Buffalo Bandits sign Bill O’Brien to Practice Squad
By Austin Owens
The Buffalo Bandits made an addition to their practice squad, signing three-year veteran Bill O’Brien, who should rapidly climb the ranks
After starting the season with a win over the Toronto Rock on home floor, the Buffalo Bandits have dropped three of their last four contests.
The Bandits dropped their last game in overtime to the Vancouver Stealth by an 11-10 score. That gave Vancouver their first win of the early season.
As a result, the team made a minor tweak that could turn into a major add for the team’s defence in the long run.
The team signed Bill O’Brien to their practice roster on Tuesday. The defender announced the signing on his Twitter account.
☎️ rings this am.
— Bill O'Brien (@Bill_OBrien96) January 16, 2018
Caller: We want you in our team, but you have to start on our practice squad
Me: Nothing in life is worth doing unless you gotta work for it.
Caller: Welcome to @NLLBandits organization, see you tonight.
Me: I'm on my way... after I finish this set tho
When I asked O’Brien to explain his play style in one word he didn’t hesitate for a second to think it over.
"“Physical. That’s kind of my strength and I don’t try to be something that I’m not. I was playing outside linebacker in college, running in and hitting on every play. So I try to bring that to the lacrosse field while still trying to hone my stick skills.”"
O’Brien wasn’t drafted into the National Lacrosse League. He played College football for Sacred Heart, where he was a three-year starter and a captain of the team.
He picked up a lacrosse stick again in his senior year of University. Then, his friend Jerome Thompson asked him to try out for the Onondaga Redhawks Senior B. lacrosse team.
"“I was a little nervous to play again, but I’m a big advocate for health and fitness. I’ve been working out my whole life. So that really gave me the edge coming back. My stick skills were a little behind. But I just put the time and effort in and be a contributor.”"
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He made the team and went on to help the Redhawks capture the Presidents Cup, Canada’s top prize in Senior B. lacrosse.
After that, the New England Black Wolves came knocking, offering him a spot at their free agent camp. He made the opening night roster for the Black Wolves and never looked back.
O’Brien spent three seasons with New England, where he played a total of 49 games, had nine assists, and accumulated 172 penalty minutes.
For a team that lost Billy-Dee Smith to Rochester this offseason, the Bandits did well to get O’Brien in their squad.
In talking to an NLL player back when O’Brien was coming back into the league, he said “Man, this guy is like a truck! He’s massive.”
At six-foot-four, 235 lbs, O’Brien isn’t a fun matchup for any offensive player in the league. Bandits Head Coach Troy Cordingley will love the physicality and size of O’Brien in in his lineup every game.
Expect him to work his way off the practice roster sooner rather than later.
Next: Toronto Rock keep rolling with win over Rochester Knighthawks