After being selected by the New England Patriots with the 94th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Kevin O’Connell thought his football dreams were set to come true. Unfortunately, the dreamlike scenario quickly turned into a nightmare.
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Working with the premier talent of a cutthroat industry is no simple task. Having garnered a reputation for its sink-or-swim mentality, O’Connell’s story is a testament to the rigorous nature of the Belichick-Brady system.
On the latest episode of the Fitz and Whit podcast, O’Connell joined his retired peers to discuss the details of his short-lived NFL journey. Despite admitting that it felt as if he had been “…thrown into the deep end of a shark-infested pool,” O’Connell maintains that it was a necessary step in becoming the successful coach that he is today.
“Your biggest nightmare as a young player in the league is you know you don’t know enough… It probably wasn’t the most fertile farming ground for me to become the best quarterback that I could become because I started out in an incredibly intense and intimidating environment.”
Highlighting how the process taught him the importance of learning and understanding the finer points of gridiron football, the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach believes that “it created the foundation for every job I had from that point forward.”
Testifying to the impact that New England-trained personnel can have on a player’s career, co-host and 17-year NFL veteran, Ryan Fitzpatrick, mentioned that “For quarterbacks and centers, that 20-year period where Tom was there in New England, that was like the best education that you could get, to be thrown into that system and have to learn.”
Fitzpatrick also reminisced about his time with Bill O’Brien, a former New England QB coach, and credited the Patriot Way for its impact. He even proclaimed that it “changed my career.”
Agreeing with Fitzpatrick’s assessment, O’Connell noted that the amount of information thrown at him on a “minute to minute” basis was staggering. Thankfully, he was able to make the most of those lessons throughout his pursuit of the ever-so-coveted NFL head coaching position.
Admitting that it forced him into a mindset of “if you don’t do it, nobody will,” the 39-year-old playcaller recalled the dynasty as being, “Maybe not the best, ideal location to have a 10-15 year career in the NFL… But it was probably the greatest thing to ever happen to me to inevitably lead me to the path that I’ve been on. I’m very thankful for it, to this very day.”
Considering that O’Connell just guided the Vikings to a record of 14-3, giving them their greatest regular season performance in recent history, it’s fair to say that he’s made the most of his connections throughout his time around the league. The former Patriot will now be looking to turn his attention towards the 2025 season, where he hopes to make the most of the team’s investment in J.J. McCarthy.
