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Taylor Twellman

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Taylor Twellman
Twellman on an ESPN show in 2019
Personal information
Full name Taylor Timothy Twellman
Date of birth (1980-02-29) February 29, 1980 (age 46)
Place of birth Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position Forward
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Maryland Terrapins 43 (28)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 1860 Munich II 36 (7)
2002–2010 New England Revolution 174 (101)
Total 210 (108)
International career
1997 United States U17 3 (2)
1999 United States U20 4 (4)
2002–2008 United States 30 (6)
Medal record
Men's soccer
Representing  United States
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner2007 United States
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Taylor Timothy Twellman (born February 29, 1980) is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator for MLS on Apple TV.

Twellman is best known for his play with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) from 2002 to 2009, during which time he scored more goals in MLS than any other player.[1] He was the youngest player to score 100 goals in MLS in 2009 at the age of 29,[2] and is New England's all-time leading goal scorer. Twellman was a five-time MLS all-star and in 2005 was the league MVP.[3] Twellman also earned 30 caps for the United States national team, scoring 6 international goals.

Twellman has been active since his retirement in promoting awareness of concussions and working in the media as a color commentator for ESPN/ABC until 2023 and for Apple TV since 2023.

Youth and college

[edit]

Taylor was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Saint Louis University High School (SLUH). During his time their he received multiple honors such as being named the 1997 NSCAA National Soccer Player of the Year, 1998 Missouri High School Athlete of the Year, he was a two-time Parade and NSCAA All-American ... two-time NSCAA State Player of the Year, a two-time Gatorade State and Central Region Player of the Year. In his four years at SLUH he scored 115 goals and 35 assists, including a record school record 47 goals his junior year. He also played on the schools baseball, basketball and football teams.[4]

After graduating from SLUH in 1998, Twellman elected to play soccer at Maryland on an athletic scholarship.[5] At Maryland, Twellman played soccer in 1998 and 1999; in 1998 Twellman was named a second-team All American and won Soccer America's National Freshman of the Year. In his sophomore 1999 season he finished as a runner-up for both the Hermann Trophy and the MAC Player of the Year Award. After only two seasons with the Terrapins, Twellman left college to turn professional. In 43 games he scored 28 goals and 17 assists, he was also a two time NSCAA All-South Atlantic and two-time All-ACC performer.[6]

Professional career

[edit]

In 2000, Twellman signed with German Bundesliga club 1860 Munich.[7] He spent two years with the team, but played for the reserve team in Division III, and never played above the reserve level.

Twellman returned to the U.S. when he was drafted second overall by the New England Revolution in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft on February 10, 2002.[8] He made his MLS debut in the Revolution's season opener on March 23, coming on as a 67th minute substitute for Álex Pineda Chacón in a 3-1 loss to the MetroStars.[9] He scored his first MLS goal, and made his first MLS start, on April 20, 2002, scoring in the 10th minute of a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew.[10][11] In Twellman's first season in MLS, he established himself as one of the best players in the league, scoring 23 goals and tallying six assists.[12] On May 11, 2002, Twellman scored the first (and second) ever goals at Gillette Stadium in MLS league play, in the Revolution's 2-0 win over the Dallas Burn.[13] He finished second in league MVP voting, and was named to the 2002 MLS Best XI.[3] Twellman scored his first professional hat trick against D.C. United on September 7.[14]

In the 2003 season, despite being beset by a number of injuries, Twellman finished tied with Carlos Ruiz of the L.A. Galaxy for top goalscorer of the league with 15. His season officially ended on October 4, vs. Dallas when he broke his left foot after scoring two goals earlier in the game.[6] Twellman was named both New England Revolution Team MVP and Midnight Riders Man of the Year in both 2002, and 2003, making him the first player to win the honors in back to back years.[15][16] His production went down in 2004, as he ended up with just nine goals.

