The players from the 1994 U.S. men’s national team quite literally inspired me to follow in their footsteps.I was only 7 when the World Cup came to America, and I didn’t know much about the game. I wasn’t studying tactics or paying attention to FIFA rankings. I’d never even seen the game played until my dad took me to a tryout. I was just a kid trying to understand this sport that had suddenly captured my attention.I remember watching them upset Colombia with a 2-1 win in front of more than 93,000 fans. Colombia were one of the best teams in the world at the time, but I was completely drawn in by the passion, courage and personality of that U.S. team.The Americans made the most of Andrés Escobar’s infamous own goal, with Earnie Stewart scoring the winner in the second half. For them to grind out that result was inspiring, and it left its mark on me. They weren’t just soccer players, they were heroes.More than 30 years later, what amazes me isn’t just what that team accomplished on the field. It’s that many of the same players who inspired me as a kid would later help me as a professional, a broadcaster and a person. That’s the real legacy of the 1994 team. They didn’t just grow the game in America. They helped shape the generation that followed.I was this young kid learning about soccer on the fly. I would watch as many games as I could and was introduced to these stars. Naturally, I gravitated towards certain players – the ones who looked like me, played like me or players with the biggest personalities.When I think of that group stage game against Colombia, I remember Eric Wynalda. He was a striker, like me. I also loved Cobi Jones. We had the same skin color and he was fast, like me. Then you had Tony Meola, who rocked that iconic mullet-ponytail look and came up with some big saves. Marcelo Balboa had this long hair and style about him that drew me in.I was hooked by these guys. I wanted to follow them at every turn and, thankfully, Major League Soccer was just getting started. I had never seen club football before in my life. I didn’t know about the English Premier League or Serie A. I went from that World Cup to, ‘OK, what’s next?’In 1997, I stood outside Foxboro stadium holding my 1994 World Cup ball, hoping U.S. men’s national team players would stop and sign it. They all did and I still have that ball today. It was an incredible moment – and little did they know they were inspiring a future U.S. national team striker. I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d work alongside many of them, learn from them, and call some of them friends.Charlie Davies runs towards Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. (Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images)Looking back, that team had some of the same appeal that the early WWF had for kids of my generation. The players weren’t just athletes, they were characters. Meola had the presence of a Hulk Hogan, while Alexi Lalas carried the unmistakable aura of the Ultimate Warrior. In a country where soccer was fighting for attention, those personalities helped draw people in. They certainly drew me in.First as a fan, and later as a player fortunate enough to learn from many of the same men who inspired me. I’m always thankful for them helping me fall in love with the game – and even more with their help along the way. Even so, I don’t think that generation receives the appreciation it deserves.