Leading up to the 2015 MLS SuperDraft on January 15, a few Vancouver Whitecaps FC players will be sharing their draft day memories with whitecapsfc.com – from their experience at the combine to the moment their name was called. Today, we hear from Andre Lewis, who Whitecaps FC selected at seventh overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.
“My agent called me two or three weeks before the combine and told me he was going to get me in. He said this was the best chance for me to get into MLS. All the coaches were going to be there and there were players coming from all over the world who had gone through the college system. For me, I didn’t go to college but I got invited to the combine so I knew it was a big opportunity to start my professional career.”
“At first, I was nervous because for me, I’m small and looking at some of the college guys like Christian Dean. I was like, ‘Wow, these guys are much bigger than me.’ So I was a bit nervous at first. But after playing for about five or 10 minutes and after getting a few touches of the ball, it becomes normal.”
“I spoke to about 10 or 11 teams at the combine. Vancouver was the first one. Coach Carl said that he thought I was a clever player with good touches. He said in Vancouver it was a young team and that he liked young players. I loved that. I realized that this was a coach who would give you chances. He didn’t guarantee that I would come and play in the first team, but he said that the Whitecaps FC were building a young team and he thought I could fit in maybe in the next few years. I was happy with that. Playing in the first team doesn’t happen overnight. You need to develop and improve.”
“I thought they might draft me, but I wasn’t sure because my agent said other teams were interested and I could end up anywhere. Sigi from Seattle said they liked me as well but they were eighth so they thought I would get picked before. I wanted to go to Vancouver. I had never been to Canada before. And I lived in Portmore about five or 10 minutes away from Darren Mattocks.”
“I didn’t go to the draft. I was watching on TV at home with friends and family in Jamaica. When I saw that Vancouver picked me, we were all dancing, playing music in my yard, and celebrating with my friends and parents. We were all so excited.”
The 2015 MLS SuperDraft will be streamed live on whitecapsfc.com on Thursday, January 15 at 9:30 a.m. PT. Stay tuned for updates leading up to and during the draft.
Participate in the best sporting experience in Vancouver! 2015 Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are on sale now. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, Student Half-Season Tickets, and a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket. For more information on 2015 Season Tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
