Grieving Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell plans to play in B1G title game
Purdue will play one of the biggest games in program history on Saturday night. And Aidan O’Connell will do so with a heavy heart.
The Boilermaker quarterback is dealing with an unimaginable tragedy that he shared on social media on Sunday: Older brother Sean passed away unexpectedly last week.
O’Connell played through his grief at Indiana on Saturday, leading the Boilermakers to a 30-16 victory to secure the program’s first Big Ten West title and a trip to the league championship game. The sixth-year senior could be seen in tears on the sideline late in the game after leading a comeback by throwing for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
“Well, things happened very suddenly, so, yes, there was concern about whether he would be available to play (at Indiana),” said Boilermaker coach Jeff Brohm on Monday. “Understandably.
“So, we just wanted to support him as he was going through that, be there for him, answer any questions he had. I think being around his teammates I think did slightly help. Then, of course, he had to manage all the emotions and the things he was going through, which I can’t imagine how hard it would be.”
Brohm’s eyes welled with tears and his voice quivered as he discussed O’Connell in the postgame on Saturday in Bloomington.
“He’s got a lot going on right now,” said Brohm. “Can’t say anything. So, he’s emotional for a lot of reasons. He played really hard. Stepped up to the plate when his teammates needed.”
The world learned of O’Connell’s heartache on Sunday.
“My family and I would like to express our gratitude for the love and support we have received over the past few days,” O’Connell said in a statement on social media. “We are deeply saddened to share of the passing of my oldest brother, Sean.
“Sean was not only one of Purdue Football’s biggest fans, but he was a better son, brother and friend. He lit up any room he walked in and all that knew him testify to his contagious joy. We trust the Lord to provide strength and hope, and we appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this time. We say with Job: ‘the Lord give and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ ”
On Monday, Brohm said O’Connell will play vs. the Wolverines (12-0, 9-0) when the Big Ten title game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“Yeah, he’ll play Saturday, I believe,” said Brohm. “He’ll be back here in the next day or two, I believe, when he takes care of what he needs to take care of.”
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Football is certainly secondary to the shocking loss O’Connell and his family are dealing with at the moment.
“Without question, I give Aidan a lot of credit,” said Brohm on Monday. “He did what he thought was best. He played his heart out for his teammates and gave us a great effort.
“Of course, he’s got things he has to deal with this week, as well, but I think we’ll be there to support him, and whenever we can get him back here to get back to work, we look forward to that.”
