This article first appeared in the March issue of
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When we thought of tracking the progress of a newcomer, it seemed Bradley Bourgeois was the only choice. The defender was added to the Dynamo roster back in December when the team signed him as a Homegrown Player. The accolades are plenty: three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards at Tulsa University, two straight conference tournament championships, 2015 AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
You'll get to know Bourgeois on the pitch soon enough. Off the pitch? Get to know him right here, in his own words, all year long.
Hey Dynamo fans, my name is Bradley Bourgeois and I am from Cypress, TX. I graduated from Cy-Fair High school. I have two older brothers, Bryant (27) and Brandon (30). My parents, Jeffery and Penny, have been season ticket holders since the new stadium opened. My hobbies include playing ping pong, golfing and watching movies. I joined the Dynamo Academy in 2009 and was a ball kid for the Dynamo at Robertson Stadium and at the very first game at BBVA Compass Stadium.
One thing you should know about me is that I love to dance to any type of music, which is why some of my teammates now call me "Carlton" for my reenactment of Alfonso Ribeiro's dance to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unsual" from the Fresh Prince. I would say it was pretty spot on.
Preseason so far has been an eye-opener, a very exciting and new learning experience. Many rookies may feel excluded or feel like they have to do things that are unfair, but on this team it is different. All of the guys get along and we are really coming together.
Guys like Giles, Will, Beasley, Rico—I mean I could name every guy on the team—have given me advice and really tried to get to know me as a person. Giles has really taken me under his wing. He's not a defender, but to be able to learn from the way he conducts himself on and off the field is priceless.
The team has really gotten to know each other from these 10-day trips. Every day at practice I have gained more confidence in my ability to play at this level.
One thing I've had to learn is to be an ultimate professional in everything that I do. From the way I take care of my body, how I eat and especially recovery. You cannot be a professional during the time you are on the field for practice and think that will suffice. You must always think about your decisions and how that will affect you. What you put it in is what you get out.
I'm ready to seize the opportunity that is given to me everyday. I'm ready to be a great teammate, ready to do what is needed for the team, ready to play any position that is asked of me, ready to learn and especially ready to have great season with my teammates.
