NFL
By Keith Richards
On December 19, 2018, Keegan Rosenberry was traded from the Philadelphia Union to the Colorado Rapids. Now, almost eight years later, Rosenberry is 200 appearances deep with the club. Throughout it all, Keegan has the respect and love of the club, his teammates, and the fans. However, times have changed. Once a penned-in starter, Keegan Rosenberry’s time on the pitch has declined over the past couple of seasons.
Today, I had the opportunity to speak with Keegan after training. We talked about numerous things, including his time with the Rapids, whether fatherhood has changed how he views when he’ll be done playing, his role as a leader on the team, and which Philadelphia things he prefers to Denver things. Have a seat and enjoy our conversation with Mr. Rapid, Keegan Rosenberry.
After congratulating Mr. Rapid once more on his 200th club appearance, I asked him if he ever thought he’d reach 200 appearances when he was first transferred to Colorado. Keegan states, “No, I can’t say that thought probably entered my mind. I think, you know, I try to take things more short-term future…. That outlook long-term was never really in my mind.”
Keegan continues, “As athletes, you’re trying to earn the next contract, the next deal, or the next iteration of the team. You’re just trying to stay involved and a part of the team. So, those types of achievements are not really the focus, not really on my mind. But, again, a byproduct of the hard work and the concentration.”
Hard work and concentration have been hallmarks of Keegan Rosenberry’s career. As a rookie and the third overall pick for the Philadelphia Union, Rosenberry had a stellar rookie season. He finished second in rookie of the year voting, behind only Jordan Morris. In that 2016 season, Keegan made the MLS All-Star squad. In addition, he started every Union match and went the full 90 minutes. I asked Keegan if there was a point where he knew, early in his career, if he’d make it. A point at which he felt he’d made the right decision and that this was the career for him.
Rosenberry states, “It was an interesting pathway for me. Even all the way back to as I was developing as a young teenager. Pretty undersized, shorter, weaker. But what I pride myself in was the technical ability and the tactical skill of the game. Trying to drill that, knowing and hoping, wishing that the strength and the speed and the physical development would come.” Keegan says there were times in college when he wondered whether this was his future.
However, after gaining the trust of MLS coaching legend Jim Curtin in his first season, Rosenberry knew he had a good future ahead of him. That future did not last long in Philadelphia. Keegan Rosenberry would be traded to the Colorado Rapids. It is with the Rapids that he remains. In his time with Colorado, Mr. Rapid is now on his sixth coach. Matt Wells has the team moving in a positive direction.
Being his sixth coach in eight years, I asked Keegan what the most unique thing about Wells was. He states, “I think just standards/expectations. You can say standards for anyone, but I feel like it’s almost the floor of his standards. So, you talk about the floor and the ceiling. When you come in, there’s an expectation that you’re already arriving at, let’s say, ‘This level.’ Anything below that is unacceptable. Not even worth commenting on or pulling away from or trying to pull in a different direction.”
Rosenberry continues, “It’s ‘you better be here, or else you’re not going to be involved.’ Then, I think after that, it’s ‘okay, let’s continue to strive to push that level every single day.’” Keegan believes that mentality has helped everyone. He says it’s been a challenge, but a good one. I also asked what was something he picked up about Wells that wasn’t initially expected.
Rosenberry stated that the depths that Matt Wells goes to tactically, his studying of opponents and their tendencies, and his nuances to the tactical plan are something that he hasn’t witnessed before. It’s something he says he hasn’t been exposed to in his 11-year career. Wells has shown him new ways, and he has improved his game, which is something Keegan Rosenberry likes.
As we stated at the beginning, Keegan’s pitch minutes have declined recently due to fierce competition on the backline. I asked the defender how he balances being a fierce competitor and being a supportive teammate. As expected, Rosenberry was candid in his response. He states, “I think anybody would be lying to you if they said that part was easy, and it’s never an immediate change either. I think it’s always constantly kind of a gray area, or it’s a transition.”
