Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiernan Patrick Talbot.
Hi Tiernan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Where I’m From
I’m the son of two parents who left home at 18 and enlisted in the US NAVY. They met on base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and that’s where I was born. I’m the son of a father who grew up in a trailer park, and whose favorite sport was soccer because it was the least expensive sport to play. Also the son of a mother who adored her immigrant father from Ireland that was working three jobs to support his family.
My dad worked on construction sites until he earned a project management position within the construction industry. He was laid off, needed to move us across the country, and leave for stretches of weeks on a job site, but eventually, he made it happen. He always fought to keep us healthy, with a home, and pursuing sports. What’s an American life without sports? My mom took care of me and my two younger siblings. She was also taking online courses at a community college to become a healthcare professional. She loves children and has an extreme sense of empathy that pulls her towards working with special needs children at schools when she is able to volunteer. My two siblings, Jacob and Bella, are two really good-looking kids. Extremely intelligent and know how to crack a good joke. My parents are fighters, and they did everything they could to give us a comfy, cozy upper-middle-class life so that we wouldn’t have to fight too.
Who I Was
A private bank analyst who would bike to work every morning, to the Trammell Crow Center, before sunrise provided the first ray of light on the 31st floor. Had a goal of learning the names of each person I came across. Whether this was John, strong & tall, standing behind the front desk, or Tamala, who should have the best-dressed award because of the intricate tie knot that almost made me drop my jaw. My name is Tiernan Patrick C. Talbot. When I’m not storytelling, I prefer to get straight to the point.
My parents passed on the torch of “hard work produces results”, and were extremely proud of their son who worked hard to receive one of the most prestigious entry-level positions in the financial industry. Well, remember, I watched my parents for two decades fighting for what they love. Yeah, I loved making money and working in a sexy office with some of the most intelligent people on the planet. Is that what I really LOVE though?
Only because of Dallas, was I able to pursue what was secretly knocking at my heart’s door. Dallas taught me discipline, painted a clear picture of the end goal, and introduced me to the right people to take me to the next level. I’m going to play soccer at the highest level in the world. I’m a fighter, and I love fighting for the team on a soccer field. A quote from the movie Miracle, “I’m not looking for the best players. I’m looking for the right players.” – Coach Herb Brooks. I want to be the right player because I’m the best player. There was a tremendous amount of learning to do, and I wasn’t exactly sure of the next steps. What I was sure of, was that if every moment was dedicated to achieving this image in my head, the pieces of the puzzle would fall into place.
The Initial Grind
Wake up, prepare for the day, office, coaching, training, sleep, & repeat. Like any normal person, these are some of the actions I decided to take during the beginning of my journey…
* Crawl into a cold shower at 5 am (you’re not going anywhere without discipline)
* Bike 12 miles to coaching, then 12 more to go home in the freezing rain (it’s going to build my legs and mental toughness, plus I love working with kids)
* Take trains, buses, and bikes 19 miles to training and 19 miles back (either buy a car or build a car with your legs)
* Read 30+ affirmations in the morning (let’s get in the right mindset)
Taking these actions, especially the ones that called for consistency, gave me a ton of confidence. Enough confidence to jump the fence at CityFutsal around 6 am on the weekends before everyone started showing up. During one of those mornings, on the best turf field to play soccer in Dallas, a coach and his team arrived while I was there. The coach was a tall, strong man with leadership energy. He demanded from his players and complimented them when they took risks. Ade Harding is a fantastic “football” coach, as the former European professional would say. That said, a few of the players’ brothers/sisters were playing around with the ball. Naturally, I decided to invite 5 or 6 of them over and we ran through some passing, shooting, & dribbling drills. Why? It’s always better to practice with others. Even though I was teaching them, they were teaching me as well.
Playing alone is fun, you and the ball, those are moments that I will always cherish and continue to savor when they present themselves. However, I’m a team type of guy. I LOVE WORKING WITH A TEAM! Game time, our 11 on the field versus yours. Do you really think you’re better than we are? Do you have the best talent and technique at this level? Good for you, it’s not going to matter when we communicate as a unit, work harder than you, and give more heart to bring home this win today. That mentality is the mentality that breeds winners and brings out the best in me. I’m on a journey to win. In order to win, you need a team(including a life team). Hence, I went up to Ade, introduced myself, and asked if he could help me find a club. “Alright kid, I can ask around, how about you come coach with me while you’re looking for a team?” Let’s do it.
