Pro Soccer Player and Hometown Hero Freddie Braun Makes 7-Year-Old's Day

Instead of playing with new toys on the day after Christmas, Carson Collins was practicing soccer moves taught to him by his hometown hero Freddie Braun.

Braun, 23, played for from 2003 to 2006, and for the Rochester Select Soccer Club, and now plays professionally for a Major League Soccer team, the Portland Timbers.

While Collins was wearing his Braun jersey and practicing his new moves (with the soccer ball Santa brought him for Christmas), his three favorite words were: "That was awesome!"

His father, Scott Collins, arranged for the special holiday visit through his friend, Fred Braun – Freddie's father.

After playing soccer in the Rochester area throughout his childhood, Freddie Braun walked on to the team at University of Louisville and eventually became the captain.

After graduation, he tried out for the new expansion team, the Potland Timbers, and made the team to start his career as a professional soccer player.

Carson, a 7-year-old player for the Rochester Soccer Club, may very well be following in Braun's footsteps with the help of his freshly taught moves.

"All year he's talked about wanting to play soccer professionally, and his favorites are Lionel Messi, Landon Donovan and of course, Freddie Braun," Shannon Collins said.

Collins, said Carson called his grandparents right after Braun's visit to tell them he met a real pro soccer player.

"He wants to buy FIFA '12 (the soccer video game) so he can be Freddie Braun," Collins said.