Rising up enjoying highschool soccer within the early 2000s, the dream of seeing somebody who seemed like me enjoying on the highest degree of a sport I liked was one I gave up on early in my youth. For a lot of, illustration on the pinnacle of one thing you obsessed over may be taken as a right. For Asian American children 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 title within the NFL? And he wasn’t a kicker (not that there’s something unsuitable with that). He performed linebacker, some of the 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 the most effective defenders within the league. Not solely did it make it appear just a little extra doable that Asians may play within the NFL, but it surely additionally created a special sort of connection to professional soccer that I didn’t have earlier than.
Free, each day NFL updates direct to your inbox. Enroll
Free, each day NFL updates direct to your inbox. Enroll
Purchase
We aren’t associated — Nguyen is an extremely frequent final title — however for me and the Asian children from my technology who acquired to look at him, he represented us on the sector. He broke a barrier we didn’t assume could possibly be damaged, shattering it with each bone-rattling sort out. Might is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and a very good time to mirror on the historical past Nguyen made and the way he acquired there.
Discovering soccer
Nguyen and his household shared an identical expertise as many Vietnamese migrants in America within the ’80s. Through the Vietnam Struggle, his dad and mom made the harrowing escape by boat because the Viet Cong overtook their properties 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 children to play soccer. Nguyen was practically 5-foot-10 in eighth grade and will already dunk a basketball. He stood out from his buddies. Nevertheless, his dad and mom initially didn’t help his enjoying soccer and needed him to give attention to lecturers. Nguyen solid their signatures to enroll in the soccer workforce.
Dat Nguyen, left, together 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 concerning the sport, however as he realized extra, he shortly 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 fitness center earlier than the soccer sport and he shared with us a second. And the second was whenever you closed your eyes and also you play the play in your thoughts, noticed the play earlier than it occurred, known as the protection, regulate to the offensive formation, snap the ball and simply see it. If it’s a run, if it’s a cross — what’s your duty? What’s your alignment? What’s your adjustment? All that shortly needs to be recognized or determined inside just a few seconds. When you performed it in your thoughts and also you noticed it the night time earlier than and also you line up within the sport, it’s so much simpler whenever you simply don’t should assume … you simply react.”
Nguyen’s athleticism and instinctual model of play helped him shortly excel on the gridiron, however his double life virtually 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 damage enjoying soccer however realized he was passionate concerning the sport and that it stored him out of bother, in order 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 stated. “I used to be one of many 11 guys each time the puzzle was moved. As I acquired older, the sport was a lot extra fascinating due to the conditions in soccer.”
Breaking out with the Aggies
Nguyen turned a star for his hometown workforce and had individuals from each background chanting his title, 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 converse their language was daunting. It wasn’t till Nguyen acquired a scholarship to Texas A&M that he really felt they embraced his soccer profession.
When he first acquired to Texas A&M, he thought he was too small and wanted to achieve weight to be an efficient school participant, however then he acquired too large. He couldn’t transfer successfully and he slid down the depth chart. He virtually gave up on enjoying school soccer however recommitted himself within the offseason. He wakened at 6 a.m. day-after-day to work out on his personal, went to class at 8 a.m. and acquired in a second exercise at midday earlier than figuring out together with his workforce at 4 p.m. He acquired into improbable form and stunned the workforce and training employees together with his physique transformation.
He labored his means up from eighth on the depth chart to No. 2. The one linebacker forward of him was Trent Driver, who had prototypical measurement and velocity. At some point, whereas operating sprints, Driver twisted his ankle on a sprinkler. Nguyen acquired his shot, and the remaining was historical past. He turned an Aggies legend, beginning 51 consecutive video games and amassing 517 tackles and 6 interceptions.
Dat Nguyen is likely one of the best defensive gamers in @AggieFootball historical past. The @cfbhall linebacker is the one participant in @TAMU historical past to steer the workforce 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 large soccer was, particularly in Texas, was laborious to understand. Their son went from serving to them on a shrimp boat to enjoying on nationwide tv.
Nguyen had the most effective video games of his profession within the 1998 Cotton Bowl in opposition to UCLA, however when he talked concerning the sport, he didn’t spotlight the win or his interception and lateral for a landing or the truth that he was named MVP of that sport. He talked concerning 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 one of the best sport of my profession,” Nguyen stated. “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, profitable the approval of the household generally felt like chasing after a carrot on a stick that was tied to your again. If you’ve achieved the standing of state legend and get a free training out of it, no guardian, regardless of how excessive their requirements, may resist cheering.
How ’bout them Cowboys?
