Bill and Suzanne O'Connell's son, Kevin, was the quarterback at San Diego State, and sometimes when they knew his Sunday night was free, they would make the 35-mile drive south from Carlsbad, Calif., for dinners meant to lift his spirits.
He missed spring practices after his freshman season because of shoulder surgery. Tom Craft, the coach who'd recruited Kevin O'Connell to San Diego State, was fired after his sophomore year. The thumb ligament surgery he had after his first game as a junior raised concerns he'd never throw again, and meant he'd have to regain his starting job as a senior.