Jordan McCrary talks about his time with the Revolution

Saturday marked a homecoming of sorts for Jordan McCrary, as he returned to Gillette Stadium for the first time since he was a rookie. Although that first season didn’t go the way he would’ve liked, he still has fond memories of his time with the New England Revolution.

In 2016, McCrary was drafted by the Revs in the First Round of the MLS SuperDraft. The right back was highly touted after playing at the University of North Carolina. Unfortunately for him, he never broke through, as he ended his one-year tenure with zero MLS regular season appearances.

At least part of the reason why he failed to play a single minute was the fact that Andrew Farrell had a firm grasp on McCrary’s preferred position.

“He’s a good player,” McCrary said. “He was drafted number one, so what else can you say? You just learn from him and then go from there. I think I learned a bit, so we go from there. We’re here [in] Seattle.”

McCrary’s next gig was with Toronto FC’s USL side, for which he made 27 appearances. The regular minutes helped the Georgia native earn a trial with the Seattle Sounders, which became his home on Feb. 13.

McCrary has noticed a difference between his first and second MLS team, especially in terms of communication.

“That’s what I would say I like about Seattle right now—there’s a lot of communication back and forth from coaches,” McCrary noted. “There wasn’t much [when I was with the Revs] but now I think it’s a good situation. I’m able to talk with all my coaches and we’re on the same page.”

McCrary stated that Jay Heaps, his first coach, was a “good coach” but also admitted that there was a disconnect. He stated that this could have been because he was new to the team and never fully established a relationship with the man that patrolled the sidelines.

Despite this, McCrary is grateful for his time in New England since it was an opportunity for him to learn what life is like as a professional. Most of all, it was a stepping stone that helped him get to where he is today.

“I have a lot memories [of my time with the Revs],” McCrary said. “There was a lot of good players, coaches and everything. It was good to me. I didn’t get as much time as I really wanted but at the end of the day, things happen for a reason. I’m here now. Things are going well.”