PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers announced today that the club has signed five-year-old goalkeeper Derrick Tellez to a one-game contract, fulfilling his wish to be a Timbers first-team player through Make-A-Wish® Oregon. Leading into Portland’s home game against Orlando City SC on Sunday, Sept. 24, Tellez will participate in his first training session with the team this Friday.
A resident of North Portland, Derrick, who is currently battling a cancerous brain tumor, will receive an exclusive training-day experience with the Timbers on Friday, arriving at the adidas Timbers Training Center with his family to meet his new coaches, teammates and staff during a tour of the training center.
“We are thrilled to welcome Derrick to the club and help make his wish to sign with the Portland Timbers a reality for him and his family,” said Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for the Timbers.
Derrick will also be greeted with a customized locker with personalized jerseys for him and his seven-year-old brother, Josue. Both players will join the Timbers goalkeepers and goalkeeper coach Adin Brown for drills during the team’s training session. Prior to the training session, Derrick will be included in the Timbers’ official team photo as a member of the first-team squad.
"Derrick is an extremely talented young goalkeeper, and we’re excited to have him signed for this weekend’s game against Orlando City,” said Caleb Porter, head coach of the Timbers. “We are pleased to have him join our club and look forward to his contributions."
On Sunday, Derrick and his family will enjoy a unique gameday experience at the Timbers home match against Orlando City. After arriving to Providence Park in a limousine, Derrick and Josue will join the team for the pregame ceremonies, sitting on the bench during warmups and walking out onto the field with the players for the national anthem before rejoining their parents to watch the game from the KeyBank Club.
Following the game, Derrick will join head coach Caleb Porter and the team on the field to participate in the log ceremony in front of the Timbers Army, before heading to the locker room for Porter’s postgame team speech.
Derrick Tellez
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 5
Hometown: Portland
Acquired: Signed on Sept. 20, 2017
About Make-A-Wish® Oregon
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Oregon chapter is one of 62 Make-A-Wish chapters in the United States. With the help of generous donors and 390 volunteers, the Oregon chapter has granted more than 3,700 wishes in Oregon and Clark County, Washington, since its inception in 1983. For more information about Make-A-Wish Oregon, visit oregon.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.
