FC Dallas' Nkosi Tafari: Individuality & Naming Rights

Episode #127: Nkosi Tafari has layers to peel. Besides his unique style and look, this New Yorker is embracing life in Texas and soaking in the international culture from his teammates.

In this episode, we talk with Tafari about his place on the FC Dallas first team. We also learn about his other sports interests when he was – basketball, track and lacrosse.

Enjoy this Hustle and Pro conversation with FC Dallas defender Nkosi Tafari.

Photo courtesy of FC Dallas

FC Dallas | Website

Nkosi Tafari | FCD Bio

TRANSCRIPT – Automated by AI, please excuse typos and errors.

Kelly Walker
Welcome to Hustle and Pro, I’m your host Kelly Walker. Our guest today is FC Dallas defender in Nkosi Tafari. Did I say your name close to correct?

Nkosi Tafari
Yeah, no, definitely better than 94% of population.

Kelly Walker
I’ll take it. A plus. Okay, I’ll take it. Well, for those of our listeners who don’t know your name yet. You are a defender for FC Dallas. And just so you know, these are some of my favorite interviews, I think you’re my eighth FC Dallas player, so you’re in good company, Reggie, Edwin, Eddie, Ryan. Tanner, I’m going blank now and some of the others but I love talking to you guys and I’m a longtime FCD fan also so that helps make it fun, so thank you welcome and thanks for taking time to talk to me today. Of course, yeah. Thank you. So I want to just sort of start with where we are right now in your career, we’re recording this in early October and in the middle of this season, but you came to FC Dallas let’s see January 2020 I think was your when you got drafted and MLS SuperDraft. You were at with NTSC for six or so games, right, and then we started seeing you here, first Team in Frisco. And the way I see it is, there were, you know all these all these pieces of the backline were moved with Reggie leaving and then early in this season with an injury with Matt hedges and some things just sort of sit shifted and change and we started seeing you more and more. So, tell me from your perspective how did this play out for you to get to this point.

Nkosi Tafari
That all came together very quickly, but I, I’m more or less saw it coming together actually you could ask some of the staff members and a few guys on the team. I kept just like I was injured, maybe three separate occasions actually in pre season, I just wasn’t playing. And I was just like, yeah, Just wait till June like June is gonna be the start of my progression just I’m just waiting until June at this point, because I knew like in May, we only had one game a week at this point we were the first six games or one game a week, and I knew once we started getting into maybe two games a week. Hectic more busier schedule that other things were probably starting to change rotations would happen. So I was like, I’ll just wait till June for my progression. So then this was maybe like late March, early April. Still, I’m just like, Yeah, I’ll wait till June like it’s an algo through April, May, and I’ll get there it’s just like I can’t be rushing back my injury. And then it probably was the team had an away game to Colorado at the end of May. Two, we’re about to go on our long international break for about three weeks that we’re actually in right now. Matt Like walks in, next day on crutches, in a locker and I’m like wow, that’s, that’s interesting that was that came out of nowhere, because he played the last game, and didn’t like get hurt enough,

Kelly Walker
there wasn’t like a noticeable injury happen on field.

Nkosi Tafari
and I watched the game didn’t see anything. So I was like okay. And then this is also at the same time that Bressan had been sent back to Brazil to get his green card. So the only other club where me and Jose. So it was just us too, but this is the start of June and Bressan’s visa was supposed to be processed, maybe around like the seventh, they start doing it then, but it’s a long process, so he actually ends up coming back on, he flies home on the 18th back are flies home from home, back to Texas. On the 18th we have our game on the 19th and then Matt still out number signs out so me and him are the only two center backs, and I wasn’t sure, probably, maybe the Thursday before the Saturday game is when I knew, But like the three weeks going up into that started getting a feeling like mental is like well there’s no one else here, right, I should serve myself more so than usual. Maybe they play a guy out of position but it seemingly like I’m here. And then yeah I made made that first game. And then a few days later started again against LAFC and actually wasn’t supposed to start that third game against the Revolution, when we came back home, because we were going back to a fallback system, and I was just the next man up. But then Jose got like a hamstring injury day before the game, and the I didn’t know until maybe six and a game started at seven, I was starting. Oh wow. Yeah, I was just like in the locker room, regular routine just

Kelly Walker
You were on the 18 man, you thought you were on the sub list?