Some of the kids were very athletic, some of them a little chunky, and others were forced to be there as a second daycare. However, every kid at some point smiled. That is what I’ll remember from each of them, the image of when they were smiling and laughing. As someone who was dragging themselves into a cold shower, they reminded me that I’m supposed to be having fun.
Fun = Positive Attitude = Confidence = Laughter = Fun
I set a goal to win some of the most coveted trophies in the world. Here I was playing at an amateur level. How was I supposed to achieve this goal if I wasn’t whipping myself into getting my cold shower, wall-sit, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, cone dribbling, juggling, running, & meditations completed every day? I was becoming a bit of a drill sergeant with myself, and these kids loosened me back up. Especially Nico, that little guy is something else.
For Nico’s family:
If you’re reading this, please give Nico and his big brother a huge hug from me. Nico, your brother is going to be so disappointed I forgot his name again. Tell him sorry, okay?
One night Ade texted me about an open tryout for a team in Coppell(the 19-miler).
Went to the tryout and grabbed some guys to pass the ball around until the coaches brought us together. Then, a Spanish guy with great hair and a professional look jogged out to get us started with the warm-up. Started jogging behind him, looked back, and everyone was walking. He didn’t like that very much. He put us through an intense warm-up to set the tone. This is my first memory with Angel, the agent who will eventually open the door for me to trial with my current club. This was a taste of someone who actively lived in the professional soccer industry of Europe, and I loved it. After the final exercise, shook every coach’s hand and thanked them. Nadim Shabout had a big smile on his face, and a warmness that I couldn’t shake. Something inside me REALLY liked this organization.
Before this opportunity, Ade brought me to a hard-working businessman in Dallas, Robert Peinado Jr. He was currently growing his Foro Club. He told me I can train with his club and will have an opportunity to perform for Michel Garbini, who coaches the North Texas Soccer Club. NTSC is the feeder club for FC Dallas, and it seemed like a no-brainer opportunity. If you know Dallas soccer, you know that if you want a path to the pros…it’s going through FC Dallas.
Well, I definitely had a decision on my hand. Loved the energy and coaching staff at Coppell, but wasn’t sure which path to go down. Asked Coach Nadim for his time and a conversation, and he was happy to discuss. He came prepared and so did I, appreciated his efforts and desire. He wanted something, was on a mission, and you could feel it. Our conversation led to his goal, he wanted to build a second path to the pros in Dallas.
Team Energy
Joined arguably the best NPSL club in the US when I was 17, Med City FC, and it was their inaugural season as well. The GM, Frank Spaeth, who also left his work to build his dream, had the same energy as Coach Shabout. Something was burning inside of them to achieve their goals, and I was on the same page. That energy, confidence, respect, and trust for Coach Shabout lead me to sign with the amateur club Coppell FC. They weren’t joking around, and neither was I.
Our team felt like a bunch of misfits, and we played well together. We were hungry and we worked hard, with a leader who worked hard for us. Was given the honor and responsibility to represent our team as the captain for our first preseason game. Want to emphasize the privilege of wearing that band. As your career progresses, there will surely be more and more teammates who have represented their clubs as captains in the past. Many players wanted that band. A captain does not make a team, a team makes the captain. Battling in a collaborative, competitive spirit with this squad at every practice brought out the best and worst in everyone.
For the boys:
Thank you for bringing out the best in me. Thank you for always having my back. Thank you for going to war for each other on the field. You deserved those trophies. Top of the table, Playoff Champion. You did that. Those of you that want to do more, are going to do that. Thankful for the memories we made together, wishing each and EVERY one of you the greatest amount of success in whatever you decide to take on headfirst. You have my number, and I’m always there for you.
