Raging crowds. Screaming coaches. Whistling referees. Yet the loudest among the Friday night masses is Coppell senior inside linebacker Tim O’Hearn on the field. 

A key player for the Cowboys, O’Hearn’s personality shines through, whether it be at early morning practices or late nights after games.

“Say we’re down, it’s a close game, the other team scores, and a player’s hanging his head,” O’Hearn said. “I can go over there, talk to him, make sure he’s good and then just keep playing, keep fighting throughout the game, make sure he’s not hanging his head on that. I’ve always got energy and I’m always yelling and screaming.”

As the rest of the team blearily shakes away their sleep at 5 a.m. practices, O’Hearn is wide awake. 

That zeal, among other reasons, is what got him an offer to play Division I football at Lafayette College. On Aug. 11, he committed to Lafayette, gaining a chance to play in the prestigious Patriot League. To O’Hearn’s coaches, teammates and even himself, his college commitment was “nothing too crazy,” as he put it. 

“Since he was in middle school, I knew he would be going [Division I],” Coppell senior long snapper Zach Stricker said. “He brings up the tempo when we’re practicing; him being energetic makes it easier to be energetic around him. He doesn’t make anything awkward, he just has fun with how he’s playing.”

Along with that energy comes respect, for both his teammates and coaches, and a tireless work ethic that allows him to lead as a captain. So does the spirit of a team player: in past years, O’Hearn played outside linebacker for the Cowboys but moved to inside linebacker as a junior, meeting a team need. 

At Lafayette, he’ll return to his former position. 

“[O’Hearn’s] a guy who everyone likes to be around, always respectful to the coaches and works really hard in the weight room in off season,” Coppell defensive coordinator Justin Merchant said. “He’s really silly, but he’s also a hard worker and he takes it seriously; he’s a good mix of both. He’s the kind of kid that we look for in a football player at Coppell, brings a lot of energy and plays really hard and loves his teammates.”

Playing since he was in third grade, O’Hearn’s football journey truly began through the TV screen. His father, Charles O’Hearn, introduced him to the game as a fan of the New England Patriots. Despite taking an interest in hockey earlier, watching football on the big screen convinced him to make the switch. Soon, he himself will be playing broadcasted games at Lafayette.

Having interest from programs including Bucknell, LA Tech and Dartmouth, Lafayette stood out to Tim for his opportunity to be on the field, rather than on the bench for most of the season, and its straightforward coaching staff.

“They’re just very straight to the point and honest; everything they said, they meant,” Tim said. “Whenever I was deciding, I knew I was going somewhere where I was wanted, and I had already built good relationships.”

This season will be the last of several spent with his teammates, some of which he’s been playing with since middle school.

“It’s great to go out and build a bond with players where all of y’all have the same goal and work towards the same goal together,” O’Hearn said. “Definitely not ready to be done playing with all my friends I’ve been playing with since middle school, but I’m looking forward to new opportunities.”

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