Alex Morgan, sitting on top of the world. Or, close to it

Alex Morgan really is in a unique position. And she’s gotten here in a big hurry.

U.S. Soccer’s 2012 Female Athlete of the Year is coming off an amazing calendar year. A record-setting year, a Gold Medal year, and a year where she established herself as a dominant figure in the U.S. sports scene.

Now, Morgan can go a number of different ways. Or, perhaps she can go all ways at once.

She can be the next Mia Hamm, the darling of domestic soccer  who also happens to be a phenomenal talent.

In fact, she can more than Hamm. Whereas Hamm helped elevate the game with her talent and unassuming presence, Morgan would be starting from a point further ahead, public awareness-wise.

Or, Morgan can become the next David Beckham. Perhaps a better comparison is Maria Sharapova, carving out a somewhat unique place in the entertaining industry, one part blue chip professional athlete, one part advertising tour du force.

The world really is in front of Morgan, who was barely a starter for the United States women’s team 12 months ago.

So, get used to seeing more and more of these, explorative features digging into everything about the California native and what makes her tick.

She’s handled everything so far with a humble, easy-going grace. So far, not even a hint of big-time syndrome.

It comes across in the story and in the video linked just above from FoxSports.com.