The player you see on the pitch, Tomás Jacob, may not meet your expectations as a person — in a particularly delightful way.
The Argentinian acquired in the winter may present as a tenacious, physically imposing defender. At times, he’s a fiery force on the pitch, but beneath his footballing identity lies a truly hilarious personality, one blooming with enthusiasm and appreciation.
We sat down with Atlanta United’s fullback, asking him 17 questions to learn more about his upbringing, what he most appreciates in life and how he came to be an Atlanta United player:
Do you remember your first encounter with football?
It’s hard to remember, but many memories are coming to me, when my family would take me to the stadium. I think those are the first ones.
Where is your family from in Argentina?
From Felicia, it’s a town in Santa Fe about five, six hours outside of Buenos Aires.
Where can one find the best barbecue in the world?
Argentina, by far. You have to try it in Felicia, that’s where it’s made.
Have you always had your fun personality?
Always. I think it’s something that I get from my mother. The advice that she always gives me is to not lose that.
In Felicia, what are some of the things you liked to do the most?
What I enjoy is spending time being outside of my house, taking the chairs out, grabbing mate and being there with my family. That’s what I find the most fun and the loveliest thing in the world. Even though it’s chill, I enjoy it very much.
What’s your favorite pastime in Atlanta?
I like going to Piedmont Park a lot. I sit down there and have mate, or I’ll sit on the stairs and have all the park below me. It’s a very calm feeling.
What’s the most fun thing you’ve done in Atlanta outside of football?
Eating Shake Shack. If we win, every so often that’s my taste.
What do you get at Shake Shack?
I get a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato.
If you had to choose one dish to eat every single day for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
You know, I saw this question, and I would say barbecue, but I don’t know if I could go every single day with barbecue because I don’t know if it’d be good for my body. My body wouldn’t handle it well. I don’t know, [I’d say] some fish and a salad with rice, so that I have a little bit of everything.
Who are the people who have helped you most in your transition to the United States?
My mom, my two sisters and now my girlfriend has been with me a lot. My whole family [has helped me], so that I don’t forget anyone.
Now that you’ve played in both LIGA MX and MLS, what are some of the similarities and differences?
I’ve seen a lot of similarity in it being a game with a lot of transitions. There’s a lot of space behind the defense, so the defenders sometimes are left very exposed and alone. The difference is here, the majority of the designated players are forwards, so they make a big difference. In Mexico, it’s all more even because there isn’t a rule like that which MLS has.
You’ve already played in three positions for the 5-Stripes. To be as versatile of a player as you are, is it more of a mentality or something you’d attribute to your physicality?
I think it’s a little bit of both, mentally to know what you can do everywhere and do it in a certain way and also physically you need one more resource to do it.
How do you see the Argentinian identity affecting this team?
I think it’s good and adds to the group. It helps because we spread that joy and ambition to win. I like that. I like it because you come content to training, you go content to play to enjoy it with the guys.
How’s your relationship with Tata and how important was he in your move to the club?
It’s very good. For me, he’s an idol because he was there at the club I played at [Newell’s Old Boys]. So, I try to calm down a touch. But he helped me a lot because he’s a really sincere man, and he knows where and when to talk to you in the moment.
Do you have other footballing idols?
Well, apart from Tata [Martino], I’ve always said Messi. It was that era for me.
If you weren’t a professional footballer, what would you be?
I would like to work on the countryside. I like horses and cows, and I’d like to be there.
What do you want 17s to know about you?
Just that I’m a humble guy, that if they need help or something, I’m here. I don’t think I’m anybody special. Just because I’m a player and they’re fans, that doesn’t mean they can’t talk with me. I’d like if they talk to me, that we can chat and I can spread my energy with them. I like helping people.
