An athlete’s journey to the MLS is never an easy one, and for Union rookie Taylor Washington, his story is no exception. Once he was drafted No. 23 overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, he then had to begin to make a name for himself as a member of the Philadelphia Union. This task proves to be one of the biggest obstacles many have faced in their young careers. But for Taylor, he has already come so far.

A standout high school athlete at a prestigious private school in New York, Taylor was highly recruited heading into college. Just as he was beginning a new chapter in his life, he faced an obstacle that at first derailed his plans, but eventually helped mold him into the person and athlete he is today.

During his first semester at Boston University, Taylor was seriously struggling with his classes, a common problem for most freshmen, but enough so that it caught the attention of one of his professors.

“It got to the point where my teacher said, ‘you are so brilliant in class and answer all of my questions, but when we get to our tests, it just seems to go over you,’” Taylor recollected. “And I said, ‘yeah, that’s how it has been for me my whole life.’”

Flashing back to his time during high school, Taylor remembers struggling throughout his courses, trying to memorize his way through Rye Country Day’s curriculum. He talked about long nights getting home from soccer practice only to study until midnight just to get a grasp on his work; the same work that his classmates seemed to breeze through. He recalled being perceived as a “dumb jock” and said he shied away from asking questions during class, afraid of what his classmates might think.

As obstructions in the classroom mounted, Taylor found solace on the soccer field.

“Soccer was an outlet for me,” he said. “It gave me confidence to go out on the field and the frustration and anger just went away. It was a blessing.”

Neither Taylor nor his parents knew why he had such trouble keeping up in the classroom, but after the conversation he had with his college professor he decided to get tested for a learning disability.

Three days before he was scheduled to report back to Boston University for his sophomore year, he received his tests results. At the age of 19 he was diagnosed with dyslexia. The news turned out to be a blessing for Taylor and his family, but it would mean his soccer plans were about to change.

Although he enjoyed his time playing for Boston University, Taylor realized that taking a break from his soccer career would be the best decision for him in the long run, in an effort to finally address his learning.

“My mom said to me, ‘do you really want to go back and struggle?” And I said, ‘I don’t know if I want to keep living that way. If I have the option to get myself better, I definitely think I should take it.”

For four months, Taylor and his learning specialist started from scratch. In his late teens, he learned reading techniques similar to ones used in early elementary education.

Dyslexia is an extremely common learning disability that affects people of all ages and levels of intelligence. When most people think of dyslexia, they usually associate it with a young child who shows signs at an early age. Usually warning signals include trouble learning new words, connecting letters to sounds and reading comprehension.

What’s particular about Taylor’s case is that he was able to adapt his learning strategies at a young age so that his dyslexia went undiagnosed until college. Unknowingly to him, Taylor taught himself memorization skills throughout his schooling, and although he struggled, he still managed to get by.

Taylor’s learning specialist was able to build upon the skills he had already taught himself and was able to show him how to work through his learning disability. And in turn it allowed him to find a new sense of confidence.

“It really revolutionized my way of learning, and my perception of myself, which was the biggest thing. I didn’t think I was stupid anymore, I just had something to work toward and from that point on I had over a 3.5 GPA.”

Armed with a new understanding of how to approach his learning, Taylor was ready to go back to college. He and his parents carefully chose a school that gave him the best services academically, as well as somewhere he could succeed athletically. After considering many different options, Taylor enrolled in George Mason University in the Spring of 2013.

Taylor quickly became a fixture for the Patriots, starting every game in 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately, an injury during his senior year meant his draft stock dropped, but an invitation to the combine gave him a chance to show prospective teams what he was capable of.

That is where he may have gotten on the radar of the Philadelphia Union – the team that would then make his dreams a reality when they drafted him in the second round. His decision to go to the draft was a last minute one. Being advised to play it safe and stay at home by his agent and college coach, Taylor, never one to shy away, made the bold decision to travel to Baltimore with his family.

“I was set on staying and then my mom came into my room at 10:30 at night and said, ‘let’s just go’, so we woke up at 5:30 in the morning and drove down to Baltimore,” Taylor said. “When I heard my named called it was surreal.”

Surreal is one word for it. You would think that given the ups and downs he has faced, Taylor Washington might be a little sensitive about his past – but it’s really quite the opposite. Instead of hiding what he has been through, Taylor has matched his setbacks head-on with a sincerity and positivity that is infectious to anyone around him.

At 22 years old, Taylor shows maturity beyond his years. The once insecure student who was afraid to speak up in class is now speaking to middle schools about his dyslexia, in hopes that some students can relate to his story.

All of the parts of Taylor’s past seem to be coming to a head in Philadelphia. His self-doubts have turned to self-awareness, evidenced by his work ethic and commitment to becoming a formidable option for the Union. Some people view dyslexia as a setback, but for Taylor it’s only been a catalyst for who is he today.

“For me, it’s just my life. My mom always says to look back and be proud of it, but for me it’s all I know. Everything its taught me, the hardships, my path wasn’t easy and I know that but that’s why I believe I’ll have a successful career because of the adversity I faced in my past. It can only get better and I know everything will be easier because of everything that has happened in my past.”