Twellman with New England Revolution in 2006

Twellman's best MLS season came in 2005, winning both the Major League Soccer MVP Award and MLS Golden Boot, and finishing the regular season with 17 goals.[17] On April 27, vs. the Chicago Fire Twellman became the first player in Revolution history to score 50 goals as a member of the club. During the season he also scored two hat tricks the first vs. Dallas July 16, and against Columbus September 10, this set the Revolution record for career hat tricks games at 3.[6] He was also named to the 2005 MLS Best XI and won MVP honors at that year’s All-Star game.[18] That season Twellman led the Revolution to the 2005 MLS Cup Final vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy where they were defeated 1-0.

During the 2006 season Twellman led the Revolution in scoring four a forth time tallying 11 goals. He also scored his 75th career vs. D.C. United on October 7.[6] During the postseason he scored game winning goal vs D.C. in the Eastern Conference Championship sending the Revolution to their second straight MLS Cup appearance.[19] During the 2006 MLS Cup Twellman became the first ever Revolution player to score a goal in the championship game, however they would lose in penalties 4-3.[20]

Twellman was the target of transfer talk when Odd Grenland of Norway reportedly made a $1.2 million bid for him, which MLS rejected. In February 2007, New England announced they had signed Twellman to a four-year contract, reportedly worth $5 million.[21]

In 2007, Twellman won his first title with the Revolution: the US Open Cup in which he scored the go-ahead goal and four total goals throughout the tournament.[6][22] That year he finished third in MLS in goals scored with 16. The Revolution also won the Eastern Conference title for a third straight year, with Twellman scoring a spectacular bicycle kick against the Chicago Fire to secure the Revs' spot in the 2007 MLS Cup.[23] Twellman scored the opening goal of the 2007 MLS Cup against Houston Dynamo. However, this would be New England's only goal as they would go on to lose their third straight MLS Cup by a score of 2–1.[24]

In January 2008, English Championship team Preston North End attempted to entice Major League Soccer and the New England Revolution to sell Twellman. Preston initially advanced an offer of $1.7 million, but MLS and the team rejected that offer,[25] rejected another offer of $2.5 million, and then rejected another bid for $3 to $3.5 million, which would have been the fourth highest and possibly the second highest transfer fee in MLS history to date.[26][1] During the 2008 MLS season Twellman finished as one of the Revolution’s leading goal scorers with eight. He boasted career lows in appearances 16, starts 12 and minutes, due to a variety of injuries he sustained throughout the year.[6]

Injuries and retirement

[edit]

Twellman suffered a neck injury and a serious concussion from a mid-air collision against Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin on August 30, 2008.[27] Twellman played the rest of the 2008 season, but due to lingering symptoms from his whiplash and concussion, he played only two games in 2009. One of these games vs. New York on June 7, seen him enter as a halftime substitute and score two goals in the 4-0 win those goals were the 100th and 101st of his career.[28] Twellman had planned to make his return during the 2010 season, but he was unable to play that season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. After struggling to find any playing time over the past three seasons in MLS due to his head injury, Twellman announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 2010 MLS season.[29]

International career

[edit]
Twellman at a U.S. national team practice in 2006

Due to having an American father and a mother of Algerian descent, Twellman was eligible to represent the United States men's national soccer team as well as the Algerian national football team.

Twellman began his involvement with the U.S. national program at youth level with the U-17 and U-20 squads.[30] He first gained professional attention after scoring four goals for the U-20 national team at the 1999 World Youth Championship while still playing with the University of Maryland.[30] He also represented the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games.

After establishing himself in MLS, Twellman made his first appearance with the senior U.S. national team on November 17, 2002, against El Salvador.[30] He struggled to score his first international goal, having several apparent goals waved off for offside infractions. He finally scored against Panama in a World Cup qualifier on October 12, 2005.[30] He improved his chances for a spot on the 2006 World Cup team in a friendly against Norway[31] on January 29, 2006. In the game, he scored the ninth hat trick in U.S. national team history, but was ultimately left off the World Cup roster by coach Bruce Arena.[32]

Twellman was selected by new U.S. coach Bob Bradley as a member of the U.S. squad for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring in a group stage win over El Salvador.[33] Twellman gradually fell out of the national team pool in the following years after a series of concussions sidelined his club career.

