SUCCESS STORIES
Brian O'Neill, Trinity Catholic High School
Ever since O'Neill entered Trinity Catholic as a freshman in the fall of 2006, he was fairly confident that he might one day get serious consideration for the prestigious Lione Scholarship award.
He was, after all, a valedictorian in middle school and then became a member of the national honor society and maintains a 3.85 grade point average. Later he would volunteer his time for food- and toy-raising drives at the school.
So, there was never much question about his academic abilities or fulfilling his civic responsibilities. Athletics? Well, after suffering an arm injury last fall playing football, that was where the doubt lingered.
O'Neill, who was also a back-up quarterback, started at free safety last season for the varsity football team. But after getting injured on a tackle, his days on defense were over. He could only hope that his dream of playing quarterback, and being a third baseman/shortstop/pitcher on the baseball team had not also ended.
"Every time I tackled somebody I'd get stingers: a tingling sensation up my arm," the Norwalk resident said. "I had pretty severe nerve damage. I over-stretched the nerve, and I was no longer able to play defense."
The injury carried over to the baseball season and that cut down his time on varsity. Fortunately, however, the arm healed and while he won't ever play free safety again, his hopes of one day being Trinity's starting QB and a starter on the baseball team live on.
"It took a while but I've had a full recovery," O'Neill said. "My arm is OK now."
O'Neill, who hopes to one day attend Notre Dame University to study business management, manages his time quite effectively. Like the other Lione winners, he has been able to maintain his GPA while participating year-round in sports. He played football in the fall, was a 6-foot-1 guard on the Trinity basketball program in the winter and played baseball in the spring. Baseball also fills his summer days. . . especially last summer.
O'Neill was a member of the Norwalk 14-year-old Babe Ruth all-stars who made it all the way to the World Series. The team ultimately placed sixth in the nation.
"That was a great experience," he said. "We won the New England championship and went to Virginia. It was a great memory. I'm looking forward to playing again this summer."
In the meantime, O'Neill will keep studying and playing sports and showing everyone he, like the other two recipients, was a worthy choice for the Lione award.
"The important thing is to keep giving back to the community," O'Neill said. "Helping to better the lives of kids; helping others to get better."