Lions Sign Former ACC Rookie of the Year QB O'Brien
May 28, 2014 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Lions of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) announce the signing of quarterback Danny O'Brien. O'Brien made headlines in 2010 at the University of Maryland in being named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Rookie of the Year as a freshman QB for the Terps.
In his first season collegiately in College Park, O'Brien took the starting job in the fourth game of the season and never looked back, throwing for 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns in helping Maryland to a 9- 4 record. One of his targets was wide receiver Torrey Smith, now a star receiver in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. His offensive coordinator during his freshman year was James Franklin, who left the Terps after 2010 for a successful head coaching stint with Vanderbilt in the SEC before taking the head coaching job earlier this year at Penn State. In addition to being named the Rookie of the Year in the ACC, O'Brien was also named to the Freshman All-America team by the Football Writers Association of America.
O'Brien played his sophomore season for the Terps in 2011 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2012, playing for then-Badgers coach Bret Bielema, now the head coach at Arkansas in the SEC. He spent his senior season in 2013 with Division III Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., where he threw for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his four-year college career, O'Brien had a total of 7,099 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, and a 60.9% completion percentage. He was invited to rookie minicamp with the Atlanta Falcons after being undrafted in the NFL Draft earlier this month and was signed by the Lions on Tuesday.
O'Brien joins 2010 SIFL Offensive Player of the Year Chris McCoy as the two signal-callers for Columbus as they close out the season with five games remaining. Quarterback Antwon Young, the 2012 PIFL MVP and the starter for the Lions' first six games of the season, is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury. McCoy started the Lions' last game in Nashville against the Venom on Sunday, going 21-of-40 passing with five touchdowns, one rushing TD, and three interceptions.
The Lions return to the friendly confines of "The Jungle" at the Columbus Civic Center Saturday night for the first of three straight home games. After an interconference battle against the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks this Saturday night, the Lions have two key divisional matchups against the Alabama Hammers on June 7 and the Nashville Venom on June 14. Tickets are available for all three games, including special half-season ticket packages for all three games starting at $30 and free children's tickets available with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information, contact the Lions at 706.322.3336 or visit them online at www.columbuslions.net.
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from May 28, 2014
- Steelhawks Head to Lions Den - Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
- Lions Sign Former ACC Rookie of the Year QB O'Brien - Columbus Lions
- Hammers Face Monday Night In Music City - Alabama Hammers
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