Post-retirement

[edit]
Twellman in 2025

Since retirement, Twellman has created the THINKTaylor foundation, a charitable organization regarding sports-related concussions. Twellman has agreed to donate his brain to science after death. His brain could be of use to determine whether multiple concussions cause permanent harm to the brain.[34][35]

Twellman Soccer provides programs and tools for players, coaches and organizations across the United States.

Following retirement Twellman has become an avid golfer,[36] in 2026 he competed in the American Century Championship where he finished 8th out 89 competitors.[37]

Media career

[edit]

Twellman has had an active media career after retiring as a player. He joined ESPN/ABC from November 2011 until January 2023 as a soccer analyst,[38][39][40] serving as lead color commentator for their Major League Soccer coverage alongside lead play-by-play commentator Adrian Healey and later Jon Champion.[41] He also hosted a weekly recap show about the league, MLS Rewind, on ESPN+. Twellman called the 2012, 2016, and 2020 European Championships, and in 2014 Twellman was the USMNT lead color commentator in the World Cup in Brazil.[42] He left the network in January 2023 to join Apple's MLS coverage.[38] He also hosts his own podcast Offside With Taylor Twellman.[43]

Personal life

[edit]

Taylor's father Tim Twellman, and uncles Mike Twellman and Steve Twellman, all played professionally in the North American Soccer League. Taylor's brother James Twellman played with the San Jose Earthquakes reserves in 2002. Taylor's grandfather, Jim Delsing, was a Major League Baseball outfielder in the 1950s for five teams. His uncle is golfer Jay Delsing.[44]

Taylor married his high school sweetheart Lindsey in 2003, the two later divorced in 2008, due to "irretrievable breakdown" of their marriage.[45]

Career statistics

[edit]

MLS

[edit]
Club Season League Open Cup North America Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
New England Revolution[46]2002Major League Soccer2823––2823
2003221511212517
200423910–249
2005251710–2617
2006321121203612
2007261644–3020
20081682110199
200922––22
Career total 17410111751190109

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[47]
National teamYearAppsGoals
United States200210
200350
200420
200551
200664
2007101
200810
Total306
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Twellman goal.
List of international goals scored by Taylor Twellman
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 October 12, 2005 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States of America  Panama 2-0 2-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [48]
2 January 29, 2006 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, United States of America  Norway 1-0 5-0 Friendly [49]
3 2-0
4 4-0
5 February 10, 2006 AT&T Park, San Francisco, United States of America  Japan 3-0 3-2 Friendly [50]
6 June 12, 2007 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States of America  El Salvador 3-0 4-0 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup [51]

Honors

[edit]

