Reggie Cannon has been a man in great demand lately. His rise from playing less than a minute in his debut season to hitting the 3,000 minute barrier for all competitions on Saturday is a great success story in itself. That doesn't take into account that he is the model academy product, also spent time playing NCAA soccer, has become arguably MLS' best right back overnight, and has forced his way into the US Men's National Team picture. He really deserves a raise too!

The 20-year-old not only plays a great game, but he talks a good game too. He's certainly a favorite of the media as someone who gives good answers to good questions. You'll see from my feature at MLSsoccer.com on Reggie in the build up to the league's 22 Under 22 list, and Jon Arnold's piece for Wednesday's Dallas Morning News that Cannon is definitely someone you should want to hear from. Between those and FC Dallas commitments in the week, Reggie went for a solid 15 minutes with the assembled media. Jon and I both told stories using the Homegrown's words to supplement it, but since a lot of quotes go unused from a five minute chat let alone fifteen, here's Reggie's story in his own words.

FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon (2) stops a pass during the first half as FC Dallas hosted Minnesota United at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on Saturday evening, August 18, 2018. (Stewart F. House/Special Contributo. (Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)

After starting all 20 games for UCLA in his freshman year, Cannon left to sign for FC Dallas in December 2016. How did he deal with going from a key piece to not even in the game day roster?: "It was just the mentality of never giving up. I had plenty of setbacks last year. Coming home from college and playing with the academy was kind of a kick in the face. It felt like no-one really believed in me at that time, not even the coaching staff. There was a point where I needed to find and believe in myself, to show that I can get my game to that next level. That's the tough part for a lot of players that are on that step to the next level, right in between. You already have it, you're here for a reason, you just have to find it. That's the thing I struggled most with. Even now I struggle with it, it's a confidence thing. You need to know that you can play in those games and you can start for this team, and that's a tough part that MLS is getting a lot better at. Giving confidence to these young kids and showing them that they can play no matter how young they are."

Where it seems like improvement is needed, it's tough to know if that's self-prescribed or based on coaches' opinions. What did the coaches want to see out of Cannon? "Nothing honestly. It was I had to do the work I thought I needed. It's hard to believe but honestly, at the beginning of last year, very few people believed in me. That I could play and I could keep going. At one point I didn't even believe, it was tough last year. Getting loaned to OKC [Energy FC] and not even playing there. It was a rough year but I kept in my mind that I had to keep going. I'll always have those people that will always be there for me, pushing and pushing me. I started working extra, [laughs] a lot extra. You don't have that toll on your body when you're not playing every week so I was doing more, working on crossing, finishing heading, defending, everything. Just working on those core parts, and I have Kellyn and everyone helping me with that and it's shown this year. I think with every game I'm getting more and more experience and more and more confidence. I think at the end of the day that's what I needed most. Those games, and that confidence that Oscar bestowed in me at the end of last year."

One thing that Reggie himself highlighted in his early FC Dallas career was the difficulty in transitioning between attack and defense. How much work went into that change that we see now? "Oh man, a lot of work! It was mainly a confidence thing. I wanted to be that solid player defensively but at the beginning of the year, I think I was playing more not to make a mistake instead of being myself and being that attacking player who is also a solid defender. That's something I've learned to balance throughout the game, and that's just getting more experience and more confidence. That part of me has grown, especially with Mikey. He's helped me on the right side a lot. He helps defend, he helps attack with me, and I think he really helped me grow in that aspect. That's always a tough thing to learn as a right back, when to go and when to stay. You always have to be solid defensively, but you also have to be a dangerous player or you have no value. I think that's the most important part I've learned throughout this season I think. Oscar has really instilled in me that confidence, to go forward and hurt them but also be that solid player defensively."

FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon (2) is pictured during the FC Dallas vs. the Chicago Fire major league soccer game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News) (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

If you've ever seen or read a Reggie Cannon interview, you'll know he's an intense character who is eats sleeps and breathes the sport. How has he handled the mental aspect of the professional game? "You always need something to get your mind off the game. At the beginning of the year, I would sleep thinking about soccer. Everything was about soccer, I couldn't get my mind off the game. Now I realize I need that balance. I need video games to cope with it [laughs], or I need my girlfriend to cope with it. Something just to get my mind off of it, because that helps. It really helps to take your mind off the game and relax for a little bit, because if you're constantly thinking, and thinking about those mistakes, you let your craft control you which is a dangerous thing. I still feel determined, I still feel ready to peak at the right time to get MLS Cup."

