Kevin Johnston

IndyStar correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven attacker Tanner Thompson is following in his father’s footsteps. Which is appropriate considering both play a sport with their feet.

“It’s funny the way my career has panned out,” Thompson said. “It’s ended up very similar to my dad with him going to Indiana as well, and then going to the NASL. That’s the same journey I took.”

Thirty-four years after Gregg Thompson won the 1983 NASL Rookie of the Year award as a standout for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tanner Thompson will attempt to win the modern NASL’s version this season — now called the Young Player of the Year.

So far, Thompson is off to a superb start. He opened his professional career this past weekend with an equalizing header to help Indy to a 1-1 road draw against the San Francisco Deltas. The performance earned him NASL Team of the Week honors.

But it hasn’t been all smiles for Thompson since he left Bloomington. He’s already had to overcome some adversity early in his pro career.

Last year, Thompson led IU with with 19 points (eight goals and three assists), earned all-Big Ten first team honors and was named the conference’s midfielder of the year. MLS' Minnesota United FC selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 SuperDraft in January. But he wasn’t offered a contract by the club.

“It came a week before the MLS season started,” Thompson said. “I got called into the office after training and they told me they weren’t going to go about signing me. Obviously, it was a little bit of a gut punch.”

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Tanner’s brother Tommy Thompson, a homegrown signing by MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes after playing one year at Indiana, recalled the words of encouragement he offered Tanner at the time.

“I told (Tanner) to never forget how good of a player he is just because one situation might not have worked out,” Tommy said. “When he came and trained with us in San Jose last year he did really well. So I wanted to remind him that it’s clear that he has the ability if he’s in the right situation to play in MLS.”

Tommy, a member of the 2015 U.S. U-20 World Cup squad, was thrilled that Tanner landed in Indianapolis.

“I was already an Indy Eleven fan because some of the guys I played with at IU were playing there, plus I spent some time with Brad Ring and Jon Busch in San Jose,” Tommy said.

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Eleven coach Tim Hankinson explained why the club not only signed Tanner Thompson, but thrust him into an immediate starting role.

“He’s a smart player,” Hankinson said. “His attacking ideas, both to get a goal or to create a goal, are really of a No. 10, and we always need ideas like that. But it’s the fact that he also has an engine. His motor is working the field. That helps us pass and move, and that’s what we saw in San Francisco.”

Thompson’s on-field creativity and passion for the game developed naturally. Growing up, father Gregg took to a more laissez-faire approach toward soccer — perhaps somewhat surprising for a former U.S. national team player. Rather than force-feeding the game to his kids, he just made sure there was always a ball around.

“He never pushed it on us,” Thompson said. “He let us make our decisions. It’s just we all fell in love with soccer.”

Thompson and the Indy Eleven open its NASL home slate at 3 p.m. Saturday against Puerto Rico FC at Carroll Stadium.

Indy Eleven vs. Puerto Rico F.C.

Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday, Carroll Stadium.

TV: WNDY-23.

Tickets:Beginning at $11.

Tailgating:Noon to 2:30 p.m., the BYB Lot at New York and Barnhill streets. The Brickyard Battalion will host The Great Backyard Bake-Off. For $2, fans can sample more than 15 desserts baked by Indy Eleven supporters and vote for their favorite.