New England Revolution

United States

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "MLS blocks another offer for Twellman", Boston Globe, Frank Dell'Apa, January 31, 2008.
  2. ↑ "TWELLMAN NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK", Soccer By Ives, June 8, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Revs' Twellman retires 2 years after concussion", Washington Post, Steve Ulman, November 3, 2010.
  4. ↑ TBD. "Taylor Twellman Bio". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  5. ↑ Rosewater, Amy (August 1, 2002), "Twinkle returns for Twellman", USA Today, retrieved November 9, 2007
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 mlssoccer. "Taylor Twellman | MLSsoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ Athletics, University of Maryland (January 24, 2000). "Twellman Signs With 1860 Munich Of German Bundesliga". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  8. ↑ "2002 MLS SuperDraft". mlssoccer. February 10, 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ "MetroStars vs. New England Revolution Match Report – Saturday March 23, 2002". FBref.com. March 23, 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Columbus Crew vs. New England Revolution Match Report – Saturday April 20, 2002". FBref.com. April 20, 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Taylor Twellman ends soccer career". revolutionsoccer.net. November 3, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Landon Donovan may have the record, but Twellman's abbreviated career showed the Revs striker was truly the best at finding the net", Goal.com, Keith Hickey, May 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ 2024 Media Guide. New England Revolution. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  14. ↑ Leger, Justin (June 25, 2020). "Revolution Classics: Taylor Twellman notches hat trick vs. DC United". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Man of the Year Award". The Midnight Riders. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  16. 1 2 revolutionsoccer.net. "History Lesson: Recapping every team MVP through the Revs' first 20 seasons | New England Revolution". revolutionsoccer.net. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Twellman captures MLS Honda MVP". mlssoccer. January 23, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  18. 1 2 mlssoccer. "2005 MLS All-Star Game | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Game Summary Revolution vs. D.C. United 2006 Eastern Conference Finals". www.espn.com. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  20. ↑ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Dy-no-mite! Houston wins MLS Cup | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ Revs' Taylor Twellman signs contract extension, MLS, February 12, 2007, archived from the original on December 29, 2007, retrieved November 9, 2007
  22. ↑ "An oral history of the Revolution's 2007 U.S. Open Cup victory over FC Dallas". revolutionsoccer.net. September 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Playoff Moments". mlssoccer. November 8, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Dynamo beat Revolution 2–1 to repeat as MLS champions", Fox Sports, November 18, 2007, archived from the original on November 20, 2007, retrieved November 18, 2007
  25. ↑ "English team ponders new pitch for Twellman", Boston Globe, Frank Dell'Apa, January 8, 2008.
  26. ↑ "Twellman Vents About Preston Approach". The Washington Post. January 18, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
  27. ↑ "Revolution F Twellman out with concussion symptoms". USA Today. Associated Press. October 28, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  28. ↑ Writer, Staff. "Twellman scores 100th as Revolution rout Red Bulls". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  29. ↑ Ulman, Howard (November 3, 2010). "Revs' Twellman retires 2 years after concussion". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Taylor Twellman". US Soccer Players. August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Three for Twellman as U.S. tops Norway". mlssoccer. January 23, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Twellman adjusts after U.S. Cup team snub". Cape Cod Times. May 4, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  33. ↑ "United States 4, El Salvador 0: U.S. dominates". MetroWest Daily News. June 13, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Twellman's retirement 'not a choice'". Retrieved November 5, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ↑ "Taylor Twellman: Donating Brain For Concussion Study - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. October 15, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  36. ↑ Ochoa, R. J. (May 8, 2026). "Taylor Twellman credits golf for saving his life". SB Nation. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  37. ↑ "American Century Championship Leaderboard". scoring.r2it.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2026. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  38. 1 2 Koons, Zach (January 6, 2023). "Taylor Twellman Announces Departure From ESPN". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  39. ↑ Wahl, Grant (November 21, 2011). "Grant Wahl: Harkes out as ESPN's lead analyst". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Taylor Twellman Replacing John Harkes In ESPN's Soccer Booth Next Year". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. November 22, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  41. ↑ Hofheimer, Bill (December 10, 2018). "Renowned British Broadcaster Jon Champion Will Move to the United States as ESPN's New Play-by-Play Voice for Major League Soccer". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  42. ↑ "After concussion ends playing career, Taylor Twellman is again a rising star", Baltimore Sun, Ryan Bacic, June 20, 2014.
  43. ↑ mlssoccer. "Offside with Taylor Twellman News | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Twellman learned from talented family". www.espn.com. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  45. ↑ Herald, Olivia Vanni | Boston (January 15, 2008). "'Breakdown' cited in Twellman divorce". Boston Herald. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Taylor Twellman". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Taylor Twellman". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  48. ↑ "USA vs. Panama". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  49. ↑ "USA vs. Norway". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  50. ↑ "USA vs. Japan". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  51. ↑ "USA vs. El Salvador". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  52. ↑ revolutionsoccer.net. "Revolution midfielder Carles Gil voted MLS Player of the Month | New England Revolution". revolutionsoccer.net. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  53. ↑ "2002 MLS All-Star Game". mlssoccer. August 3, 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  54. ↑ "2003 MLS All-Star Game". mlssoccer. August 2, 2003. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  55. ↑ "2005 MLS All-Star Game". mlssoccer. July 30, 2005. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  56. ↑ "Revolution Name All-Time Team In Celebration Of 25th MLS Season". NESN.com. March 7, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Taylor Twellman (2022) - University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Honorees set for Enshrinement in St. Louis presented by Great Southern Bank – Missouri Sports Hall of Fame". Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  59. ↑ "'He's a good guy.' David Ortiz really does like Alex Rodriguez, and other highlights from The Tradition - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
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