SDSU FOOTBALL: Aztecs' O'Connell gets early wake up from Patriots

Aztecs' O'Connell gets early wake up from Patriots

By SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Sunday, April 27, 2008 10:02 PM PDT ∞

Kevin O'Connell is congratulated by San Diego State athletic director Jeff Schemmel on Sunday night during a party in O'Connell's honor in Encinitas. O'Connell was picked in the third round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots. BILL WECHTER/Staff photo

LA COSTA ---- Suzanne O'Connell, the mother of former San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell, ran a covert errand on Friday afternoon. She went to a Carlsbad mall, found a sports apparel store and raided its hat selection.

She picked up a lid from every NFL team and bought them all with one caveat.

"I told the clerk that I'd be back," she said. "I was buying 32, but I'd be returning 31."

The New England Patriots hat won't be returned. It went from the closet to O'Connell's head Sunday morning after New England selected the La Costa Canyon High grad with the 31st pick of the third round.

"If I would've known about (his mom's secret errand) I probably would've yelled at her and thought karma would jump up and bite me with all it's got," O'Connell said. "But it ended up working out and I feel extremely blessed."

O'Connell knew what was coming before the public did. His phone rang Sunday morning, 10 minutes before the 94th selection. It was Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who introduced himself and quickly started talking football. After a few minutes of small talk, Belichick asked O'Connell if he wanted to play for the Patriots.

"I was really in awe of what happened," said O'Connell, who's expected to compete to be Tom Brady's backup next season. "To pick up the phone and hear Bill Belichick on the other end asking me to join his team was a real honor."

A few moments later O'Connell's name scrolled across the television screen, sending the 25 supporters at the O'Connell house into hysterics. The cheers, it turned out, weren't just coming from inside the house. An uproar could be heard across the neighborhood, as friends and neighbors celebrated the success of their native son. They poured into the street, stopping by to congratulate O'Connell.

"It's been a roller coaster since that moment," O'Connell said Sunday night during an after-party at a local eatery. "I'm going to enjoy this day, but then I'm going to refocus. I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get started."

O'Connell's first job as a Patriot will be a minicamp on Thursday in Foxboro, Mass. Suzanne will head back to that sports apparel store and return some hats this week. She won't be returning 31, however. She gave a Green Bay Packers hat to Carlsbad High and San Diego State wide receiver Brett Swain, who was taken in the seventh round by that team.

"It was getting late in the draft and I started preparing for the possibility of finding a team as an undrafted free agent," Swain said. "But before I really got into it, my phone rang and changed those plans."

Aztecs wideout Chaz Schilens was taken in the seventh round by the Oakland Raiders and long snapper Tyler Schmitt was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round.

University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson was taken in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a bit later than most expected. Johnson wasn't worried about the wait and is looking forward to starting his professional career.

"It feels great," Johnson said. "I'm ecstatic. It's a perfect fit for me."

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.