On a Path of Hardships: Brendan O’Leary-Orange’s Journey to Reaching His Ultimate Dream.

Brendan O’leary-Orange is a junior wide reciever from Toronto, Canada who came to Reno to play Football for the University of Nevada. Throughout his time at Nevada, he’s encountered a great deal of adversity... adversity that has positively changed the direction of his life. Since is first year on the team, he has grown as a player, and a person and now feels that he has the tools to achieve his greatest goal. Brendan has a powerful story to tell, and his story isnt even half-way finished.

Brendan is one of four brothers, and he is the only one who decided to pick up a football and take after his father’s legacy. Being so far from home, the football field seems to be the closest he has to that anymore.

Brendan’s father, Doyle Orange is a former all-star running back in the CFL, and orginal draftee of the Atlanta Falcons in 1974. Soon realizing that it wasn’t just talent that landed his dad thus far; “I didnt notice how much football meant to me until I saw the passion my dad still has for he game today.”

Although it seemed as if Brendan’s path was already paved for him; another cliche story about a kid who made it because of who his father was, Brendan took off in a negative direction which got him into some trouble his Freshman year. As a student-athlete, the choices he had been making began to affect all aspects of his life including his grades. Once his grades slipped, his coaches figured that if he couldnt get it done in the classroom, they could no longer depend on him to produce results on the field either.

“Nothing I did was good enough after that. I felt like I was constantly running a race, with this fear of my feet getting caught from under me over and over again.”

Brendan no longer felt like he had the right wear Nevada Football across his chest, especially if he wasn’t going to fully embrace the opportunity he had been given. His entire life he has wanted to show his dad that he could be as good or even better than he once was. Even though he was already off to a rocky start, there was something inside him, that was driving him not to give up.

“My coaches brought me here for a reason, and they put every ounce of trust in me.” With that being said Brendan was determined to seek out the trust they once had in him, and he started out by showing up everyday with a purpose.

Brendan sit’s down in study hall and begins working on his homework. “I try to come in here after every class, if i can, just to get my homework over with for that class so I dont have to worry about it when I leave the school”.

Knowing that school was one of Brendan’s biggest obsticals, he made academics his number one priority even when those around him weren’t monitoring him. He also knew that because he’d fallen behind in his classes, this was going to impact his ability to be on the field. Because he came up short his Freshman year, Brendan feels driven to get back on top of his game, both in the classroom and on the field. So he has taken the opportunity in the off season, to get some much needed time in with some of his closest teammates and mentors.

Teammate and wide receiver, Ahki Muhammad, takes the field with Brendan to work on footwork with cones and Tennis Balls.

“Ahki is a good guy to work with in the off season. He’s small but he’s quick, and I could learn a thing or two from him being that I’m 6'4” and a bit stiff when it comes to my pivot/plant movements.”

As a Division I Football player, you are committed to working year-round. When he isnt in the classroom, or on the field, he must be in the weight room. In order to get his game to the next level, he knows it’s not going to be easy, but he’s definitely making postivive strides in the right direction.

Brendan enters the Strength Center for Nevada Athletes to get a lift in. “The lifts aren’t that difficult, it’s trying to find the motivation to get up and come everyday even when you’re sore and tired.”

“Upper body is one thing I want to get better at this off season. I think it will definitely help elevate my game.”

As we look into Brendan’s future there’s nothing but great things. He has recognized his mistakes and is now emerging from the dark past of his freshman year, and is willing to do the work both on the field and in the classroom. He may now realize the dreams and goals that he had come to the University of Nevada, Reno to accomplish. Every time he walks past the arch labeled “Mackay Stadium”, he no longer forgets his purpose.

Brendan exits the weight room, and heads down the hall towards the football locker room. So what now? “Well, I’m going home. Then I’ll wake up tomorrow, and do it all over it again.”

By any means necessary he will do what it takes to become better than what his father once accomplished. The wonderful thing about this story is it’s still being written…