Patrick O’Brien
Quarterback – Senior
Catawba College
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Patrick O’Brien: I am 6’4, 228 right now and my forty was a 4.89 yesterday.
Alex Khvatov: Where are you currently training for the NFL Draft?
Patrick O’Brien: In Martinsville, New Jersey at TEST Football Academy. Kevin Dunn is the head of it.
Alex Khvatov: When is your Pro Day and what are your expectations on that day?
Patrick O’Brien: It is on March 26th at UNC Charlotte. I am trying to get to the UNC or East Carolina pro days. We have been talking to people. I am going to kill it. I expect to run well and put up a good shuttle time. I want to show my strong arm and throw with pace.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Patrick O’Brien: I was going to go to East Carolina. They signed Shane Carden. They wanted to offer me a preferred walk-on spot. Richmond offered me, but they pulled out because a guy de-committed from Virginia and went there. I was hurt. I was a 6’4 guy who was skinny. I should have gone the JUCO route. I called a local school, UNC Pembroke. They said that they would love to have me and they offered a scholarship.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your time at UNC Pembroke.
Patrick O’Brien: I competed for the job at fall camp. I didn’t like the environment. The school was in the middle of nowhere. It was a culture shock. I wanted to go home and play D-I.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you decide to transfer to UNC Charlotte?
Patrick O’Brien: I called them up and told them that I wanted to transfer. They invited me to a tryout. They had about 300 guys there. I performed great and threw phenomenal. They called me a week later and told me to come. I spent the entire spring there. We practiced for a full year as they made the transition to D-I. We didn’t have any games. I thought that I would start next fall. My coach told me that I was the best QB, but I walk-on guy. I was older than the other QB that they were committed to. I wanted to play now.
Alex Khvatov: How did you wind up at UNC Pembroke again?
Patrick O’Brien: I had a relationship with a lot of the players. I liked being around the football team my freshman year. I went to spring break with the guys. I wanted to play with them. I told myself who cares about the location. It is all about football. I transferred and I won the job during the spring. Four or five days before fall camp, they told me that I had to sit down. The school overlooked some eligibility rule. I had to sit out and wait another year. Then I started the next two seasons. I turned 25 this February. I enjoyed being the starter. Our OC went through some growing pains. He has never been a playcaller before. We went 6-4 the first year. Then we went 10-2 the next year. I didn’t get along with the head coach. All of my guys on the team and friends graduated. We had a great camaraderie. I was a team captain for two years at UNC Pembroke. I spent a lot of time with the O-line guys. I cooked for them. We were on the same page. It was a brotherhood.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you eventually transfer to Catawba for your final season?
Patrick O’Brien: I graduated, and all of the friends on the team were gone. Catawba was 30 minutes from my house. I was raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. My friends and family can finally come to my games. I have been in college for seven years. I played Catawba two years in a row. They were 5-6 the year before. I respected their team. I felt that they were a QB away from making a good run. I called them. I told them that I wanted to play for them. They were happy to have me. It is the best decision that I made.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your senior year.
Patrick O’Brien: We went 9-2. We had a good team. We lost an early game to a triple option team. We lost to Carson-Newman. We lost to Wingate. We were tied up with 45 seconds left in the game. I threw an out route at their 30-yard line. We were going to score. When you are working the two-minute drill, the WR needs to get out of bounds. He stayed inbounds, and the defender forced a fumble. They kicked the game-winning FG. We were expected to be the sixth seed out of the seven teams in the playoffs. Teams with three losses got into the playoffs, but we didn’t. We had a big party and we were shocked by the result. My agent tells me that I am the journeyman of the D-II in college football.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your overall experience at the National Bowl?
Patrick O’Brien: It was awesome. It was definitely the coldest weekend in Florida. It was freezing that weekend. I showed that I could throw in those elements. It was fun to showcase my talents. I have never worked on five or seven step drops. I had no training leading up to that all-star game. I made some connections with teams.
Alex Khvatov: What is the biggest thing that you took away from that all-star game?
Patrick O’Brien: I realized how much talent is at the D-II level. We have talented guys in all divisions. It was a huge takeaway for me from the National Bowl. I liked being around new guys.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your experience at the 2018 Tropical Bowl.
Patrick O’Brien: It was all about football. I wasn’t too big for that stage. It was cool to see SEC guys around you and the size of the OL, DL and linebackers. The speed of the game didn’t seem faster. It is all about X’s and O’s.
Alex Khvatov: What type of feedback did you receive from NFL scouts?
Patrick O’Brien: I talked to scouts. They asked me why I transferred a few times. They tried to get a read on me. They wanted to find out my football IQ and the character I had. Scouts told me that I checked all of the boxes. I passed the eyeball test.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Patrick O’Brien: I am a natural born leader. As I got older, I realized that people gravitate towards me. I lead by example. I am a good leader. On the field, I throw with anticipation. I study film. I have a strong arm and I am really accurate. I have room to improve.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Patrick O’Brien: It was throwing to the left, but I got that down now. I need to throw leading with my hip. I have been throwing leading mostly with my arm.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Patrick O’Brien: When we won the playoff game at UNC Pembroke. We went to the second round. We were the first team ever to win 10 games.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Patrick O’Brien: My favorite player was Curtis Martin.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for a QB?
Patrick O’Brien: Leadership.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?
Patrick O’Brien: RB Kenyatta Greene transferred from West Virginia. He didn’t start, but he led the conference in TD’s and all-purpose yards. He played 30% of the snaps. TE Jourdan Osinskie was an all-region selection.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced during your career?
Patrick O’Brien: The best player was Tuskegee LB Osband Thompson. He called out half of our plays. He has his pro day at Alabama. He is an NFL strong safety.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Patrick O’Brien: It teaches life lessons. It taught me how to be a man. There is nothing like walking off the field after winning a football game. It takes so much out of you.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Patrick O’Brien: I like to golf.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Patrick O’Brien: I would love to coach. I have met so many coaches that have been an inspiration to me.
Alex Khvatov: Finish the sentence, Patrick O’Brien is….
Patrick O’Brien: An underrated QB who will be an NFL starter.
