Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell led the Boilermakers to a victory Saturday over rival Indiana just days after his oldest brother, Sean, died.
The school tweeted a statement from O’Connell on Sunday that announced his brother’s death but did not detail the cause.
O’Connell, a sixth-year senior, was 18 of 29 and threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Boilermakers to a 30-16 victory that gave them the Big Ten West Division title. Purdue will face No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten title game next weekend in Indianapolis.
O’Connell did not speak with reporters following the game.
“My family and I would like to express our gratitude for the love and support we have received over the past few days,” O’Connell said in the statement. “We are deeply saddened to share of the passing of my oldest brother, Sean. Sean was not only one of Purdue football’s biggest fans, but he was a better son, brother and friend. He lit up any room he walked in and all that knew him testify to his contagious joy.”
O’Connell was crying into a towel near the end of the game and did not attend the postgame news conference. Coach Jeff Brohm became emotional when questioned about O’Connell.
SEAN O’CONNELL Obituary and Funeral
Chicago native Sean Michael O’Connell, now 27 years old, was born on June 5, 1995 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, to James and Kathleen (née Haverty) O’Connell. On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, while unexpectedly visiting his family in Long Grove, Illinois, Sean was taken from this world by the Lord.
After finishing high school in Lincolnshire’s Stevenson in 2013, Sean went on to earn degrees from Miami University in Ohio and Lake Forest University. After college, he moved to Chicago and began working in the private equity market as a partner for Traverse Point Partners. Sean’s charismatic nature and bright disposition made him a joy to be around. He enjoyed many sports but his true love was golf, which he frequently played with his loved ones at the Kemper Lakes course they called home. The city of Chicago was his favorite, and he made the most of his time there. He was an enthusiastic member of the Junior Board for the Chicago chapter of the By the Hand Club for Kids and a supporter of the organization. Sean placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ early on in life, and he was a regular attendee at both The Orchard Evangelical Free Church and Moody Bible while he was growing up and later lived in Chicago. To Sean, being the eldest of six children and the grandfather of twenty-one grandchildren was a natural and honorable position to which he duly aspired. Aside from his grandparents Michael and Patricia Haverty, aunts, uncles, cousins, innumerable friends, and his one-year-old golden retriever, Simba, Sean is survived by his parents Kathleen and James, his siblings Patrick (Taryn), Aidan (Jael), Liam, Seamus, and Grace, and their spouses. James and Marguerite O’Connell were his paternal and paternal great-grandparents, respectively, and they passed away before he was born. A private memorial service will be held by the family.
A memorial service for Sean, open to friends and family, will be held at a later time. Donations in Sean’s memory can be made to the By the Hand Club of Chicago in lieu of flowers. https://bythehand.org. You may contact the funeral home at www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or by calling (847) 253-0168 with your condolences and other memories of the deceased.
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