"Taylor Washington is my hero"

At SixOneFive Soccer, we know that the fans are at the heart of everything that makes Nashville SC great. We appreciate the community of supporters we have built and would like to shed some light on an incredible story.

The story of Colby Hitchcock is a bit different from that of most who grow up in the area. Though it revolves around Nashville SC and soccer in general, his story is one of resilience, faith and gratitude. And who better to tell it than the man himself.

Colby, take it away!

A wish, a club, and a connection

My name is Colby Hitchcock. I am an aspiring journalist with a strong passion for Major League Soccer, particularly Nashville SC. In 2022, I became Nashville SC's first-ever Make-A-Wish recipient.

Since that experience, my love for the club has only grown. I've been a season ticket holder since 2023. Nashville is not only my favorite soccer club, but my favorite sports team overall, and my dream is to one day cover the club and share my passion with fans across Nashville and beyond.

This story is a personal story of my relationship with local legend Taylor Washington. I hope you enjoy it!

The night it all started

I met Taylor in July of 2019, and my life changed forever for the better.

I first met Taylor at the opening of the Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee Headquarters. That evening, it was revealed that my wish to meet Lionel Messi was going to be fulfilled. I was told I would meet Messi in Barcelona in 2020. For the time being, I would attend a Nashville SC USL match at Nissan Stadium as an honorary captain.

On July 26, 2019, my family and I arrived at the stadium early to meet the team. I even had my own jersey signed by the whole team. That evening was special, being able to get away from all the worries of the world and enjoy myself. After a 2-0 victory, we saw Taylor after the match, and he gave me his match-worn jersey. This was only the start of my relationship with the man who’s helped me with so much. 

When COVID hit, I realized that it was uncertain when everything would open back up for me to go to Barcelona to meet the greatest player to ever play. That is when I decided to change my wish to do something with my favorite club, Nashville SC.

After I switched wishes, I don’t remember thinking about or waiting for this wish to be granted. I went back to supporting the club I started to love more and more.

In October of 2021, my dad and I traveled over fall break to Red Bull Arena to watch Nashville take on New York City FC. I contacted Taylor beforehand to let him know that we would be in attendance at the slightest opportunity of talking after the game. The match ended 0-0.

After the game, we talked for a bit with Taylor. He suddenly said that he had to go to the locker room for a second, and he’d be back. When he returned, he had something for me that I couldn’t even imagine. It was a customized, authentic Nashville jersey with my name and number 9 on it. On the front of the jersey, it was signed by everyone on the team. To this day one of my most prized possessions.

From a wish to a reality

On an evening in June of 2022, I remember it like it was yesterday. We picked up my mom from the airport and headed home when I noticed her open her phone and turn on the camera.

I didn’t think much of it until we pulled into our driveway and saw big signs in our yard announcing that my wish had been granted! I then received a text from an unknown number. It was a video.

In the video, Taylor, Hany Mukhtar and Walker Zimmerman revealed that my wish had come true and I would train with them the next morning. Make-A-Wish also revealed that I would tour the stadium and go to Nashville vs LAFC with all-access.

The next morning at training, the first player I talked to was Taylor. The first player who introduced me to everyone was Taylor. The first player to take me out to the field to play was Taylor.

Training day was incredible. It meant a lot for me to meet the guys whom I watch on TV and connect with them on a personal level. It was also an escape. Being able to go to the training ground with the team was an outlet away from physical and mental health struggles. I felt like one of the guys that day. Taylor, Walker and Hany were the reason for that. They were so kind and welcoming and made me feel at home.

A few weeks later, it was matchday. That evening, I was able to reconnect with all the players and be around them for another time. Unsurprisingly, Taylor was the person I talked to the most. From when the players arrived, during warmups, and post-match, he was always up to chat.

That evening was a culmination of several weeks surrounding the club, from meeting the team to feeling a part of something bigger. It’s such a blessing that some of these players still remember me nearly four years later. Players like Taylor, Josh Bauer, and veterans like Joe Willis and Teal Bunbury, all went out of their way to make me a part of it all.

Getting through the hard days

In August of 2022, at the start of my soccer season, my parents revealed to me that I’d be having heart surgery again. I was devastated. It would only take a month of recovery time, but I didn’t even want to miss a single training session. My team, playing for my team, was everything to me.

Taylor helped me through that time. We had dinner the evening before the surgery took place; my family, Taylor, and I. It made the whole experience a little bit easier for me. Having a role model like him helped a lot.

In September of that season, I returned to the field. In October, I scored a free-kick goal to send my team to the state tournament. In November, we won the state championship.

Later that month, my family took a trip to New York for Thanksgiving. Taylor is from nearby Sommers, New York, and he was there at the time. It was also in the middle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

We arrived on the day of the USMNT vs Wales group stage game. I reached out to Taylor, letting him know we were in New York, and he actually met up with us at a local restaurant to watch the match. After the match, we went around New York for a bit with him as well.It means so much to me to have a friendship like that, where you can just meet up with him in New York.

Then in December, he came over to my house to watch England vs France in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. At halftime, Taylor and I went to my backyard to play 1v1. After that experience, I thoroughly believe people underestimate how good professional soccer players actually are compared to the average person!

A friendship deeper than soccer

For the next year or so, Taylor and I consistently kept in touch, and that’s something I’ll always remember. Taylor, a professional soccer player, doesn’t need to take time out of his day to respond to a text, but that’s the person he is.He’s so Christ-like and loving to everyone around him, and it inspires me to be the same.

In the spring of 2023, Taylor and I did a jersey swap after the home game vs Atlanta United. That jersey, along with the match-worn jersey from 2019, is framed in my room.

Standing by through the toughest season

In November of 2024, I learned some of the hardest news in my life. I would be having open-chest heart surgery.

When I was very young, I had experienced three open-heart surgeries, but I didn’t remember what that was like. Taylor was there for me through the whole process, sharing words of encouragement and scriptures to read to help me through this time.

On December 10th of 2024, I had some of my closest friends, including Taylor, over for dinner the evening before this major surgery. Taylor brought me a club-issued Nashville SC jacket that only staff and players can get, which was amazing. Even after the surgery, he continued to check up on me, and we stayed in touch as often as possible. It’s such a blessing to have people around you during difficult seasons of your life, and you need people like Taylor in your life who are relentlessly positive and share the Gospel.

At the start of March of this year, the doctor told me that what they thought they fixed in December of 2024 needs to be fixed again. I'll be having another heart surgery in May of this year. It'll be the ninth major heart surgery of my lifetime.

Once again, Taylor was someone I could reach out to about this. He’s been talking me through it, always helpful and relentlessly positive.

Taylor Washington is my hero

There’s a reason this man is so highly recognized in the city of Nashville, and it’s because of his heart and his character. I see Christ through Taylor.

From looking back on the moment I first met him in 2019, to being his number one fan throughout the rest of his MLS career, to now having a close friendship with this city icon. Taylor was a phenomenal player in his time in Nashville, but he was and continues to be an exceptional man. He's an example for others on how to treat people and live life through joy and positivity.

Taylor Washington is my hero.