Rising up taking part in highschool soccer within the early 2000s, the dream of seeing somebody who seemed like me taking part in on the highest stage of a sport I beloved was one I gave up on early in my youth. For a lot of, illustration on the pinnacle of one thing you obsessed over might be taken as a right. For Asian American youngsters in sports activities on the time, it was virtually nonexistent. So after I first noticed the “Nguyen” nameplate on the again of an NFL jersey, I used to be in real awe.
Somebody with my final identify within the NFL? And he wasn’t a kicker (not that there’s something fallacious with that). He performed linebacker, one of the crucial bodily positions in sports activities, for the Dallas Cowboys.
That jersey belonged to Dat Nguyen, the All-Professional linebacker, who cemented himself as a legend at Texas A&M. He didn’t simply have a spot on the roster, he was among the finest defenders within the league. Not solely did it make it appear just a little extra doable that Asians may play within the NFL, however it additionally created a distinct kind of connection to professional soccer that I didn’t have earlier than.
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We aren’t associated — Nguyen is an extremely widespread final identify — however for me and the Asian youngsters from my technology who obtained to look at him, he represented us on the sphere. He broke a barrier we didn’t assume might be damaged, shattering it with each bone-rattling sort out. Might is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and a great time to mirror on the historical past Nguyen made and the way he obtained there.
Discovering soccer
Nguyen and his household shared an identical expertise as many Vietnamese migrants in America within the ’80s. Throughout the Vietnam Warfare, his dad and mom made the harrowing escape by boat because the Viet Cong overtook their houses in Vietnam. They began their new lives in a refugee camp in Arkansas earlier than transferring to Texas, the place Nguyen would develop up and uncover soccer.
His household took up shrimping, a typical occupation amongst Vietnamese immigrants as a result of they did it of their homeland. Starting in fourth grade, Nguyen spent every summer time on the household boat as his brother’s deckhand.
Nguyen’s junior highschool coach, Cliff Davis, found him whereas strolling the halls trying to recruit youngsters to play soccer. Nguyen was practically 5-foot-10 in eighth grade and will already dunk a basketball. He stood out from his mates. Nonetheless, his dad and mom initially didn’t assist his taking part in soccer and wished him to deal with lecturers. Nguyen cast their signatures to enroll in the soccer group.
Dat Nguyen, left, along with his household on the premiere of “All American: The Dat Nguyen Story,” a documentary about his soccer journey, in 2023. (Courtesy of Nguyen household)
He didn’t know a lot in regards to the sport, however as he realized extra, he rapidly fell in love with the psychological aspect of the sport.
“I used to be very lucky and grateful that (Davis) taught me to visualise,” Nguyen, now 48, defined. “We went to the gymnasium earlier than the soccer recreation and he shared with us a second. And the second was while you closed your eyes and also you play the play in your thoughts, noticed the play earlier than it occurred, known as the protection, modify to the offensive formation, snap the ball and simply see it. If it’s a run, if it’s a go — what’s your duty? What’s your alignment? What’s your adjustment? All that rapidly needs to be recognized or determined inside just a few seconds. For those who performed it in your thoughts and also you noticed it the night time earlier than and also you line up within the recreation, it’s loads simpler while you simply don’t must assume … you simply react.”
Nguyen’s athleticism and instinctual fashion of play helped him rapidly excel on the gridiron, however his double life nearly halted when he broke his elbow diving for a fumble towards the tip of his eighth-grade season. His dad and mom discovered he was harm taking part in soccer however realized he was passionate in regards to the recreation and that it saved him out of bother, so that they let him proceed to play. As he performed highschool soccer, the cerebral nature of the game continued to compel him.
“I fell in love with the sport as a result of it was fascinating to me,” he mentioned. “I used to be one of many 11 guys each time the puzzle was moved. As I obtained older, the sport was a lot extra fascinating due to the conditions in soccer.”
Breaking out with the Aggies
Nguyen grew to become a star for his hometown group and had folks from each background chanting his identify, however his dad and mom got here to solely two video games. His mother labored two jobs and his dad was on the boat all day. Plus, getting into a crowded stadium full of people that didn’t communicate their language was daunting. It wasn’t till Nguyen obtained a scholarship to Texas A&M that he actually felt they embraced his soccer profession.
When he first obtained to Texas A&M, he thought he was too small and wanted to realize weight to be an efficient faculty participant, however then he obtained too massive. He couldn’t transfer successfully and he slid down the depth chart. He nearly gave up on taking part in faculty soccer however recommitted himself within the offseason. He wakened at 6 a.m. day by day to work out on his personal, went to class at 8 a.m. and obtained in a second exercise at midday earlier than understanding along with his group at 4 p.m. He obtained into unbelievable form and shocked the group and training employees along with his physique transformation.
