Former Atlanta United teammates on why Brad Guzan is beloved

Lots of talking. Honesty. Physical energy. At least one late-night scooter ride.

Off the field, former teammates described Guzan as an earnest, sometimes goofy guy who, even after playing for more than 20 years, still doesn’t understand that physically he’s bigger than everyone else.

“I think everybody would say that has played with him or been around him, he’s got a ton of energy, and it’s infectious and it’s positive,” said Carlos Bocanegra, who first met Guzan during a training camp with the U.S. men’s team. It was so long ago Guzan had hair, which was a joke most of his former teammates made.

Parkhurst, Guzan, Darlington Nagbe and Jeff Larentowicz decided to ride scooters for a late-night run to McDonald’s. Larentowicz got off as soon as he realized how fast the scooters could go.

The remaining trio kept rolling to the golden arches.

“Apparently McDonald’s isn’t thrilled if you try and go through the drive-thru without a mechanical vehicle,” Parkhurst said.

As professional as Guzan is in everything on the field, that’s the kind of mischief he could get into off the field.

“I think we really liked to enjoy ourselves off the field and then just have a good time and give each other a hard time and banter and things, and that’s what made you know, ’18 and ’19 a lot of fun off the field,” Parkhurst said. “It carries on to the field.”

Banter.

That was another thing Bocanegra, Larentowicz and Parkhurst said about Guzan.

“He likes to talk,” Larentowicz said.

Guzan usually is one of the first players on the training pitch before every session. He typically can be heard before he’s seen.

The trash-talking between Guzan and Chris McCann would go on for so long that McCann would eventually tell Guzan to “put the ball away.”

Though it was back and forth, Larentowicz said Guzan never was mean-spirited.

If a teammate was having a bad day, Guzan would tell them that, but in an encouraging way, and if they were having a great day, Guzan would try to keep them level-headed.

“He’s a great, great dude, awesome for the locker room when things need to be called out,” Larentowicz said. “He was always there. And honestly, I think that’s probably why he lasted so long, because he’s so important in locker rooms. When you got one, you kind of hang on to him.”

Sometimes, he doesn’t realize it.

A high-five or hug can turn into a bruising encounter.

“You’re like, dude, ‘You’re not light,’” Bocanegra said.

When Gerardo Martino managed Atlanta United in ‘17 and ‘18, the team would play a fun scrimmage the day before matches. Position players would move into goal — which is how the team discovered defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez was an outstanding keeper — and the goalkeepers would move into the field.

Guzan became a position player. The fun didn’t last. Guzan went for a header at the back post and took out a teammate, just like he did twice to Franco Escobar during matches.

“When he runs you over, you’re feeling it, and that’s what happened that day,” Larentowicz said.

Martino ruled then and there the goalkeepers no longer were allowed to play in the field.