Before Colorado's newest signing, Reggie Cannon, has the chance to take the pitch and find his footing, here are four things you should know about our versatile #4.
For the Stars & Stripes
Cannon made his international debut in 2018 and has gone on to make 28 appearances since then, his latest in 2022 against Japan in a friendly match.
The right back assisted the squad to achieve 14 shutouts in those appearances and tallied some attacking numbers of his own, recording one goal and three assists.
Overall, Cannon has rostered on impressive USMNT squads and competed for (and won) multiple trophies, including the Concacaf Nations League (2022), World Cup qualifiers (2021), and Gold Cup (2021 and 2019). He started in the 2019 Gold Cup final against Mexico, scoring his first senior international goal in a subsequent friendly against Costa Rica. He also played in the 2021 Gold Cup final, where the U.S. defeated Mexico 1-0, and was part of the squad that won the Concacaf Nations League in the 2019-20 season.
Prior to his involvement with the senior national team Cannon represented the United States at the U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-23 levels.
Homegrown Hero
Cannon is the 11th player on the current Rapids roster to hold a Homegrown status, and fourth from a team outside Colorado. His development through the ranks of FC Dallas from 2014 to 2016 primed the defender for the competition of MLS and an eventual move to Europe after being signed as a high schooler in 2016.
After his time with the FC Dallas academy and prior to his first-team signing, Cannon took his talents to the NCAA, as he committed to play at Pac-12's UCLA. His time with the Bruins was short, as he played for one season before returning to Texas to sign his Homegrown contract with the Toros.
Sharing the Pitch Again
The 26-year-old Texas native already has a few friendly faces in his Colorado teammates, as he’s played with Djordje Mihailovic, Zack Steffen, Sam Vines and Jonathan Lewis on the international stage at different points in his career.
Cannon shared the U.S. pitch with Mihailovic, Steffen and Lewis in the 2019 Gold Cup as well as a smattering of international friendlies from 2018 to 2020 and was on the 23-man roster for the 2021 Gold Cup with Vines.
Cannon made his international debut in 2018 under then-Interim Head Coach, Dave Sarachan, the father of Rapids’ assistant coach Ian Sarachan.
It's In The Family
While Cannon reached incredible heights at a young age by going pro with Dallas, he’s definitely not the first in his family to achieve greatness.
Cannon’s grandfather, Dr. Warren Washington, received a Nobel Peace Prize for his research on climate change with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. Washington is also a National Medal of Science recipient, former chair of the National Science Board and senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, where he spent the majority of his career.
Fun fact: The first time Washington got to watch his grandson play was on Decision Day in 2018 when Dallas and Colorado faced off at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.
His mother, Dr. Tracy Cannon-Smith, a Brown University alumna, is a renowned urological surgeon in Arlington, Texas, with almost 30 years of experience in her field.
Additionally, Cannon’s stepsister, Bianca Smith, made her own mark on American athletics in 2021 when she joined the Boston Red Sox as the first Black woman to hold a coaching job in any professional baseball organization affiliated with MLB. She now coaches with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program, as well as the Great Britain women’s national baseball team and the 23 and Under Great Britain baseball team.
