Birmingham native Tanner Tessmann, a defensive midfielder for Venezia of the Italian Serie A, has been named to his first U.S. Olympic roster, the U.S. men’s national team announced on Monday. Tessmann is also the godson of Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney.
Tessmann, who played for Birmingham’s BUSA soccer academy until he was 15, joined FC Dallas’s academy in 2016 and appeared in several games for USL League One team North Texas SC. Despite having no football experience, he committed to play both college soccer and college football for Clemson in 2020. Tessmann was projected to be the team’s kicker.
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During the pandemic, Tessmann chose to forgo his commitment to Clemson and officially started his professional career by signing with FC Dallas. He was acquired by Venezia in 2021, where he has stayed ever since.
Opening Ceremonies for the Paris Games will take place on Friday, July 26. Tessmann and company begin their Olympic competition on Wednesday, July 24, with a game against host France.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.
