The final installment of our Kevin Gray Awards Spotlight features the pride of Kansas City, Matt Besler. Besler's standout performances on and off the field make him the perfect candidate for a Kevin Gray Award. Drafted by Kansas City in 2009, Besler hit the ground running and saw a steady rise in form until 2011, when his career took off after being named 2011 Kevin Gray Awards Adult Player of the Year, presented by Pepsi.
"It's a great honor and one that I felt a lot of pride in accepting," Besler said of receiving the award. "Kansas City has always been a place that has many talented athletes. I'm grateful to be amongst such great company with the previous Kevin Gray Award winners."
Since winning his first Kevin Gray Award in 2011 and second in 2013, Besler has thrived in both domestic and international competition. Here are some highlights from his ever-growing list of accomplishments:
USMNT:
- Debuted for the US Men’s National Team on Jan. 29, 2013
- Started 20 games out of 21 games played for USMNT
- Totaled 1,683 minutes in 2013 and 2014
- Started all four games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, totaling 345 minutes, and is the first player from the state of Kansas to play in a World Cup
2014 MLS
- Captain of Sporting Kansas City
- 2014 Kansas City Sportsman of the Year
2013 MLS
- MLS All-Star Selection
- Sporting Kansas City Defensive Player of the Year
- Selection to the MLS Best XI
- Helped the defensive unit earn 13 shutouts
2012 MLS
- MLS Defender of the Year
- MLS Breakout Player of the Year
- Selection to the MLS Best XI
- Sporting Kansas City Defensive Player of the Year
- Registered two game-winning assists
- Converted PK to help Sporting Kansas City win the U. S. Open Cup
2011 MLS
- MLS All-Star Selection
Besler's impressive accolades leave no room for doubt of his superiority on the field. However, something that not everyone knows about the Overland Park, Kansas native is the strength of his passion for giving back to the community. Besler spends countless hours of his time making guest appearances at Sporting Club Network events throughout the year, as well as events for programs like the Victory Project.
"Two of my favorite opportunities to give back to the community are participating in youth clinics around the Kansas City area and also visiting with kids in local hospitals during their treatments and recoveries," Besler said. "The Kansas City community has embraced our team and it's always rewarding for us to be able to return the support."
Besler offers the perfect triple threat: a hometown hero, a champion on the field and in the community, and an inspiration to young soccer players in the Kansas City area. We hope that the excitement Besler has brought to the Soccer Capital of America will rise just as exponentially as his soccer career has since being named Kevin Gray Awards Adult Player of the Year.
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