He labored his approach up from eighth on the depth chart to No. 2. The one linebacker forward of him was Trent Driver, who had prototypical dimension and velocity. In the future, whereas working sprints, Driver twisted his ankle on a sprinkler. Nguyen obtained his shot, and the remaining was historical past. He grew to become an Aggies legend, beginning 51 consecutive video games and amassing 517 tackles and 6 interceptions.
Dat Nguyen is without doubt one of the best defensive gamers in @AggieFootball historical past. The @cfbhall linebacker is the one participant in @TAMU historical past to steer the group in tackles 4 consecutive seasons and nonetheless holds college data with 517 profession tackles and 30 double-digit sort out video games!… pic.twitter.com/6Hvg13Qlb4
— Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame (@cfbhall) September 25, 2023
His dad and mom began coming to his dwelling video games, and for the away video games, they’d have firm come over to look at their son play on TV. They picked up how the sport labored, however the magnitude of how massive soccer was, particularly in Texas, was arduous to know. Their son went from serving to them on a shrimp boat to taking part in on nationwide tv.
Nguyen had among the finest video games of his profession within the 1998 Cotton Bowl in opposition to UCLA, however when he talked in regards to the recreation, he didn’t spotlight the win or his interception and lateral for a landing or the truth that he was named MVP of that recreation. He talked in regards to the feeling when he discovered his dad and mom, who have been throughout the nation for a marriage, have been gathered round a TV with family and friends hooting and cheering him on within the Cotton Bowl.
“That may be the most effective recreation of my profession,” Nguyen mentioned. “I nonetheless have some data there within the Cotton Bowl, and it’s not like a few of these data may not be damaged, proper? And for them to witness that with family members and household and gatherings and in one other state … yeah, that was fairly cool for them to share with me.”
Rising up in an Asian family, successful the approval of the household generally felt like chasing after a carrot on a stick that was tied to your again. Whenever you’ve achieved the standing of state legend and get a free schooling out of it, no dad or mum, regardless of how excessive their requirements, may resist cheering.
How ’bout them Cowboys?
The following achievement to examine off was getting drafted. Although Nguyen had gaudy statistics and accolades, he was nonetheless undersized (5-11, 234 kilos on the 1999 NFL Scouting Mix) in an period of soccer when the prototypical linebacker was 250 kilos. Nguyen was one in every of Dallas’ top-30 visits, so though the Cowboys have been , he knew he wouldn’t be a first-round choose.
The draft spanned two days again then. On the primary day, Nguyen helped a good friend transfer and went to a child’s celebration earlier than ending up at his mother’s home the place they’d watch the tip of day one of many draft collectively. 9 linebackers with higher measurables obtained drafted earlier than him. He then obtained the decision from Jerry Jones. The Cowboys drafted him within the third spherical. Nguyen could be taking part in professional soccer in his dwelling state.
“I landed in Dallas and I assumed, ‘Your loved ones left Vietnam to come back right here only for freedom and also you get the prospect to play this recreation we known as the American sport and also you get drafted by America’s Group,’” Nguyen mentioned.
He remembered in his first OTAs moving into the defensive huddle, getting the sign and calling the protection — one thing he’d executed hundreds of occasions. No massive deal. He then seemed throughout and noticed Troy Aikman and Emmit Smith, and to his left was Michael Irvin. When the ball was snapped, Nguyen froze and didn’t transfer. These have been guys he watched each Sunday, and simply sharing the sphere with them brought on him to short-circuit for a second. Although there have been some traditionally massive personalities within the Dallas locker room, he mentioned they revered his play and he by no means felt ostracized for his ethnicity.
Dat Nguyen celebrates a fumble restoration for the Cowboys throughout a recreation in 2005. (Tim Heitman / USA At present)
Invoice Parcells was employed as head coach in 2003, Nguyen’s fifth yr within the league. Parcells got here from a 3-4 defensive background and most well-liked greater, extra bodily linebackers. Nguyen was fast, undersized and made performs due to his anticipation and angles.
The old-school Parcells wasn’t simple to impress. However as Nguyen had executed his whole soccer profession, he made his dimension an afterthought and earned Parcells’ belief. Nguyen had a profession yr in his first season taking part in for him and was named second-team All-Professional.
