Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell Shares the Passing of Oldest Brother, Sean
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following Purdue football's win over Indiana on Saturday, quarterback Aidan O'Connell shared of the passing of his oldest brother, Sean.
"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 a 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. We trust the Lord to provide strength and hope, and we appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this time."
O'Connell made the decision to lead the Boilermakers in their rivalry matchup against the Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Blooming, Ind., completing 18 of his 29 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
By coming away with a 30-16 win, Purdue claimed the Old Oaken Bucket for the second consecutive season and clinched the first Big Ten West title in program history.
During the team's postgame press conference, coach Jeff Brohm was emotional when discussing O'Connell's journey to this point in his career and what the former walk-on was dealing with entering Saturday's game.
"Aidan, he's got a lot going on right now. I'm not going to say anything," Brohm said. "So he's emotional for a lot of reasons. But he played really hard. He stepped up to the plate when his teammates needed him, gave us great effort all year long.
"It doesn't matter what's going on, he gives us great effort and I just think it's another great story. So I'm really proud of him. He and his family, we appreciate everything they've done for us. We're going to be with him every step of the way."
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