FC Dallas midfielder Tanner Tessmann has a long career as a top-flight all-around athlete. He has been a part of the FC Dallas Academy since 2016 and is now in his first full season in the MLS. Prior to joining the “big league” club, Tessmann had committed to playing both football and soccer at Clemson University. He began playing sports at a young age, first starting with youth soccer, then flag football, and then basketball.

“I know a bunch of people growing up that focused on one sport and ended up burning out on it and lose the love for it, so I definitely think playing multiple sports helped me,” Tessmann said. “I love all sports and would play all of them if I could. For me, each sport brings different aspects and helps your body and helps grow your development in them. Basketball, you have to be able to change directions quickly, football teaches you toughness. I can’t speak for everyone else, of course, but those things helped me as an athlete and as a soccer player.”

Tessmann continued to play – and excel – at all three sports all through grade school and middle school. Once he the time came to go to high school, Tessmann’s love for soccer was absolute and he enrolled at the FC Dallas Development Academy. He fully intended to take his soccer career as far as he could. However, after a little prodding from his godfather, Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney, Tessmann decided to enroll at Clemson and be a two-sport athlete.

“In middle school, I played a bunch of positions; I played cornerback and wide receiver, and quarterback, and special teams,” Tessman said. “I played kicker and running back and I returned kicks. Obviously, playing soccer, I ended up being the kicker. It’s not something you want to do as a middle school kid, but I did it and I was pretty good at it.”

“Dabo has always been around since I was a little kid and he’s seen me grow as an athlete. I had wanted to go to college to play soccer originally and when I saw how good of a team Clemson was, they made it to the Elite Eight in 2016, I knew that’s where I wanted to go. After talking with him and him seeing how I could kick at a camp, I decided to try to play both sports at Clemson. That was the way I had planned it, but the opportunity came up here [with FC Dallas] and I knew in my heart that was the right way to go.”

While preparing for the upcoming MLS season, Tessmann decided to put his football career on hold in order to devote himself to his burgeoning professional career. He would make his pro debut in 2019 for FC Dallas’ USL League One club North Texas SC. While the MLS season was somewhat abbreviated this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tessmann would still earn significant playing time in his rookie season.

“Sports and especially soccer, have given me so much over the years,” he said. “I think more than anything sports have taught me how to be a better man. More than any other lesson, sports and especially soccer have shown me how to grow up and be a better person.”

With his pro soccer career just beginning, Tessmann has his sites fully trained on reaching as high as he can. While he has not fully closed the door on a return to football, he has still retained some of the lessons and skills that he learned on the gridiron and is applying them to his game on the soccer pitch.

“There are a lot of great things that Dabo talks about that I still use,” Tessmann said. “I think the one I still use every day is what he calls having a ‘windshield mentality.’ This means just focusing on what’s in front of you, not looking in the rearview mirror or looking in the past. Maybe learn from the past, but move on and focus on what’s next.”

Photos are courtesy of FC Dallas, Clemon Athletics and Dallas Morning News Sports.