Danny O'Brien (American football)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Matthew "Danny" O'Brien is an American football
quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins
at the University of Maryland
.
, and at the age of 12, moved to Kernersville, North Carolina
, where he attended East Forsyth High School
. During his interscholastic career, he played basketball and football
as a quarterback
. As a junior in 2007, he completed
151 of 248 pass attempts
for 1,905 yards and 15 touchdown
s and rushed
for 290 yards and seven touchdowns. As a senior, he completed 117 of 235 pass attempts for 1,640 yards and 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and had 160 rushing attempts for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns. That season, he led his team to the Metro 4A conference championship and the third round of the state playoffs.
Rivals.com
rated him a three-star college prospect and ranked him the 36th best quarterback in the nation and 35th best player in the state of North Carolina. Scout.com
also rated him a three-star prospect. Miami
, North Carolina
, North Carolina State
, Notre Dame
, Wake Forest
, and Virginia Tech
showed interest in O'Brien, and Duke
, East Carolina
, and Maryland
offered him an athletic scholarship
.
, O'Brien redshirted and did not see playing time.
O'Brien entered the 2010 season
as the backup quarterback behind Jamarr Robinson. He saw his first action in the season opener against Navy
, losing a fumble on his only play of the game. In the second game of the season, O'Brien saw his first serious action against Morgan State. Up 24-0 in the second quarter, O'Brien capitalized by throwing 3 touchdowns in his first four passes before giving way to third string Quarterback, C.J. Brown in the 62-3 win. Against West Virginia
, O'Brien again only saw one play of action, getting sacked for a five yard loss. Robinson's sore arm moved O'Brien into the starting role against Florida International
, a role he has yet to give up. In the first start of his college career, O'Brien passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
O'Brien shattered all significant Freshman quarterback records at the University of Maryland, passing for 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns. In addition, he rushed for a twelve yard touchdown against Virginia
and collected a four yard touchdown reception against Clemson
.
During the 2010 season, the Atlantic Coast Conference
named O'Brien the ACC Rookie of the Week a total of five times. Upon the conclusion of the season, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. O'Brien was the first Maryland player to ever receive the honor. The Football Writers Association of America
named O'Brien to its Freshman All-America team
.
Sources:
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
Early years
O'Brien was born in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, and at the age of 12, moved to Kernersville, North Carolina
Kernersville, North Carolina
Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 17,126 at the 2000 census. In 2007 the U.S. Census estimated the town's population at 22,309. Kernersville is located at the heart of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, which consists of the cities...
, where he attended East Forsyth High School
East Forsyth High School
East Forsyth High School is located in the town of Kernersville in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It is laid out in a college-campus esque style with numerous small buildings rather than a single large building.-Facilities:...
. During his interscholastic career, he played basketball and football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. As a junior in 2007, he completed
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
151 of 248 pass attempts
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 1,905 yards and 15 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and rushed
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for 290 yards and seven touchdowns. As a senior, he completed 117 of 235 pass attempts for 1,640 yards and 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and had 160 rushing attempts for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns. That season, he led his team to the Metro 4A conference championship and the third round of the state playoffs.
Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
rated him a three-star college prospect and ranked him the 36th best quarterback in the nation and 35th best player in the state of North Carolina. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
also rated him a three-star prospect. Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
, North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, and Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
showed interest in O'Brien, and Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
, and Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
offered him an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
.
College career
During the 2009 season2009 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2009 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland during its 57th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terrapins played in the Atlantic Division of the conference, and competed against all five divisional opponents, two Coastal Division opponents on a...
, O'Brien redshirted and did not see playing time.
O'Brien entered the 2010 season
2010 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2010 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' 58th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its sixth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division...
as the backup quarterback behind Jamarr Robinson. He saw his first action in the season opener against Navy
2010 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 2010 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen, led by third-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, competed as an Independent and played their home games at the Navy – Marine Corps Memorial...
, losing a fumble on his only play of the game. In the second game of the season, O'Brien saw his first serious action against Morgan State. Up 24-0 in the second quarter, O'Brien capitalized by throwing 3 touchdowns in his first four passes before giving way to third string Quarterback, C.J. Brown in the 62-3 win. Against West Virginia
2010 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2010 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2010. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. They were members of the Big East...
, O'Brien again only saw one play of action, getting sacked for a five yard loss. Robinson's sore arm moved O'Brien into the starting role against Florida International
2010 FIU Golden Panthers football team
The 2010 FIU Golden Panthers football team represented Florida International University during their 6th season of NCAA Division I FBS football and their 9th season overall...
, a role he has yet to give up. In the first start of his college career, O'Brien passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
O'Brien shattered all significant Freshman quarterback records at the University of Maryland, passing for 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns. In addition, he rushed for a twelve yard touchdown against Virginia
2010 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 2010 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia in the 2010 season as a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers, led by first year head coach Mike London, played their home games at Scott Stadium and are members of the Coastal...
and collected a four yard touchdown reception against Clemson
2010 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2010 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his second full year and third year overall after taking over the job midway through the 2008 season...
.
During the 2010 season, the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
named O'Brien the ACC Rookie of the Week a total of five times. Upon the conclusion of the season, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. O'Brien was the first Maryland player to ever receive the honor. The Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
named O'Brien to its Freshman All-America team
2010 College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original All-America team was the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and Walter Camp...
.
Statistics
| Maryland | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Comp | Att | % | Yds | Avg | TDs | Long | Int | Rating | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs | ||||||
| 2010 | 13 | 192 | 337 | 57.0 | 2,438 | 7.2 | 22 | 71 | 8 | 134.5 | 31 | -48 | -1.6 | 12 | 1 | ||||||
| Career | 13 | 192 | 337 | 57.0 | 2,438 | 7.2 | 22 | 71 | 8 | 134.5 | 31 | -48 | -1.6 | 12 | 1 | ||||||
Sources: