FRISCO - Life is moving pretty fast for Bryan Reynolds these days.
At the beginning of 2016, a 14-year-old Reynolds was just beginning to earn call-ups to the FC Dallas U-16 Development Academy squad looking to make the Generation adidas Cup roster. By his 15th birthday, the winger had implanted himself as a mainstay as one of the youngest players on the U-16s playing a huge role in the run to the US Soccer Development Academy National Championship. Reynolds parlayed that into a call-up to the US Soccer U-17 Residency Camp in Bradenton this fall with an eye on the 2017 U-17 World Cup.
However, for all those achievements, Tuesday will be the day in 2016 that he will never forget as he signed his first professional contract becoming the 17th Homegrown player in FC Dallas history.
"It’s really exciting being a 15 year old signing his first pro contract, but I have to stay humble," said Reynolds. "I can’t let this go to my head and I have to keep playing how I have been."
Reynolds can be forgiven if he's a bit short on words. Surpassing Jesus Ferreira, signed just last Thursday, as the youngest signing in franchise history, Reynolds returned from residency camp for the Thanksgiving holiday before heading back out to Florida for next week's Nike Friendlies vs Portugal, Turkey and Brazil.
Truth be told, even Reynolds seemed a little bit surprised by his precipitous rise, but the second you see him on a field, you understand why FC Dallas is signing one of the brightest young talents at such a young age. Already with the physique of a professional, Reynolds effortlessly glides past players who are years his senior and when you talk about ceilings, his is higher than any of the numerous buildings currently going up in Frisco.
"You can see someone from the outside as a winger with his size that he has and his skill and speed he can definitely be a weapon for teams," said technical director Fernando Clavijo. "Getting all that talent into a professional men’s team is going to be a challenge, but that’s what Oscar is here for and I know he’s going to be able to do very well for us."
Just because it has come at such an early age, doesn't mean that Reynolds hasn't been dreaming of this day for quite a while. The son of Keith Reynolds, an Arlington Heights high school and youth national team standout who played four years under Schellas Hyndman at SMU, Bryan has been following his dad to watch FCD practice since he was a youngster. Reynolds joined FCD at 11 years old and becomes the third homegrown signed this fall with fellow teenage standouts Jesus Ferreira and Paxton Pomykal.
"I love playing with Paxton because he’s such a creative player and Jesus if I give him the ball he’s going to put it in the back of the net. We’ve had a good partnership and we want to have a good partnership in the first team," said Reynolds.
Watching these three grow over the next few years will be a joy for FCD fans.