No one was more shocked than Marco Ramirez when he got the news that he’d been drafted second overall by the California Cougars during the 2006 the Major Indoor Soccer League draft.

“I actually found out through my teammates that day. They were like, ‘congratulations on being drafted’, and I was like, for what, the Army?” Ramirez said.

“It came out of nowhere.”

Ramirez was not even aware that he was being considered for the draft, which was held two days prior to the news breaking. He said the Cougar coaches had done their homework on him without any kind of contact.

“The coaches never contacted me, they contacted Mike Linenberger, (men’s soccer coach). They’re the ones who found out about me. They just called up Mike and said they had drafted me.”

Already midseason in the MISL, contract negotiations won’t begin until next season. In the meantime, Ramirez is preparing for a try-out with the Seattle Sounders, a semi-pro A-League team on a tier directly below the Major League Soccer level.

It has been a spring season of opportunity for Ramirez. In addition to the draft, the first three days of the semester found him in Los Angeles trying out for the MLS’s LA Galaxy.

“It’s so exciting, I’m shocked. I know I have qualities and abilities to play at a certain level, but I wasn’t ready to be selected for this. It’s nice to see your talent and your work paying off,” Ramirez said.

“It will for sure be something I’m going to consider.”

Josh Terrell can be reached at [email protected]