After 2-3 months of preparing for the season opener, one of our practices was canceled on a Wednesday night…
Rock Bottom
I am now 1 week into my 2 weeks(resignation) with Goldman. I decided to take the leap into the unknown. Decided to put both feet into the water. Talked to mentors from both of my worlds. Looked myself in the mirror and was 100% confident in my abilities to learn, develop, and win. I was going to be 60 years old, and not going to say, “what if”. I’m either going to say I knew you could do it, or I’m proud of you forgiving it your all. The extreme joy from this decision didn’t last long.
Call it a coincidence, a friend, who has been asking me to play on her City Futsal team, told me the championship game was that night. She is a confident ex-D1 baller from NorthWestern and her team has lost in the championship for 5 or more straight seasons (this is a men’s league, and that doesn’t concern her whatsoever). We played together many times before I joined Coppell FC. Naturally, an opportunity to win first place t-shirt on the best field in Dallas with a great group of competitive athletes starving for a title? Absolutely we’re playing in that game. Matchup? A group that doesn’t like us very much. Especially after we gave them a nice 8-1 treatment in the regular season. Started out with a nice move, took it the length of the pitch, and ripped one into the corner. The keeper got a piece of it (rolling my eyes right now). He told me, “You better not come close to me again”. Didn’t think too much of it, maybe should have given respect to the anger in his voice. A few plays later I was pressing the defender and he passed it back to the goalie. The goalie went to clear and I jumped and turn my back to hopefully block the effort. With my back turned, the goalie took a couple of quick steps and undercut me.
His goal was for me to land on his feet, a very common dirty play in basketball. To his credit, he executed perfectly. As I’m watching the ball in the air on the other side of the field, my left ankle rolls inward and heard the pop automatically. Blacked out, let out a painful scream, clutched my ankle, and listened to the goalie calling me a number of profanities. He was boasting about his success, and it wasn’t very cute. The referee ran over, and the rest of the players, as they were on the other side of the field. Eventually, I stood up and a rush of adrenaline shot into my ankle that I’ll never forget. Tried jogging and ended up crawling, wanted to win more than anything. Ended up going into PKs, and Katie had to suffer another heartbreaking championship defeat. Luckily, I lived two blocks from the field and limped/hopped home.
On the way back it was me, the goalie, and his buddy in the parking lot. They wouldn’t look at me. I wish he did so that I could say “I forgive you”. He had some sort of hurt in his heart. Deep down we are good people. If he reads this he’ll remember, I forgive you.
Welp
What was the injury? Grade 3 ankle sprain with 3 torn ligaments (anterior tibiofibular ligament, calcaneofibular ligament, anterior talofibular ligament), at least that’s what 3/5 doctors said. The bowling ball swelling eventually went down, and 2/5 doctors were calling it a grade 2. Grade 3 is a rupture of the ligaments, and grade 2 is partially torn. The timetable for full recovery was 6-8 months. Well, I’m supposed to be performing at 200% in 4 1/2 months for my professional trials in Spain. So obviously, we’re going to call this a Grade 2. Also, obviously, we’re going to make this recovery in 3 months because we need to be ready. I was born to fight for what I love.
The Decision
Before I decide to go Rambo macho-man mode, my mom wants to make sure that this isn’t God telling me that I’m making a mistake. Make sure that I shouldn’t continue with Goldman, especially because they were willing to continue as my employer.
Stepping into her and my dad’s shoes, I could definitely understand why they would want me to stay at work. To be real, why would I leave after what happened? Was there some divine intervention telling me I should stay at my job?
That was a question I didn’t want to answer, but I couldn’t ignore the timing and it needed to be addressed.
Option 1: I take this as a sign to continue on the stable, financially lucrative path that I’m on.
Option 2: Take this as a test to see how truly committed, how much confidence, and how deep I am willing to dig in order to pursue this goal.
You should know by now that I love a good story and am inspired by those who fight against all odds.
Subconsciously, that definitely factored into the decision. Also, a college mentor, Sergio Perez, reached out to me during the decision weekend because he had a dream about my family fighting. My dad was angry that I gave up because I could’ve done so much more with soccer. I’m also a sucker for a good dream, and that story pushed me over the edge. I’m going down the path that is my dream. I’m going to play soccer at the highest level in the world.