Nkosi Tafari
Yeah, certainly as a centre back like a more, a more reserved I know I’m not like bad it gets subbed in unless somebody gets hurt, it’s like, I’m here for precaution last minutes maybe if we’re winning but it’s defenders hardly are getting stuff done and games. But then he, they told me like an hour for the game that before they got hurt. I had to wait. Okay, that’s fine, and I’m actually ended up winning that game, And then progressively got the next maybe six or seven due to injuries between author and Matt because they were still recovering.

Kelly Walker
Yeah, sometimes that’s, that’s how you know your spot opens up and you just take advantage if you can and you did you’ve played really well really solid back there. Are you, what’s your goal as far as your minutes going forward or what are your expectations for the rest of, not much left to the season but the rest of the season.

Nkosi Tafari
Um, yeah whatever the rest of the season, my minutes. Not even I just want to put the team in the best capable to succeed, we’re in a position right now, where whatever is best, has to be done, I don’t necessarily know what that is, but if that’s me playing or me not playing whatever is best still has to be done, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, so if I have to be on the bench for that that’s okay, I certainly played my fair share against it, that’s okay to say. But yeah, I would love to play and I’d love to have an impact on the turning around of the season, fighting for playoffs. However, whatever it is India will fall into place.

Kelly Walker
So let me ask you since you did play a few games with NTSC. Was it weird playing at a baseball stadium converted to a soccer field,

Nkosi Tafari
wasn’t too bad because they at least they have the soccer field setup, the one field that was looking forward to playing into but we actually didn’t because of a bygone schedule change was NYCFC stadium, because that’s full baseball stadium, the width is almost I think 60 wide when is supposed to be like 80. So I would be like yeah How was this, it would have factored into being a really weird but the origin, one is you look up into the stands, it looks funky looking right other things. But, yeah, yeah.

Kelly Walker
That’s one of my favorite ballparks I’m baseball girl so I love that old ballpark Yeah, it’s so weird when they said they were converting it but I like that NTSC got their own space, because we were sharing before and then they were always playing after first team and you know it was, it was hard for them, I’m sure. So I’m curious, you played college soccer right you were at UConn a little and Seattle University. So, do you find yourself and that experience and with your age. Do you find yourself like jelling more with the guys who also had that kind of experience like Munjoma and Ryan and maybe Brandon, or the, the guys that are the home groans that don’t really leave this Frisco system and that are just running right through and they’re teenagers and playing all the way through our system here.

Nkosi Tafari
Yeah. Hmm, interesting. I’d say I, because I’m a people person. I like getting to know everyone and I even as almost maybe a little bit more biased to some of the guys who are formed because I love to know more about cultures and places I’ve never been to several fans from Spain for songs from Brazil and we got gas in Venezuela, Colombia. So I talked to them from Argentina is my locker buddy. So I talked to him all the time about Argentina, he’s always asked me about New York, but yeah he’s he sits right next to me so every day view same day we both kind of were, I think once I started starting like the week before June 19 Maybe like June 10 was when he first got here and then he was training from them but he was like, So, me and him kind of like been new ish, at the same time so I talked to him about, just different cultures and stuff because he really likes New York, but then a lot Yeah, with Brandon, because he did a bit of a college, I played against Eddie for like three out of, like, five years in college because he was SMU guy, yeah it would always clash at that conference, and Nikki Hernandez another guy, because he was an SMU dude. So we talked about it in different games and things that we had but yeah all the college guys have like a, there’s a different type of bond there Yeah,

Kelly Walker
yeah, I would think so, just I mean, like you said you faced them before and you’ve been opponents and you’re sort of you’ve, you’ve lived that sort of experience together. And then that whole nother international player experience and world, that, that are sharing the locker room with you too so yeah I do I bet that’s a fun way to, you know, explore other parts of the world and other cultures with guys that you get to spend a lot of time with.

