Despite his God-given ability, Howard never expected anything to be given to him on a silver platter.

"It was clear from the start that Tim was athletic," said former U.S. international Tony Meola, a former MetroStars teammate and roommate. "He had a joy for the position. He wanted to learn. He worked really, really hard. It was pretty refreshing to see a young kid. He was a sponge. He was always asking questions."

Howard's pro debut came about when Meola served a game suspension in a 4-1 victory over Colorado on Aug. 18, 1998.

During the pregame huddle, midfielder Tab Ramos (now head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team), told his 19-year-old teammate: "This is not the most important game you're going to play."

How prophetic.

Another message came afterwards, which was taped to Howard's locker. "Tim. Great job. Had to go. Tony Meola."

"I'm going to save that, for sure," Howard said at the time. "It meant a lot for me for him to stay that. The guy was very, very supportive, more than I expected."

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Howard, who lost his position at Manchester United after a botched save during a UEFA Champions League game in 2005.

"It wasn't exactly rainbows and sunshine all the time," Mulqueen said. "I mean, being dropped from teams and being told by United they were going in a different direction and then having to restart his career at Everton. Talk about a guy who persevered and really stood up and over the test of time was consistently at a great level. To me, it makes a great player."

When he was 12, Howard was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. He went public with it when he was with the MetroStars and has become a major spokesman for those who also live with it. The U.S. Tourette Syndrome Association described Howard as the "most notable individual with Tourette Syndrome around the world."

A perfect weekend: three points and three soccer-loving #HowardsHeroes! I loved meeting Cole, Josh and Zoe, who all have been living with TS for a number of years. These kids are fighters. Also, shout out to Faith from @NJCTS and thanks for all you do! pic.twitter.com/GP5wtcfkZm — Tim Howard (@TimHowardGK) September 3, 2019



"For the younger kids to see him and see that it doesn't have to be 100 percent negative," Esther Howard said, remembering what her son said about a decade ago: "You know what, at this point, if I was given the opportunity not to have it, I'm not sure I would give it up because it shapes who I am and it’s such a part of who I am."

Esther added: "That was impressive."

At a recent Rapids home game, Martin saw first-hand how Howard has handled himself in front of youngsters who have Tourette's. Howard talked to a 10-year-old who had Tourette's and his family after the match in a session called Howard's Heroes.

"The parents got to ask Tim some questions," said Martin. "He's telling his story, but the kid doesn't really know because he’s so young. The parents are looking for somebody to relate to their situation because they're scared about it. They don't know what's going to happen at school. He said to the kid, 'That's my best friend, JD. He doesn't care that I have TS.' ... He has given a lot of people a lot of inspiration."

Like many mothers, Esther Howard beams with pride about her son. His on-the-field accomplishments speak for themselves. But it’s what he has achieved off the pitch that has been more impressive.