Gophers holder Casey O'Brien shares he has beaten cancer for the fifth time

Casey O'Brien captured national attention this past season, featured on ESPN College GameDay for his years-long battle with osteosarcoma.

May 8, 2020 at 10:58PM
Gophers punter Casey O'Brien (14) caught the ball while setting up for an extra point in the fourth quarter against Rutgers.
Gophers punter Casey O'Brien (14) caught the ball while setting up for an extra point in the fourth quarter against Rutgers. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers holder Casey O'Brien captured national attention this past football season, sharing his years-long battle with osteosarcoma, a rare cancer he has beaten four times.

Make that five now.

The junior tweeted Friday how he had finished his final day of chemotherapy, adding he "can't wait to go play football."

O'Brien first learned of his bone cancer at age 13 and has since undergone a full left knee replacement, several lung surgeries and multiple chemotherapy treatments. He had been nearly two years cancer-free before announcing he had another spot on one of his lungs removed the final week of the regular season back in November. He sat out that game against Wisconsin but still joined the team in Tampa, Fla., for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.

The walk-on made his collegiate debut about a month earlier at Rutgers. He also spoke at the Big Ten's Kickoff Luncheon this past summer, had ESPN College GameDay feature him and won this year's Disney Spirit Award for inspiring others.

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