Long before, okay, maybe not long, Kevin O’Connell started a coaching journey, he was an NFL quarterback. On Monday, NFL media shared his debut on social media where he appeared late in a game during the 2008 season for the New England Patriots.
Of course, being drafted by the Patriots at that time meant playing behind Tom Brady and Matt Cassel. In the case of O’Connell, his debut came in a blowout loss against the Miami Dolphins. Brady had missed the game with a torn ACL, and Cassel didn’t have success, so with the game out of reach, they made the change.
Flashback to when Kevin O’Connell made his NFL debut with the Patriots. (Sept. 21, 2008)@KevOC7 | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/BPvkk4EnN4
— NFL (@NFL) July 7, 2024
Rookie Kevin O’Connell didn’t do much late in the game. He attempted four passes, completing three of them for 25 yards. He was also sacked before the final whistle.
It would prove to be just one of two games in which Kevin O’Connell appeared in his NFL career before transitioning to coaching.