Minnesota placekick holder and cancer survivor Casey O’Brien played for the first time in the Golden Gophers’ 42-7 win over Rutgers on Saturday.
Early in the fourth quarter after Minnesota’s fourth touchdown of the game — a six-yard run from Mo Ibrahim — the redshirt sophomore was on the field holding for the extra point. It was perfectly executed and gave the Golden Gophers a 28-0 lead over the Scarlet Knights.
In beating cancer four times since he was 13 years old, according to the Star Tribune in Minnesota, O’Brien underwent 14 surgeries and never gave up on playing football. And Saturday, he clearly had so much support from his teammates.
The whole team celebrated the moment as Minnesota players rallied around O’Brien following the kick. O’Brien and coach P.J. Fleck also shared an emotional hug afterward.
But that wasn’t the end for O’Brien against Rutgers.
On the next drive, Minnesota defensive back Antoine Winfield intercepted Rutgers quarterback Johnny Langan’s first pass and returned it for a 33-yard pick-six. And that put O’Brien back on the field for another holding opportunity, which helped Minnesota go up, 35-0.
After the game, Fleck described O’Brien as “an unbelievable person” and said: “When you think courage, you think Casey O’Brien.”
Prior to the season, O’Brien spoke at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago in July about his experience with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. He’s been cancer-free for more than a year.
Originally a quarterback, O’Brien began experiencing pain in his knee and was diagnosed with the help of Minnesota’s medical staff because his father was working for the football team at the time, the Star Tribune reported. In addition to a knee replacement, he had three lung surgeries after spots appeared, along with chemotherapy.
Determined to still play football, he eventually switched to placekick holder because there’s significantly less contact, and Fleck was the only coach to offer him a walk-on opportunity, according to the Star Tribune:
“I took chemo pills before every spring practice at my first spring ball at Minnesota. I did not miss a practice,” O’Brien said in his speech. “I spent all last season wearing a specially made shirt with a pad sewn into it to protect the port in my chest while I was still getting treatment [every Wednesday after practice]. I did not miss a practice.”
Beating Rutgers, Minnesota is now 7-0 and in control of the Big Ten West division after Wisconsin stunningly lost to Illinois earlier Saturday.
