additionally straightforward to search out. Is that half the pondering?

At first, it was only for swag. Then my grandma had a stroke about three years in the past. When she sees my video games now, she’s like, “There’s Chris.” That is in all probability the principle cause, that it’s very recognizable.

So that you go from Alabama to Texas, after which couple years later, you’re at Bayern Munich.

It was loopy. Inside two years — the summer time of 2016 I used to be shifting to Houston from Alabama, then 2018 summer time I used to be shifting to Germany. It did not really feel actual, like, after I look again on it now.

Once you arrived in Germany, I’m certain it obtained actual actual fast.

The primary day I walked into the altering room and noticed David Alaba, Frank Ribery, these world class gamers. It was jaw-dropping to me. Very intimidating, too. I did not converse the language. It was robust.

It was solely speculated to be for just a few months, however they wished to make it a everlasting transfer. I wished to return again to Dallas at that time and play in MLS.

Why?

I used to be speculated to be there for six months, enjoying with Bayern’s underneath 19 group. I introduced one massive suitcase. My agent calls and says Bayern needs to make your deal everlasting. 5 12 months contract.  I do not actually wish to, I am gonna come again and play for FC Dallas like a few of my pals had been doing. He is like, bro, give it some thought.

I known as Eric Quill — he was my coach at Houston. He was like, Do not stay life with regrets. Do it. Belief me. I talked with my mother and father, and it was simply the best match for me.

How did your mother and father really feel about like, you leaving house at 16?

My dad knew that if I wished to get to the place I’m at now I needed to do it. However my mother was devastated. So it was robust. On the time, my brother was three years outdated, and my sister was 9. I’m the oldest, we’re all six years aside. So I knew that that was the final time I’d me dwelling in the home with my household.

It was robust for everyone, plenty of sleepless nights, plenty of cellphone calls again house.

What’s the perfect a part of dwelling in London?

The totally different cultures? It is one thing in Birmingham that you do not get except for Mexican, Latin American tradition — which to be truthful in London they’re lacking somewhat bit.

However there’s plenty of Caribbean affect, plenty of African affect, plenty of Center Jap affect. I did discover a good Mexican restaurant in London — they see me in all probability as soon as every week.

How do you keep related to your American roots whereas abroad?

I’m going to the flicks on a regular basis. In Munich, there was just one movie show that performed English motion pictures, so I used to go as soon as every week, center of the day, after coaching.

How lengthy did it take you to study to drive on the opposite facet of the street?

After I first obtained my first automobile in England, I needed to take the prepare right down to Bournemouth to select it up and drive it again, like, three hours.

I used to be within the quick lane pondering it was a gradual lane. It was a multitude. I obtained there ultimately however my shirt was drenched with sweat. It took about two weeks to really feel regular.

What would you like your legacy to be after soccer?

I wish to be remembered as the perfect defender to ever play for the nationwide group. I simply wish to be referred to as this man who simply liked to defend.  These days, there’s this stigma that everyone must be the perfect ball-playing defender. My important job is to defend. That is what I am gonna do.

Off the sphere, I need folks to do not forget that I used to be a greater human than a soccer participant.

Would you wish to coach when your enjoying days are over?

I wish to be an agent. Rising up I wished to be a coach. Then I left house early and I did not ever actually wish to be that far-off from my household once more. I don’t wish to have to maneuver my household right here and there. Being an agent, you are able to do it from plenty of locations. I feel I’ll get my teaching license, although.

What has fatherhood taught you?

It is given me a very totally different perspective. You at all times hear that then as soon as it really occurs, as soon as your kid’s born, it is like you must at all times present for this particular person.

For me it’s doing the additional issues of coaching, ensuring that I put myself in the perfect place to assist my household. So it is taught me totally different tasks, taught me that you do not come first anymore. Your baby comes first. And that is stunning. It is the perfect factor on the planet.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports activities who has coated United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Observe him @ByDougMcIntyre.