Keegan continues, “For me, it’s been probably over the past two years where it’s more of a substitution role, more of a bench role, more of a supportive whenever you need me in whatever capacity, I’m ready. That’s taken time for me to develop for me, as well. I think I’ve been proud of the way that’s developed, but it’s not been easy.” Mr. Rapid says he tries to think of his teammates, how he wants to show up for them, and be an example for younger teammates.
Keegan is not just an example for younger players; he’s a leader for all players. I asked Rosenberry what it’s been like maintaining permission, but more from the sidelines. He states, “Again, not always easy. I think, in sports, the hardest thing to get from inside the locker room is the respect from all the guys. I think because of my time here, because of my work ethic, because of the way I train, I still have that. Regardless of if I’m on the pitch for a majority of the game or not, because I know I have that, I can still conduct myself in a way that is in a leadership role, and I love that.”
Keegan Rosenberry loves that his teammates still give him that approval as a leader. It’s why he tries to turn up every day and show that he’s worthy of the responsibility. However, Keegan is not just a leader in the locker room. He’s also a father. When celebrating his 200th appearance with the team, Keegan had his wife and son on the pitch with him. I asked the defender if fatherhood has affected his decision about how much longer he wants to play.
The answer was yes. Don’t worry, Rapids fans. It’s a positive thing. Rosenberry says that, if anything, his son has motivated him to play long enough to have memories of his father playing. At just a year old, if able, that means Keegan’s in the running to play for at least a few more seasons. Long enough for his son to remember seeing his dad do what he loves.
However, all good things must come to an end. One day, the sun will set on the career of Keegan Rosenberry. With that in mind, I asked Keegan if there were one thing he’d like to accomplish with the Rapids before it all comes to an end, excluding winning the MLS Cup. Keegan states, “The Open Cup is on my mind as well because, obviously, that semifinal is coming up.” The Rocky Mountain Cup is on his mind as well. If the Rapids keep the Cup this season, it will be their first threepeat in team history.
Rosenberry says the Rocky Mountain Cup is unique because it embodies what fans want. In addition, getting back to the CONCACAF Champions Cup and advancing would be another feather in the cap of Mr. Rapid. All of it points to winning. Who doesn’t want to win? When asked what he wants the fans to remember about him, Keegan says, “From the fans’ point of view, if I can be reliable as a player, as a guy on the pitch, from teammates’ point of view, as a guy that shows up for them every day, as a staff’s point of view, a soldier and an employee, a player that shows up for them every day and does what’s asked and is ready at all times.”
He finishes, “Reliability is something I’ve tried to hang my hat on, but I also continue trying to do. That would probably be the word that comes to mind.” As the interview winds down, we take a lighter note. If you haven’t seen the Rapids clip with the team on the basketball court, you may not know that Keegan has some skills on the court.
I asked Keegan what he thought about LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Rosenberry reveals that he’s been a King James fan from the beginning. There’s been a lot of bad times in Sixers history, he says. So, James coming to Philly is exciting for the Sixers fan, and he’s excited that the team looks serious about building a championship team.
To end the interview, I put Keegan’s preferences to the test regarding Philadelphia vs Denver. Cheesesteak vs. Rocky Mountain Oysters? Not even close. It’s cheesesteak. Broad Street vs. 16th Street? Broad Street takes another Philly point. When Keegan picks Lincoln Financial Field over Empower Field at Mile High, it begins to look bleak for Denver. They’re down 3-0. However, Rosenberry then picks Jokic over Embiid. Then, it’s a respectable loss for Denver as he picks a trip to the mountains over a trip to the shore. Keegan Rosenberry may love Colorado, but it seems he’s still a Philly kid at heart.
Whether on the pitch or off, Keegan Rosenberry has been a valuable player for the Colorado Rapids. He may not see the pitch as much as he used to, or would like to, but his leadership remains invaluable to the team. The respect he has from the fans and team is well-earned. Will he reach 300 appearances with the club? That’s tough to say. For now, Keegan Rosenberry will continue to grind and be the best player he can be for the club.
