For sophomore Ade Taiwo, getting on the field for the NC State men’s soccer team has not come easily.

Just after winning the 2012-13 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year award after his junior year at Cardinal Gibbons High School and verbally committing to NC State, Taiwo tore his ACL. He spent the next year rehabbing, enrolling in State in January 2014.

By the time the fall season rolled around, Taiwo was healthy enough to take on a starting role, and Wolfpack fans got a glimpse of the Raleigh native’s power and athleticism that made him a force in high school. However, Taiwo’s growth into the elite center forward needed to replace outgoing senior Nick Surkamp stalled again, when he re-injured his ACL after just five regular season matches.

Nearly a year later, Taiwo has returned to the rotation of forwards head coach Kelly Findley has entrusted to lead the Wolfpack back into the upper half of the ACC, but the coaching staff has restricted his time on the field to aid his recovery.

“I want to rush back because that’s just the player I am, but the coaches are doing well with playing me a few minutes here and there so I get my health back 100 percent,” Taiwo said.

Even in those few minutes on the field, Taiwo has shown tremendous growth as a player and has made his presence felt. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound striker is a physically dominant player, but he has offered far more than pace and strength to the lineup.

While he bullies defenders and offers an instant outlet since he can hold off the opposition and remain in control of the ball, Taiwo shows guile as well. The smooth left-footer can strike the ball in a variety of ways, making him a gifted playmaker on the field.

In one sequence against College of Charleston, for example, Taiwo received the ball with his back to goal near midfield while holding off two defenders, turned and hit a 30-yard pass with the outside of his left foot into freshman right back Simon Blotko’s stride, which allowed the defender to sprint forward and join the attack.

“Here, they teach you, ‘what we try to do is get the ball in behind,’ but you have to mix it up a little,” Taiwo said. “So, sometimes I’ll run behind, and sometimes I’ll come in and connect with other players because that opens up space for other players out wide.”

So far, Findley has given big minutes to four forwards, the starting pair of sophomore Ryan Peterson and freshman Tanner Roberts, and the secondary pairing of Taiwo and grad student Phil Carmon, a program veteran.

“Off the field we’re good friends,” said Taiwo when asked about his relationship with his strike partner. “Phil was one of the main people who welcomed me into the team, so we have a good connection on the field. I like to come in, and he likes to run behind, so that partnership really makes a dynamic duo.”

With a year to watch and learn the game from the sidelines, the forward has developed the intellectual side of his game and has lost the nerves that made him sometimes try to do too much individually as a freshman.

“On the field I’m just trying not to rush it,” he said. “I know last year, my first year, I had jitters. You want to be the big impact player on campus, but it’s a team game. You just do your part, the team does its part, and hopefully you come together for a win.”

Love for the team has come to the forefront of his priorities, Taiwo said.

“Off the field I’m doing well with encouraging my teammates because I was out for a long time,” Taiwo said. “During that time that’s one thing you want to focus on is making sure you’re encouraging other players. So, when your time comes, they’re encouraging you.”

A healthy Taiwo gives Findley and the Pack a new dimension up front. His physical attributes make him a terrifying prospect for most defenses to handle while his excellent foot skills and renewed focus allow him to set up teammates.

“We think Ade has some special qualities,” Findley said. “We look forward to seeing him get all the way healthy, which he’s really close to, but he needs to be game fit, too. He’s had a big impact on the game.”

For Taiwo, the goal is simple: stay healthy.

“This year I just want to make it through the full season,” he said. “As a team, get wins, bond together, come together, so it makes a good going into the next year and the year after that, and it just keeps going and going. Hopefully we become a powerhouse again.”