My mom wasn’t convinced and asked me if this was my dream or my dad’s, which is another good question. She is really good at asking questions. Maybe it is my dad’s dream. Regardless, it has always been my dream. So here we go.
Recovery
Took some pretty standard steps such as icing, elevating, and sleeping with my boot on for stability. Also made some drastic changes for what I felt needed drastic results:
* Eat bone marrow for breakfast after 30 minutes in the sauna (mental battle and good for the body)
* Lay down and picture bamboo-like fiber replacing and strengthening these ligaments (even if it wasn’t reality the mind enjoyed it)
* Barehand a rattlesnake while hiking (let’s replace fear with confidence)
* Took 7 bottles of vitamins from SunDrop specialists (Coming from someone who won’t take Advil)
The mental battle was like no other. I either made the biggest mistake of my life, or I made the best decision of my life. Started eating away at savings, started making small steps of progress, and was learning how to be my best friend. Some days it was absolutely certain that I was going to the top. On other days I was ready to turn back the dial and go to the desk job.
Slowly and steadily, like a progress turtle, was able to walk. Took advantage and biked to a nearby gym in South Dallas, SandersFit. If you want to be a top-tier athlete, go to Sanders Fit. There was a yoga class that took place every Sunday, and Julius Randle was across the room. My friends were talking about fantasy football, I walk through the door to see Derrick “King” Henry throwing weight around.
Eventually, I was able to jog and took advantage by running around the beautiful downtown area. There were great, good, mediocre, bad, and horrible days. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches and fight back.
I was able to train with the team after only 2 months and returned to game form after 3 months (not surprised). We were making the journey to Spain.
Madrid, Spain
Fight for a Team
The residence is a 30-minute walk from the Atletico Madrid Stadium, and my first day consisted of a nap on the stadium grounds. This was a totally different world, and I was ready to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.
The preseason trial was a battle. The team has ex-national team players, ex-second division players, players on loan from Real Madrid, and U19 players who are coming from all of the big-name academies. There were 32 of us on my first day and they would be signing 4 or 5 of the 12 players who weren’t under contract. The demographic was a ton of Spanish men, 2(signed) Argentinians, 1 Korean, and myself.
One of the players spent a season in Poland, so he helped explain the drills before executing them. The rest spoke very angry, frustrated, or not very nice Spanish (maybe that was just with me). In this environment, you earn respect on the field. When you earn respect on the field, you earn respect in the locker room. At first, it felt like everyone was against me. Probably felt that way because I didn’t speak that language. Maybe because after the first day a player said he would pick me up for training and never showed up. Maybe it was because I was insecure about my abilities and wanted to find an excuse. When doubts and fear would try to take over, I fell back on my foundation. Hard work, I was the only one who wouldn’t cut a corner in a drill. The only one who would finish strong on every rep. I was the only one who would say “Buenas tardes” to the president before every training, as well as having a conversation with the laundry guy. I paid attention during every moment, took notes during video sessions, and gave it everything I had. After a stellar 11v11 performance during a team scrimmage, I finally earned the locker room respect. After 5 rounds of cuts, grinding, sweat, and tears the team decided to bring me in. That felt good, that felt really good.
This week, our coach was extremely angry because we “celebrated a goal as if we won the Champions League”. To be on the team was a success, and we are looking for much more. That said, it was time to fight for a spot in the starting 11. The season started in August and here we are in January. There was training and learning without the ability to perform during game time. My visa was in process, making it impossible to play or make money, and finally came through this week(crucial). There is now the opportunity to perform on the field, where you separate the boys from the men. I am set to sign the contract on Wednesday, February 1st, perfectly timed with the meat of our season.
Our team is currently 6th in the table, out of 16 teams. We are currently fighting to be in the top 5, where 2nd through 5th place fight in a playoff for the last promotion spot. Two of the five teams ahead of us consist of the Real Madrid U23 team, and the Getafe U23 team. You play each team 2 times, once at home and once on the road, for a total of 30 games. With 11 games left in the season, 5 of them are going to be against the current top 5. Talk about an opportunity to come in and make an impact.
Where I Stood
For the first 5 months, my status has been the hard-working, positive, energetic American who is a professional athlete. I was known as someone with horrible feet, positional awareness, and the lowest player on the depth chart as an outside back. You can be a respected leader through inspiration and accountability, you also have to be competent. I had some work to do as a competent professional soccer player. You can study film, perfect your diet, exercise intensely, recover properly, push positivity, develop strong relationships with your teammates, dribble a size two ball through the streets of Madrid, take ice baths every day, track physical metrics through a GPS during practice, and ask for feedback to improve…but no one cares if you can’t perform on game-day.
Where I Stand
Grew up as a Center Midfielder, box-to-box and we’re winning the game. Will win the midfield and good luck getting by me 1v1. I’m going to win the ball, take the space, and dish the ball for someone to put it in the back of the net. When making the jump to amateur soccer in the US, was told to go switch to outside back. I had speed and stout 1v1 defending. Made the switch, and that’s how I was introduced as a player here in Madrid. This month, by chance during a team 11v11 scrimmage, was put at Center Defensive Mid. That is right in front of the defense, right behind the attack, and couldn’t be more in the middle of the field (my bread and butter). Well, let’s just say they haven’t put me back on the outside, competent in the middle of the action. I’m a Center Midfielder, a leader on the field, and it’s in my blood. My presence in the locker room changed. The current perspective is that I’m someone who learns incredibly fast, has improved drastically, is a strong presence in the middle of the field, and has a burning desire to win. It feels like, sounds like, and looks like confidence when you act as you are. The doubts that were once flooding my mind are now confidently pushing me forward. In two weeks, we are playing against Real Madrid, probably perfect timing to make my debut.
Who I Am
I’m the son of two fighters. The grandson of a grandmother who grew up sleeping with shacks of cattle in the northern Spanish mountains without shoes on. I’m a fighter on a mission to play on the biggest stages of the soccer, fútbol world. It’s been 11 months since the journey started, and I now have the ability to legally work as a professional athlete. I’m a team guy, when the team wins, we all win. I look up to my leaders, mentors, and family. I love playing in the middle of the field. I love the decision that I made to pursue what I know can be accomplished. I am extremely grateful for the support of my family, friends, and a select few who share the same “eye of the tiger”. An example of rapid improvement is my pelvic tilt went from 17 degrees to 11 degrees in 4 weeks while working with RX2 in Madrid. We’re going to keep improving, keep fighting, and continue to build the trust of teammates, trainers, representatives, and everyone else who would like to be a part of win/win relationships. Thank you for using your time to read this brief view of my story, go become who you are. I believe in you, and someone deep down in your heart believes in you too.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
What was the injury? Grade 3 ankle sprain with 3 torn ligaments (anterior tibiofibular ligament, calcaneofibular ligament, anterior talofibular ligament), at least that’s what 3/5 doctors said. The bowling ball swelling eventually went down, and 2/5 doctors were calling it a grade 2. Grade 3 is a rupture of the ligaments, and grade 2 is partially torn. The timetable for full recovery was 6-8 months. Well, I’m supposed to be performing at 200% in 4 1/2 months for my professional trials in Spain. So obviously, we’re going to call this a Grade 2. Also, obviously, we’re going to make this recovery in 3 months because we need to be ready. I was born to fight for what I love.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional soccer player in Spain that specializes in leadership, hard work, and data. Known for an ability to learn, rapid improvement, and positive nature.
I’m most proud of what ignites my fire, the love to see others succeed. You’re going to win = we’re going to win.
What sets me apart? Have you met a professional athlete that is comfortable with 3 programming languages, understands how to operate within the blockchain, develops smart contracts, has launched a THETA Guardian Node, practices his Spanish by talking to strangers on the Metro, and is building a wholistic athletic portfolio to use as an incentive during contract negotiations? If you have, please help introduce us to one another.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Your heart knows what you truly want. When you choose to go on a path that doesn’t align with that desire, it’s going to hurt. When you get back on that path, eventually it will be clear as day that you made the right decision.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gofund.me/6f1e8e2e
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpctalbot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiernan.talbot
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiernan-talbot-loras/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/t3_crypto
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvi9fQfg5LYGqte6wMmAEGw
- Other: https://github.com/T3Crypto
