This is the sort of thing I ought to include more often, though I wonder if people care: I have a friend who works in Major League Soccer and this person 1) Raved about WVU’s team 2) Consistently checked in on Ray Gaddis. 3) Told me the D.C. United is looking for a staff writer.

Every time I saw WVU play the past two years, I was impressed with Gaddis. He plays a critical position — right back in soccer is key because he pushes up to play offense and flick in crosses, but then has to scurry back to play defense. He never scored, but he was always clearly one of the best players on the pitch … and that’s a subtlety that probably explains why so many people don’t understand/like soccer.

Well, Gaddis was drafted into the MLS Thursday and was selected in the second round by the Philadelphia Union.

Gaddis is arguably the highest decorated defender in WVU history, playing in 73 career games and leading the Mountaineers to two NCAA Tournament second round appearances. Gaddis logged 6,687 minutes in his career and finished with six assists and 24 shots taken.

“It is a great honor and blessing to be selected in this year’s draft,” Gaddis says. “I want to thank all of the coaches, West Virginia University and the athletic department for putting me in the right environment to become a pro. I also want to thank Coach LeBlanc who took a chance on me and thought I deserved to play for WVU. It’s a very exciting moment for me and family and it is what I have dreamed of and worked for all my life.”

Gaddis earned a plethora of awards while attending WVU that include; two-time MAC Hermann Trophy Watch list member, third team All-American in 2010, first team NSCAA all-Northeast in 2009, two-time second team all-BIG EAST, two-time all-BIG EAST Preseason team member and a 2011 CollegeSoccerNews Second Team Preseason All-American.

Don’t sneeze at his future, either. MLS salaries are up and the average annual salary is actually $154,000. Guys can, and do, make good money in the MLS these days.