How’s the transition to being back in the Indianapolis area going?
My journey’s been fun in that I’ve moved quite a few times and to a lot of completely unfamiliar places. That takes getting used to. But I came home this time. I bought a house I’m fixing up. I have another one down by Butler University. This new one was more of a Carmel-roots buy, in case I’m lucky enough to have a family someday. It sort of fell into my lap. I’ve learned to be handy. I watch tons of YouTube videos and just learn as I go. Soccer always comes first, but this is an extracurricular that I enjoy. And I think life is all about doing stuff that you enjoy. I don’t really know what I want to do after soccer, but now I’m thinking maybe a real estate path might be something for me.
You just completed an incredible run with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. You won the United Soccer League Championship playoffs as a No. 4 seed. I’m sure you had plenty of options for what to do next. What made this the time to come back?
It was a tough decision. I’ll always remember that whole season in Pittsburgh. Behind the scenes, there were challenges, so much going on. But as a team, we grew together, and now it’s a brotherhood for life. I’m bonded with each and every player in that club. And not only them, but the fans and the city itself. When I got drafted [into Major League Soccer] … well, everyone who does thinks that their career is just going to go up, up, up. But there’s been a lot of grinding and a lot of working my butt off to be ready for my opportunities.
The fact is that Pittsburgh took a chance on me, and I was so thankful that they did. I have memories I’ll keep forever. Even better, I was able to share those memories with my parents. And that brings me to my next point, which is that my family is everything to me. My parents have driven all over the country to watch me play soccer. I’ve had to miss a lot of family moments, especially with my sister. They’ve all sacrificed so much just to allow me to play this sport, and I’m forever grateful to them for that. At the last game, my family was there in Tulsa, and we got to hug on the field. I get chills thinking about it.
So yeah, this was not an easy decision for me. Pittsburgh felt like another home. It’s hard to leave a place after you win a championship. I had to think about what I really wanted. And that was the opportunity to represent the city that really shaped me into who I am. This is my chance to give back and show how thankful I am to all of my friends, all of my coaches, my athletic trainers, teammates, everyone who helped me to get to where I am, because I didn’t get here alone. I just had a deep down, gut feeling that it was time to come home to my family and represent Indianapolis.
You have some history with one of your new teammates, midfielder Cam Lindley. How do you two know each other?
We overlapped with the Indiana Fire Academy my senior year in high school. He and I used to carpool from Carmel all the way down to UIndy with a couple other guys, and I was always the driver. So I got to know Cam a lot that year, and we’ve stayed in touch over the course of our individual careers. He’s had an amazing career. It’s funny because I thought of him as the baby of the group back then. And now here he is, married with two kids. I think he is more grown up than I am! The cool part is experiencing the full circle, coming back and playing with teammates you played with a long time ago.
What have you learned about the team so far?
That it’s going to be a fun group. We all feel bonded already, and you need that in a team. We have a lot of hardworking individuals who can bring a lot of gifts individually, but the key is to put it all together as a team. We all want to win. We all want to raise that trophy for the city. We want to be a hard team to beat. Those are the thoughts being instilled in us every single day, and we’re starting to believe we will do it. It all begins with our coach, Sean [McAuley], who I overlapped with at Minnesota United. I believe that we have really amazing players, but they are also amazing humans. The person behind the athlete is just as important.
What has your journey finding your fit in the professional soccer ranks been like?
My parents raised me to appreciate opportunity wherever and however it comes. It was a dream come true to get drafted. I spent six years [in the MLS], yet I played only one soccer game and a couple of friendlies here and there. But I’m proud of the work that I put in. I know I was a good teammate. I challenged myself every single day thinking, I can do this. I still to this day believe I do have the ability to play at that level. But you only get so many opportunities in sports. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of maximizing them, taking advantage of every chance you’re given. I may not have done that to the full extent, but I’m at peace with everything. And I still have this fire in my belly to always give it my all.
After Minnesota, there was a period where I hadn’t played a lot of games, and I wasn’t getting much interest. The attitude was, “We like Eric, but we just don’t know where he’s at.” That was humbling. But Pittsburgh called about a tryout. They said, “If you want a spot, you’re going to have to come in and try out.” So I said to myself, You know what? This is what I’m being offered. This is an opportunity. And then I got food poisoning the day of the tryout. I think it might have been meatballs I had for dinner. I was in the bathroom all night and practically until the minute warmups started. I took Tums and other stuff like that, just telling myself I had to get the job done. This was my opportunity: There was no excuse. I gutted through the tryout and thankfully got signed. I’ve actually kept this backstory pretty quiet until now. But when I look back, I’m a little bit proud of my resilience in that situation.
This is not your first time playing soccer with the Eleven, as you were on loan with them for a few games in 2021. What’s it like to play on loan?
Technically, I’ve been on several different loans. I was loaned to Phoenix Rising for a full season. I was loaned to Tulsa for just one game, then Indy Eleven for four. That was when I was with the Columbus Crew. Honestly, I was battling in Columbus and wasn’t getting any minutes. That was right after getting released by Sporting Kansas City, and I was trying to revamp my career. So when the opportunity came, even if on loan, to get some minutes, and in my hometown no less, I jumped. I played four games, some good, some not so good, but at the same time, I got to play in four 90-minute games. I used those minutes, that experience, to get better. Also, I grew to know people in the organization. Jared Timmer, a teammate at Butler, was on the team. Jordan Farr was the goalie who was injured at the time, whom I replaced, and I’ve known him for forever.
Outside of soccer, what do you hope to plug into now that you’re back here? Any teams you’ll support?
For sure. I was born in Kansas City, so I’m a diehard Chiefs fan, but I will say that I recently went to see our hockey team, the Indiana Fuel, at the Fishers Event Center. It was an unbelievable atmosphere. I would love to regularly go and support the Fuel. I think hockey is one of the coolest sports to see in person. Of course, I’ll also go to Butler basketball games. My uncle went to Villanova University, so whenever Villanova plays Butler in Indianapolis, usually around Christmastime, my whole family goes to that game.
[The Eleven] have a partnership with Riley Hospital, and I would like to spend time there as a volunteer. I want to find ways to give back. I enjoyed being involved with a food rescue company in Pittsburgh where they pick up food that would’ve been thrown away to bring to shelters. I’m also a big outdoors guy. Indy doesn’t have mountains, so my hikes are in Turkey Run or Eagle Creek. Making up for lost time with friends and family is high on my list. Oh, and I still need to do the Bub’s Burger Challenge. I don’t know when in the season I’ll be able to do that, though. It’ll have to be an appropriate time.
You left Indianapolis before Covid. Do you see changes?
Oh my goodness, 100 percent. This place is totally different. The city has really popped up. Downtown Carmel’s amazing. What’s crazy is Westfield and Fishers. When I was in high school, there was nothing, just land. And now … restaurants, stores, townhomes, Grand Park, it’s incredible. I’m glad my teammates who aren’t from here have a great place to live. That’s a huge part of being an athlete. You need to be comfortable where you’re living.