Kelly Walker
Can you tell us tell us a little bit about that in your own words?

Nkosi Tafari
Yeah, it was essentially just the name in which I was given. My own name was given to me entirely. So going throughout life and my progression just into adulthood, I became more aware of the name and its background and lineage. And it was something that like it is my name I’m not opposed to my last name is more. So if I have any attachment to it, it’s because of my father. And it’s like, I feel it’s more his last name and our thing. But outside of that, I’m not really attached to it in any way, shape, or form. But certainly, when I’m on the field, I want to be playing as the person who I am. And I’ve built everything that you’re seeing is that I’ve just I’ve done it myself, which is the thing that I love. And it hasn’t been really built off the backs of others. Like if I’m going to be playing this game that I can always choose a name that was actually given to me. Yeah. So then I felt I could use my first name and put it on the back of my jersey. But like my middle name hadn’t been used before. Even in middle school, high school. nobody really knew my middle name. I didn’t tell people my middle name, it just kind of sat there as the T. And I was like, I can look at I’ll use it, it’ll look cool in the back of the jersey. So then I ended up going with a just for a sense of stability. And knowing that it’s like, yeah, if I’m going to be building this career, I can certainly do it off the name in which I want to choose. And since I haven’t played a game yet, it’s the perfect time to implement it.

Kelly Walker
Yeah, I think it’s cool. And I had I never heard of Nkosi before, but I read that it’s in the national anthem of South Africa and it means ruler King. Yes. And then Tafari that you go by. You say it derives from Ethiopia, meaning he who inspires all and then the Caribbean people say tough are I which, that’s when I first heard you say that. I was like, every time I see stuff out there, that’s what I think of tough are I you know, it’s it’s ti FA ri Safari, but like, it looks like Tafari but I say like in my mind, tough ri Yeah, it has to give you some sense of pride, right? And confidence. And because you are your unique self, and you’re you chose that name on your jersey, I’m guessing that that you feel that every time you’re you’re wearing it

Nkosi Tafari
does something that I mean, same as the number I wouldn’t have wanted a number that perhaps I couldn’t have chosen. But yeah, just like yourself, I hear the Tafari in my head whenever it said but mainly just like in my mom’s voice all the time, because she would say it all the time growing up. I’m just like, this is the name I gave like you need, though. It was always I always hear that in my head for sure.

Kelly Walker
That’s cool. That’s cool. So speaking of growing up, were you always a soccer kid, or did you play other sports?

Nkosi Tafari
played other sports but mainly just to stay active because my parents were always working. So I was like, I’d rather not gonna be out doing stuff. They wanted me out doing stuff. So I would do any kind of after school sport, it got to the point where I was playing. I did want like every season so I did soccer, basketball, lacrosse and track just just cuz I was like, my senior year I did track but mainly mainly soccer. My dad, he played basketball but my brother also played soccer. So it was just yeah, mainly I only really played outside of school. Only soccer.

Kelly Walker
outside of school. Yeah, but for school you were track basketball and lacrosse for school. Yeah, I wouldn’t middle here in the northeast. So yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, they

Nkosi Tafari
do that they don’t do that.

Kelly Walker
Not really not for school are all our costs like in Frisco area? high school kids at play lacrosse play like more at a city level, but zoned by their school, but not like it’s not an on campus. Not yet. We’re not there yet. We’re still focused on lots of soccer kids around here. Mostly.

Nkosi Tafari
football. Football seems to be in football. Yes. Can’t

Kelly Walker
We’re definitely in football. And so then growing up in Manhattan, did you have dreams and goals to play? For New York team?

