Casey O'Brien has always needed a team.
As a kid, when his dad, Dan O'Brien, worked in the Gophers football department, he was always around the team. As a 13-year-old freshman quarterback at Cretin-Derham Hall, he led the team. After his bone cancer diagnosis that year, he switched to the less-risky position of placeholder to remain with the team.
He sought out the Gophers and coach P.J. Fleck for a walk-on opportunity in part because they were the only Division I team that would medically clear him. As he's battled cancer relapses, he's inspired fellow childhood cancer patients, forming relationships with them and building his own team.
That's where O'Brien derives his improbable strength, through about 20 surgeries and five chemotherapy treatment plans, to become a five-time cancer survivor, his most recent battle just won in May.
"Just being around positive people," O'Brien said. "I feel like I'm lucky to have a really positive group of friends and family that have carried me through the whole experience."
O'Brien relies on that support. The St. Paul native's summer and fall were like a movie, filled with harrowing moments and unexpected triumphs. It started in July, when he shared his story in a speech at Big Ten Media Days, garnering national attention. He appeared on ESPN's "College GameDay" and won the Disney Spirit Award. He made his collegiate debut, holding the ball for several perfectly kicked extra points in conference play.
With that exposure, the 21-year-old became a source of hope for childhood cancer patients across the world, forging personal relationships with many while bringing awareness to his osteosarcoma disease and the M Health University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
But his own battle wasn't finished.