Back in 2017, Pat O'Connor was drafted in the seventh round by the Detroit Lions out of Eastern Michigan. He didn't last on the roster, and was quickly signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the next seven seasons, O'Connor stuck with the Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl in 2020. This year, he returned to the Lions on the practice squad. Since October, he has been on the 53-man roster. Thursday night, he got significant playing time and was named a captain for the game, something he relished.
"Honestly, I never thought I was going to do that, especially how far I am in my career", O'Connor said. "To have the opportunity like that is so nice and I never thought about it. I always think when you see (Aidan) Hutchinson come out, it's probably the coolest thing ever and to actually experience that for the first time is basically a dream. So, I thank (Aaron Glenn), (Terrell Williams) and Dan (Campbell) for giving me the opportunity to go do this because I've never played as many snaps as I did (Thursday), especially my whole tenure in Tampa Bay. For them to have the confidence in me to go out there and do what I do, I'm just so appreciative of them."
Most of the night, the Lions used O'Connor at nose tackle. It's a spot he hasn't played much in his career, but he has appreciated the chance to learn the tricks of the trade in practice from DJ Reader. When Reader was ruled out, that was O'Connor's chance to step up.
"It's a tough job. You got to be a grinder in there, especially if you just watch DJ (Reader)", O'Connor said. "He makes a lot of money doing what he does. He's done it for a long time and being able to work with him every day and watch him, I try to emulate how he plays and he's got to hang in there sometimes."
With one tackle, O'Connor may not have had a big statistical impact on the game, but he did indeed hang in there. His presence was felt in a variety of positive ways as he finally got a chance to star for the team that drafted him.
More than any stats he put up, O'Connor was a force because he brought a consistent attitude. From beginning to end, he relished the emotion of a big game and was never shy about pumping up the crowd and showing emotion.
"I think it doesn't take much to show emotion and I just always I think that's awesome whenever you do that", O'Connor said. "You just hear the crowd and then you see everyone else around you start doing it and it just gets everyone's juice going before the play even starts. So, just little things like that kind of help get you mentally prepared to snap into the play."
In a season where the Lions have had to rely on a multitude of players, O'Connor represents another good story. Don't be surprised if he keeps making the most of every opportunity he's given.
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