It's been three years since Bobby Rhine passed away. It doesn't feel like it could've possibly been that long ago.
Bobby (below right, celebrating a goal scored by now-head coach Oscar Pareja in Pareja's final professional match) was one of the genuinely nicest people I've ever known. I was lucky enough to work with him on a daily basis for a little over a year. Even when I was an intern brand new to the world of Major League Soccer, Bobby went out of his way to make me feel welcome at FC Dallas. He had a unique ability to lighten the mood and make you feel like he was one of your oldest friends.
Bobby was also a better ambassador for the Beautiful Game than FCD could've asked for, and he set the bar for what a club icon should be.
He was drafted by the Dallas Burn sixth overall in the 1999 MLS College Draft. From that point on, Bobby made Dallas his home.
He spent his entire 10-year playing career in a Burn/FC Dallas jersey (212 games played, 23 goals and 34 assists). Bobby met his wife here and started a family here. And after he hung up his boots in 2008, he became the voice of the club as he transitioned into a broadcasting career.
The FC Dallas family - and North American Soccer Community as a whole - was shocked by Bobby's sudden passing in September of 2011.
It's impossible to put into words what Bobby meant to those who knew him, but I highly recommend Nick Firchau's in-depth article from a year ago.
FC Dallas carries on Bobby's memory in a number of ways; the "Forever Our Voice" banner that hangs from the Toyota Stadium press box, an annual youth soccer tournament that bears his name, and for the third year in a row, FC Dallas staff, ownership, fans and partners will come together for the American Heart Association Heart Walk in Dallas.
You can sign up to join team BR19 here, and walk with us as we pay respect to the man who will be Forever Our Voice.