Tim Troutner goes to work with a smile on his face each day. Day or night, he is always ready. He loves being in front of big crowds, adrenaline pumping, all the while keeping calm, taking the advice of the older guys who have been around a bit longer.

The words “relax, breathe, and enjoy the moment,” run through his mind while he warms up listening to his favorite tunes.

To him, work is both a hobby and a love — how could it not be for the 2019 Rookie of the Year of the Premier Lacrosse League?

Troutner was not the guy being watched since rubber pellets flew from his cleats the moment he stepped on the field in high school. It took four years before he even set foot on someone’s radar.

Troutner was born to a lacrosse household in southern Maryland. Both of his sisters, as well as his father, played the sport. He could not walk through the house as a child without tripping over a lacrosse stick. As early as 4 years old, Troutner began to scratch and claw his way to becoming the All-Star goalie he is today.

In his preteen years, Troutner rotated around at every position on the field. It wasn’t until sixth grade that he finally identified as a goalie. His first and most prized goalie stick was gifted to him by Chesapeake Bayhawks goalie, Brian Phipps, a fellow Maryland native.

Troutner started until his high school sophomore year at St. Mary's (Md.). The young man who excelled in varsity football, basketball, wrestling and lacrosse, was a back up for the first time in his life.

“The first game was really hard to just sit back and watch. You think you can go in there and do better. That mindset that it should be you out there,” Troutner said.

Despite the adversity and distress of feeling passed over, Troutner considers his high school sophomore year to be a paramount step in his career.

“It was cool to learn and see the game from that side of the field," he said. "It was a humbling experience.”

However, an immense mental challenge for Troutner would arrive two years later. While Troutner watched as his friends committed during their sophomore year, he was left with minimal interest.

One of the toughest memories of Troutner’s life was College Day his senior year of high school. All of his classmates knew where they would be attending and were donning their college gear.

“I just didn’t have a shirt to wear,” Troutner said.

Troutner contemplated attending community college to continue his lacrosse career. He had to begin looking at a future outside of Division I lacrosse.

Troutner exploited every opportunity to show off his abilities before his senior season. Then, it was time to close his career on a high note. Following a stellar performance in the 2015 state championship semifinal, he received an offer to play for High Point. 

He got his opportunity and he took advantage. In four seasons with High Point, he made 668 saves and help anchor a Panthers team that was a factor on the national stage in 2018 and 2019.

His play at High Point rewarded him the opportunity to be selected in into Major League Lacrosse and Premier Lacrosse League. He was taken second overall in the MLL Draft and 20th overall in the PLL Draft. Troutner’s decision about which league to offer his talents to embodies his priorities.

After receiving a call from Redwoods coach Nat St. Laurent revealing that goalie Jack Kelly had been injured and that Troutner could compete for the starting role, he took no time choosing the PLL. 

Above all else, he just wanted to play. 

Troutner’s debut for the Redwoods in Week 1 of the 2019 season was as tough as first tests come. The Redwoods faced off against Atlas LC and one of the best players the sport has ever seen in Paul Rabil.

Troutner helped the Redwoods carve out an 11-9 victory with 17 saves, earning him the title of Game MVP.

At that moment, on the turf of Gillette Stadium, Troutner finally could envision his potential that could propel him toward stardom.

Stardom that included an incredible season, recording 116 saves and a save percentage of 53 percent. Such a storybook first season could only end one way, and that was with the man who once had nearly abandoned all hope for college ball earning an All-Star spot and a trophy engraved with “Rookie of the Year."

His second act came in Utah, where he saved 56 percent of shots in the PLL Championship Series — an improvement upon his first season. He helped the Redwoods to a semifinal appearance in the quarantined tournament.

The remarkable truth to Tim Troutner is that for a man who has accomplished so much, the love he has for the game is insurmountable. In his offseason, Troutner is committed to helping grow the sport he has become so infatuated with. He currently coaches in Austin, Texas.

“My biggest thing is growing the game," he said. "That is why I moved to Austin. I know I could have stayed on the East Coast where it is a hotbed and there is a surplus of good coaches.”

Everyone has somewhere they can disappear to that will bring them peace. Very few people are lucky enough to call that place work. Troutner has found his calling between the pipes.