When Eli Millan was little, his grandmother used to ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Millan started off answering her with all the usual childhood dream jobs like wanting to be a fireman or a cop, but as he got older he found it more difficult to come up with something.

By the time he was 13 he really didn’t know what he wanted to do. That feeling of an unknown future stayed with him all through high school until he finally figured out what he wanted to do.

His grandmother had long ago told him that a dream career is doing something you love because if you love it, you will want to do it everyday.

Millan said it was wise advice, but he didn’t understand what she meant until his first week in college when he realized he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life being a history teacher.

He loved sports. He loved playing, watching and writing about them. He thought maybe he could be a sportswriter.

Millan, who was born on May 26, 1985 in the Southern California town of Santa Ana, said the influenced of his town quickly developed his love of soccer.

“Being Hispanic and living in an all-Hispanic neighborhood, soccer is everywhere,” Millan said.

From a young age, Millan and his father would watch soccer games on television. His mother always felt that he would become a soccer player.

“He was born to play to the game,” said his mother Fidelina.

Even though he loved soccer, he actually didn’t start playing on an organized team until he was 12 and his best friend brought him to a select team tryout. He made the team.

Millan then moved on to high school where he proved to be an good player, helping his team at Santa Ana win The Golden West league title in 2000.

With his quick style of play, he was a natural in the offense, scoring over 20 goals as a junior. Before his senior year, he moved to Sacramento to go to Foothill High School.

Millan admitted it was a “hard transition” as he moved to an area so different from his old home. The transition didn’t have an effect on his game however, and he finished his senior season All-Capital Valley Conference and was the league MVP.

His lighting quick footwork caught the eye of Sac State coach Michael Linenberger.

“I loved the way he played. You could see he had a passion for the game,” Linenberger said.

Millan was recruited and he made his way to Sac State. Millan thought he had made a big transition moving from home to a new life his senior year of high school, but now he was in an even bigger school and like most, had a somewhat difficult time adjusting.

“He’s always been a quiet guy. During his first semester, he didn’t have any friends. He would just come to the locker room,” Linenberger said.

As a computer science-turned communications major, he had a hard time with his academics.

“I was really having trouble, but my professors really worked with me,” Millan said.

During his career with Sac State, Millan built his reputation because of his playing style.

“Since his freshmen year we have called him the Energizer Bunny,” Linenberger said.

In his five years at Sac State, Millan has become someone to be admired.

“He has become the leader and ambassador of this team,” Assistant Coach Jason Gantt said.

In addition to his work on the field, he has done well off the field, helping his family by using his talents.

Millan took the time to work with his little brother and sister and said he has turned them into great players at their respective high schools.

“He has done a lot of growing up on and off the field,” Linenberger said.

Millan believes that his experience at Sac State has helped prepare him for life. He is set to graduate this fall and will be the first in his family to receive a college degree. He is proud of this accomplishment, but he knows that his dream doesn’t have anything to do with his major.

“Soccer’s my thing and that is what I want to do,” Millan said.

He has no interest in doing anything but playing soccer after school. He doesn’t plan to coach in the future.

“I’m not a coach man; I always have to play this game,” Millan said. “It’s nice knowing what you’re born to do.”

Lamont Weaver can be reached at [email protected].