The Patriots surprised a few people by selecting San Diego State quarterback Kevin O’Connell in the third round (94th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. This was clearly an investment for the future, and not necessarily the present. Now O'Connell could be one snap away from being a starting QB in the NFL.
In last weeks 38-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins, O'Connell replaced Matt Cassel with 6:05 remaining. He was in for only two series, but looked surprisingly comfortable and in command, completing 3 of 4 passes for 25 yards. "It has kind of been talked about that they want to try to get me in," said O'Connell, "hopefully, when we're up by a lot, just because every snap I can get in there is a plus for me as far as learning and continuing to grow."
It's easy to see why any NFL team would like O'Connell. He is 6 feet 5 inches, 225 pounds, with a rocket arm and natural running ability. The 23-year-old also carries an air of quiet confidence.
It is the intangibles that the Patriots like about O'Connell. According to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels "you notice late in games when they [San Diego State] trailed, and they trailed quite a few times, this guy was playing hard and really trying to be a leader and brought his team back a few times and kept them in the game quite a few times. You liked a lot of the intangibles you saw with him."
According to O'Connell, being one heartbeat away from quarterbacking a team that many picked to be a Super Bowl contender hasn't changed his season. "My preparation hasn't changed too much, but just my mentality of being one snap away.You got to prepare like you're going to play every week, and if you don't, it's a blessing because Matt was able to go the whole time."
If the opportunity comes, O'Connell will be ready!
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