For the second time in a month, Midshipman Joseph Greenspan was involved in a life-altering draft. Only this time, Greenspan was the one making the selection.

With the 120th pick in the U.S. Naval Academy’s ship selection night, the 6-foot-6 central defender selected the USS Sampson DDG 102, a destroyer based in San Diego, grabbing the last spot.

The 22-year-old economics major was intent on settling with San Diego or Hawaii. He ended up in San Diego, a place he’s been plenty before.

“It’s also a hotbed for soccer,” Greenspan said. “And not too far from Colorado.”

Earlier this month, Greenspan was selected No. 26 overall by the Rapids in the second round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, but he has a five-year service commitment to the Navy upon his May 22 graduation. He can apply for deferment after two years and is hopeful the Secretary of Navy will grant the request.

“I was happy the Rapids drafted me so high even with my service commitment hanging over me,” Greenspan said.

Greenspan and Rapids are exploring options to delay his initial reporting date to as late as Jan. 1, 2016, which could make the center back available to play for the Rapids this season.

“The ball is not in my court,” Greenspan said. “It’s the Navy’s decision, and I’ll report when they tell me to.”

In the meantime, Greenspan, who is currently taking 17 credits while finishing his degree, said he hoped to join the club in Las Vegas over President’s Day weekend and planned to travel to Denver during his March 13-22 spring break. He continues to train with the Naval Academy team and said once deployed he planned to use his 2½ days of leave each month to travel to Colorado and train with the Rapids.

“I’ll pretty much use every chance I can to get out to Colorado,” he said.

Rapids sporting director Padraig Smith said last week that Brian Crookham, the club’s senior director of soccer development, has been in discussions with Greenspan regarding his availability and wants to ensure he’s brought in at every opportunity so he can be integrated with the club.

“We’re really confident with who he is,” Smith said. “We feel that he was one of, if not the best defenders, certainly in this draft class.”

Greenspan was a first-team All-American and semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the college player of the year.

“We feel in 2017, he’s still going to be one of the top talents in what would be that draft class,” Smith said. “We’re very comfortable with that pick and with how we’ll progress over the next two years.”

Initially a striker, Greenspan in his junior season at Navy converted to center back, where he feels comfortable. He said he admired the way Raphael Varane, a young French center back at Real Madrid, played the position because he’s smart, fast, physical and a destroyer.

Greenspan is not currently under contract with MLS, but a contract could be in the works depending on his deployment date. Once deployed, Greenspan will be a division officer aboard the USS Sampson charged with leading 10 sailors. The ship was recently enlisted in the search for the missing AsiaAir jet in Indonesia’s Java Sea.

Once in San Diego, Greenspan will train with a local soccer team in his spare time.

“They’ve prepared us here to work hard and lead and serve,” Greenspan said.