Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien has passed every test
KERNERSVILLE, N.C.
A
s college approached in 2009, Danny O'Brien entered what he calls some of the worst months of his life. // He would look down to see red welts covering his arms, chest and sides of his abdomen, the effects from a severe and seemingly unstoppable case of poison ivy. At night, he'd scratch more than sleep. Then, by the time summer workouts at Maryland started, O'Brien struggled to find energy, his usual zealous demeanor crippled by yet another malady, a reaction to mononucleosis that left him sluggish and dazed. // "It was like hell," O'Brien says. // How O'Brien wound up confronting the double dose of illnesses provides a window into the mind of Maryland's sophomore quarterback, who has been described as everything from "extraordinary" to "unusual" by family members, friends and coaches. Those adjectives have little to do with his right arm — which helped him win last season's ACC rookie of the year award — and everything to do with how the 20-year-old thinks. Whether it's dissecting game tape or dealing with personal hardship, O'Brien approaches life with a level of poise and focus that even those closest to him view with admiration and curiosity. // Todd Willert, O'Brien's head coach at East Forsyth High who remains close to O'Brien's family, said: "It's almost like he needs obstacles in his life because he needs the challenge. Seriously."
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Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=9565d57130b722ab39263f54cbfcf667
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