Birdman’s excited for a new flight with FC Tulsa
Over the offseason, Tulsa’s USL Championship side rebranded from the Roughnecks to FC Tulsa. With the change in name and color scheme, their new crest also changed from an oil rig to Oklahoma’s state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. That avian introduction could have been foreshadowing for their latest excellent signing for the 2020 season: midfielder Eric Bird.
After four seasons in the Houston Dynamo organization, with the first team and RGVFC, Bird has been announced as the latest member of FC Tulsa. “I chose Tulsa because of all the exciting new changes happening in the organization,” Bird told BGN. “I feel like the club is heading in the right direction and I’m very happy to be given an opportunity to be a part of their new chapter.”
The midfielder affectionately known as the Birdman played in more than 70 matches and scored 14 goals and registered seven assists for the Toros. Bird played a key role on the 2016 RGVFC expansion team that finished second in the Western Conference, primarily occupying as a super-sub. He served as a captain for the Toros in 2017 before he was signed to the Dynamo first team. He said, “I feel really lucky to have been a part of an organization like the Dynamo for four years. I’ll always be grateful for my time there in South Texas.”
Not only did Bird impact the game for RGVFC as a starter and a substitute in that first year, but he also provided quality throughout his time in Texas across the midfield. “I believe my best role is a box-to-box midfielder. I love to go forward and score goals, but I also love getting stuck in and helping my team keep clean sheets,” Bird explained.
Before signing with RGVFC, the Virginia native won an NCAA title with the Virginia Cavaliers and was drafted by the Philadelphia Union in 2015.
