QUICK STUDY
veryone remembers Chris Weinke,
right? He's the Heisman Trophy-
winning quarterback who led
Florida State to a national cham-
pionship in 1999 and went on to
spend seven seasons in the NFL. With
more than 9,500 passing yards as a Semi-
nole, Weinke enjoyed one of the best col-
lege careers of any quarterback of his era.
But what does he have to do with Penn
State?
Fast forward a decade or so. A2er Weinke
wrapped up his playing career, he took
over the 1edgling football program at
IMG Academy, a prep school in Bradenton,
Fla. The team made its varsity debut in
2013.
When it came time for Weinke to pick a
starting quarterback for that 0rst season,
he chose Michael O'Connor, now a fresh-
man on the Nittany Lions' roster. Said
Weinke, "He was a perfect 0t for our in-
augural football team."
IMG had been established in the late
1980s as a tennis training center, but its
mission expanded over the years, and in
1999 it became a college preparatory
school focusing on "athletic and personal
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QB Michael O'Connor has learned from one of the best
E
Steve Manuel
U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L
THE O'CONNOR FILE
S T A T I S T I C S
Passed for 1,804 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sen-
ior at IMG Academy. ... Completed 3 of 6 passes for
45 yards and a touchdown in the Under Armour All-
America Game.
H
O N O R S
Finished 184th overall in the Rivals250. ... Was
ranked the No. 7 pro-style quarterback in the nation
and the 28th-best player in Florida.
CLICK HERE to see
video of O'Connor in action.
