Watch Nick Rimando during a match and his leadership becomes evident immediately. The guttural commands from the Real Salt Lake goalkeeper shift players around the field as he positions his teammates to best protect the RSL goal. The respect he has earned from teammates and opponents alike is palpable as he navigates through another match in a record-breaking 19-season career.
However, those same players that shadow the point of his glove paint the picture of another type of teammate off the field – a bantering prankster that is among the first to keep the locker room light at the right moments.