The MLS profile on Robert Charles (Bobby) Burling describes him as a native of Clear Lake, Texas, but the fact that the new Rapids defender was born there, does not obscure the fact that he considers Colorado his home state and the Rapids his home team.

“I’ve always wanted to play in my home state for my hometown team,” the 6-foot-5-inch graduate of Lewis Palmer High School in Monument said recently. “I am blessed to be able to come back and play in front of family and friends, and with a great core of young guys on the Rapids.”

Burling, son of an Air Force Academy graduate and military veteran, followed his father’s career as the family lived in Texas, Alaska, Alabama and England. However, there were two stints in Colorado, and during one of them Burling helped Lewis-Palmer win a high school state championship.

“I remember all the great times we had watching the games at Mile High Stadium - seeing players like Marcelo Balboa, Paul Bravo, Chris Henderson and Marcus Hahnemann. We’d play our own game, and then watch the Rapids and the fireworks.”

Little did he know that a couple of weeks back it would be Bravo, whom he watched as a youngster, making the call to inquire about his interest in returning to his home state, this time as a player for the team he grew up watching.

“I couldn’t be more excited because I grew up supporting the Rapids. I’m excited for this new chapter of my career.”

Burling brings a lot of the things that Coach Pablo Mastroeni has been preaching about since last season - experience, determination, professionalism and a willingness to put it all out there every day.

“I bring a lot of leadership - I try and lead by example,” Burling says. “I’ve had experience with both good and bad teams. I know what it takes to win. It’s not an easy thing to make the playoffs year after year. It’s a hard league with a long, 34-game season.

“I hope I can bring a lot of stability to the group, plus be an overall good teammate,” he added. “I hope I can help be a part of developing our young players. I’m a hard worker and I will bring it every day in training. We are going to get better from day one, and hopefully rebound from a disappointing season.”

One of the biggest endorsements of Bobby Burling comes from his college coach, former U.S. international Paul Krumpe, who coaches the Loyola Marymount University Lions in Los Angeles.

“He’s a fantastic young man, does all the extra work needed and ended up being the captain of our team,” recalls Krumpe, who was on the 1990 USA World Cup team. “He was very professional about how he did things, even at the college level. His size lends itself to being a target forward or center back, and he excelled in both roles with us.”

Indeed, when he arrived on the Loyola Marymount campus, Krumpe, a former defender himself, wasn’t sure how he’d use Burling. “I was slow as a coach to figure out his best position, but for three years we had him up front as a target forward. He was dominant at that position.

“But as his senior year approached, I knew that his best opportunity to play at the next level would be as a center back, so we switched him back there for his senior year. He was always very good with his footwork so I knew that he’d be successful as a defender.

Krumpe is the least surprised of anyone about the fact that Burling has played eight years in the league. “It was just a matter of finding a place that he could feel comfortable and develop. I know that he’s gone through several teams, but the Rapids, I’m sure, have always been in the back of his mind, because he’s from Colorado.”

Burling was an all-regional selection for three of his four years he was at Loyola Marymount. After graduating in 2006, Burling wasn’t even sure that the professional game would be in his future.

“I got my degree, but when I got a chance to play in the league, that was a career highlight for me. Then when we were able to beat New York in the Eastern Conference semifinal one year when I was at San Jose - that was another highlight.

“When Paul Bravo and Pablo initially reached out to me I knew that I would possibly be coming to Colorado, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high or too low. But now that it has happened, this would be another big career highlight for me.”

Besides the impending move to Denver, Burling has a lot going on off the field as he will be married right before the season starts. His wife to be, Laura Francis, is from Northern California, so while Burling was at Chivas USA, he usually had plenty of friends in the stands supporting him. That will continue when he returns home to Colorado, with his parents living right up the road in Colorado Springs.

“Since we know where we will be and our wedding coming up, it will be hectic, but this will make it a little easier because we will have a solid backbone of support. I’ll be at a great club with a great group of guys. Hopefully, all of this will make it easier both of us.”

On the field, Burling mentions that he’s looking forward to possibly playing alongside Rapids captain Drew Moor. “Drew is one of the most durable center backs in MLS and one of the league’s most solid professionals,” says Burling. “It seems like he plays every game, every year.”