by Caitlin Conner
Staff Writer
Injuries can threaten any athlete’s career. Even with weeks of rehabilitation and treatment, some never return to their sport for fear of further injury.
Senior Brandon Donahue, however, is an exception to this pattern.
Donahue began playing football in seventh grade where he played at Coppell Middle School West. He then went on to play throughout his sophomore year at CHS. However, during the season Donahue broke his forearm which required surgery.
Donahue began playing soccer when he was 6 and continued playing throughout high school. Subsequent to his football injury, he decided his time was best spent playing soccer. Donahue didn’t want to jeopardize his chances of playing soccer in college with further injuries, forcing him to quit football.
Midway into this season, however, Donahue was asked to rejoin the football team. It seemed like an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“I always secretly wanted to play football again, but I never really decided to do it because I wanted to stick to soccer,” Donahue said. “Then one night [senior safety] Nic Johnston asked me how it would feel to play football again. He said to talk to [coach Joe McBride] and just see what happened. It was completely out of the blue.”
Donahue had worked out with the football team during the summer and already knew McBride, who had asked him to play then but Donahue refused.
The team was short on running backs and Donahue fit the bill perfectly.
“Everyone kept telling him to play, but he was worried he might get hurt again,” senior quarterback Hayden Hawk said. “Then we had some running backs lose eligibility so we needed someone for depth and he came back.”
Donahue was asked to play the week of the Southlake Carroll game, but couldn’t play that Friday due to UIL rules. He watched the team practice on Wednesday, and then suited up for the JV game on Thursday to get in some practice. He traveled with the team to the Southlake Carroll game and began his first true practice the following Monday.
His first varsity game was Hebron. He played in seven games total and scored four touchdowns as a running back.
With his short but successful football career behind, Donahue looks forward to soccer season as a defender. Soccer coach Shane Bybee believes Donahue’s aggressive mind set helps him succeed in both soccer and football.
“Brandon is an exceptional athlete,” Bybee said. “My favorite quality about him is his determination and competitive spirit. As a defender in soccer he battles some outstanding attackers and I have yet to see him lose in a foot race. It was this same competitive desire that allowed him join the football team successfully. As a running back, a great deal success comes from the mindset of winning the one-on-one battle.”
Donahue also believes beginning his athletic season early this year with football has helped him become a better soccer player.
“It’s a completely different game but I think it still helps,” Donahue said. “Football makes you pretty tough and aggressive and sometimes as a defender you have to be rough on the offense.”
