“It’s so nice to meet you guys!” A statement that can often be said in passing, but Tyler’s enthusiastic greeting was matched with an equally firm handshake and an incredibly broad smile that convinced me that he meant it.

“Sorry that I’m a little late,” he said, “I rode my bike here and it took a little bit longer than usual.” I had been told that Tyler was one of the nicest professionals you could ever work with, but I was still caught a little bit off guard at his completely down-to-earth demeanor.

A native of Wappingers Falls, New York - Tyler now found himself plying his trade at one of the best clubs in the German Bundesliga, RB Leipzig. At only 20 years old, the young American’s career was impressive, featuring numerous times during his first season at RB while also becoming a key player for his country. We had come to the eastern part of Germany to tell his story. 

“Tyler Adams - What It Takes” was the first in a series of videos focused on young American players that was supposed to release in 2020, but COVID-19 had other plans. The video was made in partnership between Soccer.com and Nike as a chance for Nike’s up and coming soccer players to get more exposure.

Leipzig in January is a very cold place and the day of the shoot was no exception. Tyler arrived wearing a Canada Goose parka while the rest of us had also layered accordingly. This day had been months in the planning, so a little cold weather wasn’t going to dampen our spirits. 

We had a very robust six hour day planned with much to capture. Like any good shoot though, things do not always go according to plan. Due to the cold weather and other unforeseen factors, we ended up shooting all video and imagery for the whole project in about four and a half hours. Massive props go out to my incredibly small, but highly efficient and flexible team of two videographers plus myself. 

The resulting video piece and supporting imagery of Tyler turned to be one of my favorite projects of 2020.