Born in Pierre, Houser grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. When he turned eight, his stepfather was assigned to Germany, where Houser began playing soccer. He later returned to Sioux Falls, where he graduated from high school. He spent a year working and playing with a local amateur team. His father then paid for him to attend the Vogelsinger Academy where he played well enough to gain an invitation to play for the Vogelsinger team as it toured Belgium. He gained a trial with a local club but his finances did not allow him to stay in Belgium. He returned to South Dakota, where he earned enough to return to Belgium but did not gain a contract. However, the coach of the Southern Connecticut State University had seen him play at with the Vogelsinger team and offered him a scholarship. He played soccer for the Owls from 1994 to 1997. In 1995, Houser and his teammates won the NCAA Men’s Division II Soccer Championship. In 1997, he played for the Bridgeport Italians who went to the second round of the 1997 U.S. Open Cup. That year, he also played for the U.S. team which placed third at the World University Games. Houser was inducted into the South Dakota Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.