After such a surreal year, how does Cannon look back on it? "It's a ridiculous transformation if you honestly look at it from one minute last year to 2,500 minutes this year and starting every game. It's crazy when you think about it. Oscar really gave me that confidence at the end of last year, you know, 'keep going and keep pushing, push for that starting spot, you can do it.' I honestly didn't see myself starting, I couldn't see myself starting especially after the tough year I had last year. It was a setback in my career but honestly, without it, I don't think I'd be ready. I had people push me. I had Atiba [Harris], I had [Hernan] Grana, I have Victor [Ulloa], I had Matt [Hedges], Kellyn [Acosta], all these players pushing me to get my game to that next level. It's honestly been a surreal journey so far and I haven't accomplished anything yet, but hopefully, we can win MLS Cup at the end of the year."

How did Reggie find out he was going to his first USMNT camp? "I honestly didn't find out until they posted it. I knew I was on the preliminary roster, the 40-man. I was on the same preliminary roster for the Brazil and Mexico games so I didn't know if I'd get called up but then I started getting calls and texts, and the rest is history. I haven't done anything yet. I'm ready to get to work, I'm just feeling anxious right now and can't wait."

Reggie Cannon poses for a photo with FC Dallas fan Rob Szczepankowski (Dan Crooke)

If you can gain anything from what Reggie says, it's that he is studious. How will he approach national team camp? "I'm going to try an observe and learn from the biggest players in the game, Cannon. "Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and all these huge players that play on some of the best teams in the World. It's going to be an honor to defend against them, and I just want to learn what that next level is like because I want to be there one day and these players have acquired that next level and done everything it takes. It's always going to be an honor to represent the country and I can't wait."

Is there a balance between club and international soccer that needs to be maintained? "It's always tough coming in. Especially as an MLS player when you've got guys like Christian and Weston in there. You kind of have a target on you already. Make a mistake and people will say it's because of MLS, and that's the tough part. You have to be willing to go over that level, and be willing to play with those guys in Europe, and against them, and learn from them. In reality, they are above us, they are a level above us but MLS is getting there. I think this will be the best opportunity for me to lift my game, to be able to study these players in person, and be able to learn what the game has to offer at that level."

FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon (22) takes a shot during the second half of an MLS soccer game between FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News) (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

After starting every single game this year, is it bittersweet to miss his first game for national team duty? "It's unfortunate timing, I wanted to start every game. "It's going to be unfortunate to miss one of those games. I've no doubt whoever is in my position will step up to that job. For my personal goals, I want to start every game and be ready for the postseason and be 100% focused on FC Dallas. I have no doubt that I will once I come back from national team but you kind of have to balance everything that's going on right now. I've no doubt that whoever will step up will do a great job, whether it's Ryan [Hollingshead] or Bryan [Reynolds], I have no doubt that the job will get done."

After everything over the past two years, what does it mean to be part of the US Men's National Team? "I'm not in the national team yet [laughs]. Honestly, I did the same thing last year, I wasn't an FC Dallas player until I stepped on the field. That's just my mentality. Once I get my first cap, then I'll be on the national team. I'll officially be part of that. It's always an honor to get called up and be part of that training process but the end goal is to make that cap and be in the rotation."

Regardless of trophies, stories like this are a success for FC Dallas. They justify the focus on the academy system, the evaluations they place on players, and the proportion of spending on the academy to what is spent on transfer fees. Cannon can be a key player for FC Dallas for years to come, or he can earn Dallas a pretty penny and help fund the next set of Homegrowns in Frisco. 2018 has seen Cannon lead FC Dallas in starts and minutes, land 7th place on MLS' 21 Under 21 as the top ranked defender, and earn his first call up to the national team. He says his dream is to be one of the best right backs in the world. Don't bet against it in the years to come.