Nkosi Tafari
Yeah, growing up in New York, I would have loved to like play for nycfc and even when I was younger, they didn’t actually exist, right? So it was started I was just like a big Metro sports fan. I love the jerseys. Kind of the whole thing that had going on they kind of changed Redbull but I didn’t love the idea of Red Bull because it’s like just off in New Jersey. So it’s like yeah, it’s New York Red Bulls, but the location isn’t entirely in the city. Like I was one of the city my dad lives in the city. My mom was all over I was like, but I love like I love cities. When I was in Seattle’s I love cities. So in when my friends playing for nycfc. And I was like watching them actively. And I’m Maybe sophomore junior year of college I was like this would be ideal. Continue my progression go through the draft end up here, right sign a contract and then be in a city. That would be lovely. So yeah, it would have been great but there’s only one team out there very few spots. It’s like a one in how many to end up like I have to work out specifically

Kelly Walker
do they have a system like we do where we pull so many homerooms into our into our academy and up through systems?

Nkosi Tafari
No stab at them, they were doing other stuff, but they didn’t know Academy and on Long Island, there wasn’t actually any real Academy soccer that was attached to an MLS club there was like, I don’t even know you know, the name. Albertson. If I were to throw that out there like PDA teams like these. No, yeah, there were not there was only Red Bull Academy and they were maybe about two hour drive away from where I was, and they couldn’t really even dragged me.

Kelly Walker
An that’s not easy. And I mean, you hear stories of families that do figure out how to make that work. You went to UConn and how long were you there?

Nkosi Tafari
I was there from the exact dates July 12 2015 to make 2019

Kelly Walker
wow yeah yeah, you know, you know exactly when. Time for a question completely out of the blue. How many people have you saved their life from choking in the mall?

Nkosi Tafari
Just the one on the flu which is still a larger number.

Kelly Walker
That’s crazy right? That’s crazy. Was that just like a year ago? I feel like it wasn’t that long ago that story coming from

Nkosi Tafari
Last year. Summer it was summer so maybe more June but yeah as last year my first year in Texas like my first like six months

Kelly Walker
yeah you get here and you’re hanging out at the food court in the mall and you see a lady you know obviously struggling and choking and you just step in and did you get from the Heimlich and

Nkosi Tafari
Oh yeah, yeah, I’m like good old memory from seventh grade still working I guess

Kelly Walker
you’ve locked it in there and when I went to action that’s crazy. Yeah, and I saw a story where she came to the stadium and thanked you and everything that’s funny too Oh yeah. Yeah, for sure. That’s cool hopefully you converted her into a soccer fan she comes and watches FC Dallas play and then I want to talk about your the the thing that sort of stands out so besides when you’re on the field things but things that stand out as you guys come into the stadium and you know you’re sure other your personality in life is your fashion sense and how unique you are pretty tired of everybody talking to you about this because like yeah, it’s not that big of a deal

Nkosi Tafari
but I feel like people over feel like I’m doing anything crazy yet soon probably yeah I’ll start doing some things that are probably just crazy. I step one and then what other people might look at it as like wow, this is totally outlandish. But right now I feel like I’m playing

Kelly Walker
I don’t think it’s crazy. It’s it’s colorful. And I don’t know you put different things together that everybody else doesn’t know so it’s it’s just brighter sometimes or bolder, or I don’t know differently matched and hopefully out there that up but it’s not like you’re aware. It’s like crazy things that aren’t real fashion or anything. Have you been like that your whole life? Or is that something you’ve come into? lately?

Nkosi Tafari
I’ve been in the mindset of like, not trying to we rewear certain items. ever say even when I was younger, and I had minimal items, it was actually a lot easier to keep track of it than it is now. Oddly enough, but when I was younger, and I didn’t have many clothing items, or at least like let me not wear the same and then try and mix and match different things. See what you can do but I love like love dressing up doing cosplay. So it’s like game days like little mini Halloween store. I can just kind of because outside of that, certainly in a COVID world I don’t go out. I go to the stadium. I come home and it’s like, okay, it was a game day and I got training again go to stadium from home. That’s a lot of cyclic style of life now. So when I get to go to the stadium love to dress

Kelly Walker
every day, everyday life, your clothes or training clothes and you’re hanging out in your place and you don’t need to get dressed up. Yeah, you got your money, you get your red carpet moment. Okay, so yeah, well, it’s entertaining. We like it. So so keep up. We always look forward to see what you’re what you’re wearing when you show up to the to the stadium.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai