MetroFanatic: Tyler, you were born almost in the year 2000, which makes me feel very, very old.
Tyler Adams: (laughs) Yeah, 1999.

MF: Just a year ago, you were signed to the USL team, and now you're on the main roster. It seems like a pretty fast rise.
TA: Yeah, it feels pretty good. Getting a lot of games in the USL helped me develop quicker than possible. It's good for all the academy kids now that they have the opportunity to play USL, and then they can jump, like I did, to the first team.

MF: How does it work? With the USL, you were not member of the first team, so any team could sign you theoretically...
TA: I was in the academy.

MF: Right, but you had a USL deal. So, theoretically, you didn't have to sign with this club. Could anyone else have signed you?
TA: I'm not quite sure. I was homegrown, so...

MF: My question is, Chelsea didn't come in and say, this guy scored a goal against us, let's get him?
TA: (laughs)

MF: Did that happen, did anyone else from overseas?
TA: No, no, nothing like that. Sean Davis and I did train at Leipzig and Salzburg, but that was it.

MF: You played in the U-17 World Cup last year.
TA: It was an awesome experience, we played against Chile, Nigeria, and Croatia. Obviously, we didn't make it out of our group, which sucks, but it was a good opportunity, a good experience.

MF: What's the perception of kids in the academy about coming to the first team? Is the path clear?
TA: I think it is more. Ali and Jesse have done a good job, showing the kids and having presentations for the parents, what it is at each level, where everyone will play for the first team, and I think it's pretty clear for every kid now.

MF: Jesse spoke that some homegrowns will play more, some will play less. You're the youngest one...
TA: I think you always have to be ready to contribute, but whenever I'm called upon, I'll keep working hard at my spot.

MF: Would that be defensive midfield?
TA: Yeah.

MF: So you're Dax's backup?
TA: I guess so.

MF: He did say rotation...
TA: Rotation would be huge for our team this year.