“I realized extra soccer with (Parcells) than my 15 years prior,” Nguyen mentioned. “He made the sport very fascinating. Situational soccer was a giant a part of what he did, and I actually realized loads in regards to the recreation on that side of it. He’s a man that basically cares about you as an individual despite the fact that at occasions he doesn’t really feel like he does. However I’ll ship him a textual content proper now, and he’ll textual content me again. I really feel like I’m in that internal circle with him, and it’s arduous to get in that internal circle.”
“He may have performed for any of my groups,” Parcells would later say after teaching Nguyen.
Accidents pile up
Nguyen shined brightly when he was on the sphere, however accidents took a toll on his physique. In 2004, taking part in the Pittsburgh Steelers, some Cowboys defenders had a guess on who would put the most important hit on Jerome Bettis. Early within the recreation, Nguyen noticed his probability. The play unfolded in gradual movement. He watched quarterback Ben Roethlisberger flip round handy the ball off to Bettis.
“I used to be like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m beelining him. I’m about to win this pot,’” he mentioned. “So I’m about to blow him up. Swiftly I get blown up from elsewhere.”
Steelers receiver Hines Ward blindsided and de-cleated him. His legs have been 6 toes within the air and he smashed his head on the bottom. The following factor he may bear in mind was the coach bringing him to his spouse and explaining to her that he had a extreme concussion.
He went the subsequent morning to the power to work out, get remedy and attend his place assembly. In his assembly, he seemed down at his grade sheet and noticed he was given a constructive grade on 63 out of 64 performs. He realized he’d simply performed among the finest video games ever — the issue was, he didn’t bear in mind something previous the blindside hit.
The next season, he ready arduous and felt nice. He thought he would have a profession yr however injured his knee in coaching camp and had meniscus surgical procedure earlier than the season. Throughout a West Coast journey by which they performed the 49ers and Raiders, he harm his neck in opposition to the 49ers however performed by way of it. He accomplished a Cowboys comeback with a game-sealing interception however knew one thing wasn’t proper.
“I bear in mind calling my spouse the morning I wakened,” Nguyen mentioned. “I used to be like, my knees are bothering me. My neck’s bothering me. I don’t really feel proper.”
After the Raiders recreation, on the flight again to Dallas, he sat subsequent to Dan Campbell, Nguyen’s teammate with the Cowboys and at Texas A&M.
“I used to be like, ‘Dan, man, I can see the performs. I can’t get there.’ Like I labored so arduous within the low season simply to get an opportunity to get the sting, proper? I put so many hours into it, however I feel my physique’s simply breaking down.”
The following morning, Nguyen advised Parcells he wanted to take a while off to get better and regroup, and Parcells obliged. Nguyen tried coming again on Thanksgiving, however his physique didn’t reply. His arm went numb each time he obtained hit.
Dat Nguyen is acknowledged throughout halftime of a Dallas Cowboys preseason recreation in 2006 for his contributions to the group. (Khampha Bouaphanh / Getty Photographs)
“In order that’s after I knew it was over,” Nguyen mentioned. “I used to be glad I used to be in a position to stroll away. And, you already know, you miss it. I’m sorry, you miss the locker room. You miss the competitors. You miss the 4 seconds of the sport when the ball snaps. I can’t clarify this to anyone or share it with folks as a result of it’s so distinctive.”
Nguyen retired in 2005 and went on to have transient stints teaching with the Cowboys and Texas A&M. He’s earned a number of accolades since his retirement together with making the Texas A&M Athletic Corridor of Fame, All-Time Large 12 Group and the Texas Sports activities Corridor of Fame. However his seven seasons, a comparatively lengthy profession, weren’t sufficient to get Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame consideration. Although he received’t be enshrined in Canton, his profession was actually distinctive. He was the primary Vietnamese participant to be drafted within the NFL and the one one up to now. Nguyen was a barrier breaker, and he hopes his story can encourage different Asian youngsters to observe in his footsteps.
“I assumed while you broke the barrier again then after I was taking part in, I hoped that it was open to folks,” he mentioned. “I hoped that extra youngsters could be members. It’s arduous to search out. … I imply, even my nephew, that’s going to commencement tonight, he’s a great ball participant. I don’t assume he’s a DI participant, however I feel he’s in a position to play DIII if he desires to pursue it. After which (many youngsters wave) off the choice, however it’s like, man, you by no means know the way you develop your physique. It may be small stature, however man, a number of occasions, soccer teaches you a lot. However the alternative to make it and fulfill a dream, man, it’s like no different, although. And I feel a number of them don’t need to pursue it as a result of the possibilities are in opposition to them, which it’s.”
(Prime photograph: Al Messerschmidt and Doug Pensinger / Getty Photographs)
