Tampa Bay Rowdies defenseman set to break USL record for most games played this weekend
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It would take a lot to keep Tampa Bay Rowdies defenseman Yann Ekra off the field.
"I still feel young. I still feel hungry. And I want to keep going," Ekra said.
After all, not a lot have been able to keep Ekra sidelined over his career. It was 11 years ago, now, when Ekra arrived stateside and began his USL Championship career, and he hasn't left since.
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"A soccer career is fast, it goes really fast," said Ekra. "You have to enjoy every minute and every game you're playing."
For the last five years, meanwhile, Ekra has been a staple of the Rowdies' midfield.
"He comes in every day with a smile on his face," said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. "No matter what he’s achieved you would never know that in there because he’s very humble."
"He’s been integral to everything we’ve achieved up to this point," Collins said.
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Sunday, however, when the Rowdies take the field, Ekra will do so for his 252nd USL Championship game. The milestone is one that will give him the record for most games played in USL history.
"For me, I was 18 [years old] yesterday," Ekra joked. "It goes fast, so I try to enjoy every game."
From his first game to his record-breaking 252nd, Ekra has grown alongside the league he has played in over the last decade.
"We drove from Pennsylvania to Orlando," Ekra remembers of his early years in the USL. "Traveling. We used to travel on the bus anywhere we were going."
Thankfully, air travel is now in the budget for USL Championship teams like the Rowdies.
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"It was a tough time, but it made everyone stronger," Ekra said.
Though time has flown by for Ekra, he admits, "I didn't realize it was going to happen so fast."
Sunday, the Rowdies midfielder can officially etch his name in the league's record books.