So McLaughlin's plan was to join the Revolutionfor a preseason trip in Mexico during his springbreak. But the trip and his plans were abruptlyput on hold when his grandfather passed away justtwo days before he was scheduled to join the teamin Mexico. McLaughlin spent his spring break withhis family in Pennsylvania, and his opportunitiesto showcase his skills and earn a spot on theRevolution's roster were quickly slipping away.

As the MLS season began, McLaughlin foundhimself unsigned, without a roster spot andlooking forward to final exams. But Tommy Mac wasdetermined to work his way into professionalsoccer. In the midst of final exams, he shuttledhimself daily from Harvard to the Revolution'spractices at Babson College, often having toborrow friends' cars in order to make the trip.

"That was the hardest part," McLaughlinremembers. "When exams started, that's when it wasreally hard. I was always the first to leavepractice, and that doesn't always look good."

"But the guys on the team were great. They havebeen very interested in my work, and they werenice about everything. Things like that give youthe self-confidence you need," he said.

That self-confidence must have helpedMcLaughlin impress Rongen. On a bus ride home froman A-league scrimmage in Connecticut, Rongencalled McLaughlin to the front of the bus and madehim an offer he couldn't refuse. Rongen toldMcLaughlin to forget about playing A-league,because the Revolution wanted him on its roster,and management wanted to sign him as soon aspossible. At that moment, Tommy Mac's dream becamea reality.

"My freshman year at Harvard, if you had toldme I'd have a shot to play pro soccer, I wouldhave told you you were crazy," McLaughlin said.

But playing professional soccer is exactly whathe will be doing. And he will be doing it because,aside from the skills needed to compete at thehighest levels in his sport, McLaughlin showed thedetermination necessary to achieve a lofty goal bydoing more than what was asked of him.

Shortly after the MLS draft, Rongen commentedon McLaughlin's situation.

"My biggest dilemma [is that] I cannot keep aspot on the 20-man roster open for him if I feelhe's not ready to step in and contribute," hesaid. "But we realized when we drafted him that hewas going to finish school, and we're willing towait."

Luckily McLaughlin was not willing to wait, andthe Revolution did not have to. In sporadicpractices during a hectic schedule, McLaughlin wasable to show Rongen and the rest of theRevolution's coaching staff that he was ready tostep in and contribute. But that should come as nosurprise to Harvard fans who have watched TommyMac shuffle positions over the last four years tohelp the Crimson in any way he could.

"During high school, I played back for my clubteam [FC Delco] while I was playing forward on myhigh school team," McLaughlin explained. "I didthat for three or four years before coming toHarvard, so I've been learning to adapt since Istarted playing.

"Being versatile on a pro team helps meconsiderably in training sessions. I can do a lotof things pretty well, and that helps earn therespect of other players and coaches."

McLaughlin does not know how long he will playprofessional soccer, but he knows where he wantsto be in the future. And as one would expect, thecharacteristics of his plans--variety andgenerosity--symbolize who he is as a player and asa person.

"It's so hard to tell what I'll be doing in thefuture," McLaughlin says, "but I'd like to be onWall Street working in venture capital for awhile, and eventually I'd like to end up teachinghigh school and coaching soccer at the high schoollevel.

"High school is a great age to help mold kidsinto great young people. My [LaSalle] high schoolcoach [Bob Peffle] is a great person who did somuch for me, and he is still a wonderful friend ofmine."