The subsequent achievement to test 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 among 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 pal 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 acquired drafted earlier than him. He then acquired the decision from Jerry Jones. The Cowboys drafted him within the third spherical. Nguyen could be enjoying professional soccer in his dwelling state.
“I landed in Dallas and I assumed, ‘Your loved ones left Vietnam to return right here only for freedom and also you get the prospect to play this sport we known as the American sport and also you get drafted by America’s Workforce,’” Nguyen stated.
He remembered in his first OTAs entering into the defensive huddle, getting the sign and calling the protection — one thing he’d achieved 1000’s of occasions. No large 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 sector with them brought on him to short-circuit for a second. Although there have been some traditionally large personalities within the Dallas locker room, he stated 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 sport in 2005. (Tim Heitman / USA Right this moment)
Invoice Parcells was employed as head coach in 2003, Nguyen’s fifth 12 months within the league. Parcells got here from a 3-4 defensive background and most popular larger, extra bodily linebackers. Nguyen was fast, undersized and made performs due to his anticipation and angles.
The old-school Parcells wasn’t straightforward to impress. However as Nguyen had achieved his complete soccer profession, he made his measurement an afterthought and earned Parcells’ belief. Nguyen had a profession 12 months in his first season enjoying for him and was named second-team All-Professional.
“I realized extra soccer with (Parcells) than my 15 years prior,” Nguyen stated. “He made the sport very fascinating. Situational soccer was an enormous a part of what he did, and I actually realized so much concerning the sport on that side of it. He’s a man that basically cares about you as an individual though 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 inside circle with him, and it’s laborious to get in that inside 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 sector, however accidents took a toll on his physique. In 2004, enjoying the Pittsburgh Steelers, some Cowboys defenders had a wager on who would put the largest hit on Jerome Bettis. Early within the sport, Nguyen noticed his probability. The play unfolded in gradual movement. He watched quarterback Ben Roethlisberger flip round at hand the ball off to Bettis.
“I used to be like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m beelining him. I’m about to win this pot,’” he stated. “So I’m about to blow him up. Swiftly I get blown up from some other place.”
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 subsequent factor he may keep in mind was the coach bringing him to his spouse and explaining to her that he had a extreme concussion.
He went the following morning to the ability to work out, get therapy and attend his place assembly. In his assembly, he seemed down at his grade sheet and noticed he was given a optimistic grade on 63 out of 64 performs. He realized he’d simply performed the most effective video games ever — the issue was, he didn’t keep in mind something previous the blindside hit.
The next season, he ready laborious and felt nice. He thought he would have a profession 12 months however injured his knee in coaching camp and had meniscus surgical procedure earlier than the season. Throughout a West Coast journey wherein they performed the 49ers and Raiders, he damage his neck in opposition to the 49ers however performed by it. He accomplished a Cowboys comeback with a game-sealing interception however knew one thing wasn’t proper.
“I keep in mind calling my spouse the morning I wakened,” Nguyen stated. “I used to be like, my knees are bothering me. My neck’s bothering me. I don’t really feel proper.”
After the Raiders sport, 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 laborious within the low season simply to get an opportunity to get the sting, proper? I put so many hours into it, however I believe my physique’s simply breaking down.”
The subsequent morning, Nguyen informed 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 acquired hit.
Dat Nguyen is acknowledged throughout halftime of a Dallas Cowboys preseason sport in 2006 for his contributions to the workforce. (Khampha Bouaphanh / Getty Photos)
“In order that’s after I knew it was over,” Nguyen stated. “I used to be glad I used to be in a position to stroll away. And, you understand, 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 individuals as a result of it’s so distinctive.”
Nguyen retired in 2005 and went on to have temporary 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 Huge 12 Workforce 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 gained’t be enshrined in Canton, his profession was really distinctive. He was the primary Vietnamese participant to be drafted within the NFL and the one one so far. Nguyen was a barrier breaker, and he hopes his story can encourage different Asian children to comply with in his footsteps.
“I assumed whenever you broke the barrier again then after I was enjoying, I hoped that it was open to individuals,” he stated. “I hoped that extra children could be contributors. It’s laborious to seek out. … I imply, even my nephew, that’s going to commencement tonight, he’s a very good ball participant. I don’t assume he’s a DI participant, however I believe he’s in a position to play DIII if he desires to pursue it. After which (many children wave) off the choice, but it surely’s like, man, you by no means know the way you develop your physique. It may be small stature, however man, a whole lot 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 believe a whole lot of them don’t need to pursue it as a result of the possibilities are in opposition to them, which it’s.”
(Prime picture: Al Messerschmidt and Doug Pensinger / Getty Photos)